Press Conference Kicks Off High-Goal Polo Season at International Polo Club; First Games are Sunday, January 14
WELLINGTON, FL (January 10, 2007) – International Polo Club Palm Beach hosted a press conference Wednesday to discuss details of the upcoming high-goal season. The club begins 15 weeks of high-goal polo this Sunday with a tripleheader, highlighted by New Bridge La Dolfina, featuring the world’s best player, Adolfo Cambiaso, against Pony Express at 3 p.m. on Stanford Field.
In 1993 at 17 years old, Cambiaso became the youngest player in the history of the game to reach 10 goals, the sport’s maximum rating.
New Bridge La Dolfina went 12-1 at International Polo Club, winning two of the three tournaments they entered last season. They are the pre-season favorite to capture the Joe Barry Memorial Cup, the first of five tournaments at International Polo Club, and the only tourney which they did not win in 2006.
Seven teams entered the Joe Barry Memorial Cup, as George Milford-Haven’s Broncos dropped out because their horses were under mandatory quarantine when the EHV equine virus outbreak hit. The Broncos are expected to be ready to begin play at the end of January in the 22-goal Ylvisaker Cup.
“International Polo Club is a very special place where families, friends and fans can come together to view polo at its finest,” said Michael Brown, General Manager of International Polo Club. “They come wearing anything from t-shirts to tiaras.”
Brown also announced the USPA Gold Cup, the second most prestigious tournament in North America, has found a home at International Polo Club for the next three years.
Brown, IPC Polo Manager Jimmy Newman, 8-goaler Owen Rinehart, 9-goaler Matias Magrini of New Bridge La Dolfina and 8-goaler Nicolas Roldan of Pony Express were the speakers. Scott Chiasson of Stanford Private Wealth Management, title sponsor of the U.S. Open, also spoke.
Brown also mentioned that owner John Goodman has spent almost $1 million in improvements, including work on the fields to make the surface faster and have a truer roll. The club also added member amenities such as a putting green, croquet lawn, beach volleyball court and two additional tennis courts and moved the Grand Marquee to the east side.
“This is the greatest polo club in the United States. It’s very fan-friendly,” said 8-goaler American Owen Rinehart, who will once again form the nucleus of Skeeterville, along with 8-goaler Julio Arellano.
The Joe Barry Memorial Cup is named after American polo legend Joe Barry, who died on May 18, 2002 at the age of 58. Born and raised in Texas, he achieved a 9-goal rating and dominated polo in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. Barry won six U.S. Open championships, three Gold Cups, three Silver Cups as well as the Coronation and Camacho Cup trophies. One of the greatest No. 4s in polo history, Joe Barry was elected to the Polo Hall of Fame in 1999.
The polo matches are open to the public. General admission for the Sunday games at International Polo Club Palm Beach is $10 for adults. Children under 12 enter for free. Tickets may be purchased in advance and they are also available at the gate on the day of the game.
International Polo Club Palm Beach is located at 3667 120th Avenue South, between Pierson Road and Lake Worth Road in Wellington. For information, directions or ticket purchases, please call the club at (561) 204-5687 or visit the website at www.internationalpoloclub.com.