There are very few sports in the world where both men and women battle it out on the field, but polo in the modern era, and specifically in Saratoga, it happens at almost every match. In fact, Saratoga Polo has been at the forefront of championing women’s polo for almost a decade with the Veuve Clicquot Women’s Challenge every year.
This year, Saratoga Polo welcomes back Sunny Hale, the highest rated women’s polo player in history to The Veuve Clicquot Women’s Challenge along side some of the top women polo players on July 24th and July 26th, to bring more excitement to Whitney Field.
For fans of Saratoga Polo, The Women’s Week Tournament featuring the Veuve Clicquot Women’s Challenge have become the must see matches of the whole summer. Last year, Sunny Hale lead her team to victory in front of an enthusiastic crowd that seemed to wish away rainy skies to finish off the season. On July 20, 2012 Sunny also went head to head with a feisty upcoming star, Tiffany Busch, in what some people have called “The Greatest Women’s Polo Match Ever” where The Asperion Group Polo, battled the Las Vinas Team. In overtime, Las Vinas narrowly defeated Asperion 8-7.
Sunny Hale is now an acclaimed author, debuting the book “Let’s Talk Polo” to her already storied career.
Besides being the founder of the American Polo Horse Association, she is currently the highest rated woman polo player in America at 3 Goals, the first woman in history to win the US Open Polo Championship (the most prestigious and highest level polo tournament played in the United States), attained the highest rating ever given to a woman (in the history of the sport) of 5 Goals, after winning the US Open Polo Championship with Outback Steakhouse Polo Team in 2000 (Team owner- Tim Gannon, teammates; Adolfo Cambiaso, Lolo Castagnola, Phil Heatley).
If you want some perspective, these ratings are the equivalent of a woman playing as a professional on the winning team in the NFL, the World Series or NBA Championships.
Jim Rossi, Managing Partner of Saratoga Polo looks at this opportunity with excitement and satisfaction, “Saratoga Polo was one of the first polo clubs to present a major women’s tournament. With the help of sponsors like Veuve Clicquot, we are proud to bring this fastest growing part of the sport to the Saratoga Springs destination.” Rossi continued, “The Veuve Clicquot Women’s Challenge is one of the top women’s tournaments in the United States.”
As a salute to the tradition started during the Napoleonic Wars by Madame Clicquot, guests at the Clubhouse will get a chance to sabre a bottle of champagne with a sword guided by our sabrage experts.
Women’s Week featuring the Veuve Clicquot Women’s Challenge public matches will be on Friday, July 24th and Sunday, July 26th at Saratoga Polo Association’s Whitney Field at 5:30pm, with the gates opening at 4pm. The Times-Union will also be hosting a Women@Work Connect event, hosting women entrepreneurs before the Sunday Match.
To purchase tickets, or for more information, go to Saratogapolo.com, or call (518) 584-8108.