By Cailin Riley
For the past two decades, high-goal polo matches at Two Trees Farm in Bridgehampton have been one of the main attractions for party-goers and the sport’s enthusiasts alike. But the Bridgehampton Polo Club, which hosted the fast-paced 20-goal matches that featured some of the world’s best players over an eight-week stretch, announced that its run of highly attended public matches at Two Trees has come to an end.
In a press release, Leighton Jordan, the managing director of the Bridgehampton Polo Club, said that due to the recent sale of property at Two Trees Farm, the club will no longer be able to accommodate the two summer tournaments, the Monty Waterbury Cup and Hampton Cup, held in July and August. The property that was sold includes land that housed polo barns, the exercise track, a portion of the parking lot, and portions of the polo fields, Jordan said.
“There is not an area for visiting teams to stable horses close to the field,” the release said. “As a result, Bridgehampton Polo Club doesn’t have the property it needs to successfully and safely host a full season of high-goal polo.”
Jordan said that, because of the continued interest from fans in the area, as well as the continued presence in the Hamptons of polo sponsors, teams and players, the Bridgehampton Polo Club will still play private matches in the area and practice a few times each week at Two Trees. Jordan added that the club is still exploring options to host what he said would be “more intimate” ticketed matches at Two Trees, and perhaps charity matches at other locations in the Hamptons.
Jordan acknowledged the support that the Bridgehampton Polo Club and the polo community at large have always enjoyed from the East End community during the summer months, and said he hopes the sport can have a continued presence in the area.
“Bridgehampton Polo Club was originally founded by Peter Brant and Neil Hirsch as a place to play the game we all love in the summer months,” he said. “At Bridgehampton Polo Club’s first match, we had more than 3,000 people in attendance and since then, we have strived to bring fans the highest level of play and introduce polo to people who had never seen the sport.”
http://www.27east.com/news/article.cfm/General-Interest-Southampton/108305/After-20-Years-Bridgehampton-Polo-Club-Will-End-Run-Of-Public-Matches-At-Two-Trees-Farm