Sunday 12th July kicked off the first match for the 2015 Oak Brook Polo season. Rob Wilkinson was back to announce the matches, and Tucker Rebak was the umpire for the day. “Hat Day” was the theme, with a spectacular “hat” contest held between the first and second games. The 1:00pm first match of the day was between home team Oak Brook Polo Club vs Hinsdale Magazine. Scott Jonlich of Hinsdale Magazine was invited to throw out the first ball of the game. Jason Wates and Horacio Onetto (MVP) worked hard in the middle for the Oak Brook team, while Jim Drury played defense, and Bob Soos stayed up front in scoring position. For Hinsdale Magazine, Samantha Falbe and Bob McMurtry played up front to score the goals, while Matias Obregon and Todd Rackley worked hard to turn defense into offense. In the end Oak Brook Polo Club pulled ahead 6-4. Best playing pony was won by “Apache”, owned by Jim Drury.
The 3:00pm game was played between Hotels of Oak Brook, and Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). Jason Wates and Horacio Onetto were the power players for Hotels of Oak Brook and did a good job feeding the ball up to front placed scorers Mimi Shirey, and Tony Sekera. Mimi Shirey (MVP) grabbed the first 2 goals within the first 2 minutes of the first chukka, and Tony Sekera stole a quick one right out of the lineup of the start of the 3rd chukka. Bill O’Leary played at the back for the RMHC team and seemed to have a lot of practice off his own back line. Juan Martin Gutierrez and Todd Rackley had to work hard in the middle of this team feeding the ball up to scorers Tim Murphy, and Tomas Aubone. RMHC made a nice comeback in the 4th chukka to almost tie up the game, but it was too late – then the final whistle was blown. Hotels of Oak Brook won 5-4, and Todd Rackley’s “Chester” took the best playing pony award.
Oak Brook Polo Club’s next event will take place on Sunday, July 19th beginning at 1:00 PM CDT (Gates Open at 12:00 PM) with Classic Car Day. Browse a fabulous collection of beautiful cars that will bring back fond memories. Whether you “rocked around the clock” in your 1955 Ford, dreamed of racing a 1963 split, rear-window Corvette Stingray or admired the elegance of the Rolls Royce Silver Cloud, you are guaranteed to find “the” cars of the 20th & 21st Centuries at Oak Brook Polo on Classic Car Day. For event information and to purchase tickets, visit www.oakbrookpoloclub.com.
About Oak Brook Polo Club
Polo has been played for more than 80 years at the historic Oak Brook Polo Grounds. Since its inception in 1922, during the “golden age” of polo, world-class teams have come every summer to play on the immaculately groomed fields of the Oak Brook Polo Grounds. Founded by Paul Butler, patriarch of the Village of Oak Brook, the original Oak Brook Polo Club became the largest polo facility in the country by 1953. The U.S. Open Polo Championships, polo’s premier tournament in the country, was played at Oak Brook for 25 years, from 1954 to 1978, the longest it was ever played in one location. Oak Brook was considered to be one of the top summer polo clubs in America, and was well-known throughout the world. It is the Village’s Polo Committee’s goal to restore Oak Brook’s location and Club to it’s former level of prestige.