Despite threatening skieslast Saturday, the polo grounds at the Newport International Polo Series, presented by Turkish Airlines welcomed a crowd of loyal fans ready to cheer on the eighth return of one of the Series’ inaugural match-ups, USA vs. Spain. Tailgates were decorated in yellow and red with the hope of winning the weekly Stella Artois Best in Show contest, chowder and hot coffee were in demand along the row of food trucks, and nearly everyone seemed to be wearing the new outerwear stocked at the Pro-Shop. Artisanal drinks were flowing from The Cocktail Guru at the Patio Bar, and bubbles were poured from the Veuve Clicquot cart making its rounds.
At five o’clock, the national anthem resounded, and commentator William Crisp welcomed Shannon R. Ouellette from Northwestern Mutual Tri-Harbor Financial Group to do the ritual Coin Toss on the field to start the game. Players entered the lineup at centerfield for the throwin and the excitement began! Team USA assembled Roger Souto at #1, President and Founder Dan Keating at #2, Minnie Keating at #3, and Sam Clemens in the #4 position. The Spanish Team fielded Yago Domecq taking the #1 position, followed by Ignacio Satrústegui at #2, Jose Domecq at #3, and finally Santiago Satrústegui rounding out the lineup at #4.
After an exciting first half, fans flooded the field with cocktails and bubbles in hand, participating in the traditional “divot stomp” to restore the field for the final three chukkers. While waiting for the last half to begin, our food trucks, vendors, and Pro-Shop were kept busy as well! At the end of the fourth chukker, Mary McQuillen won our door prize, generously given by Veuve Cliquot. The match was close, however, the Spanish team was victorious with a final score of 8-5. Before leaving the field, fans lined up for the chance to congratulate each player as they made it around the field for a victory lap
After the match, players and spectators made their way to the podium where Anney Jasinsky, Director of Sales for The Chanler at Cliff Walk, presented the Spanish team with elegant trophies provided by Providence Diamond. The best playing pony award went to Cacuya. Complimentary cocktails were provided by Gosling’s Rum in the Modern Luxury Lounge to round out another wonderful afternoon of polo!
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Live audiences can enjoy the Newport International Polo Series polo matches every Saturday as they have for 32 years to witness the timeless sport unfold on the manicured, emerald green at Glen Farm, home of the Polo Series, in a classic exhibition of horsemanship and valor, with host, the Newport Polo Club, where the home team – Newport/USA – meets challengers each season from around the world as well as teams representing major US cities and regional rivals in one of Newport’s unique traditions & renowned attractions.
The Polo Series is scheduled to continue every Saturday through September. The schedule of teams is subject to change without notice, as per RI State mandates and US travel bans which may impact travel and Adult Sports. Stay current with the 2023 team lineup & stats, latest news, events, and more by e-scription to the Gameday Briefing (sign up) and weekly eMagazine (sign up). Both subscriptions are private and spam-free.
The Polo Grounds’ favorable proximity to the shores of the island’s Sakonnet east passage provides reliably cool coastal effects, moderating afternoon temperatures and providing a dependable breeze for the late afternoon polo matches all summer. Minutes from the bustling Newport waterfront, the International Polo Grounds are located on the acreage of Glen Farm, 250 Linden Lane (off of Rte. 138) in Portsmouth, RI. This bucolic setting is the last 100 acres of a pre-colonial settlement from the 1600’s that became the Town of Portsmouth’s original gentlemen’s farm, an 800-acre manorial estate established during a Gilded Age movement of retreat from the high life into pastoral country acres, to become the future home of polo in the next century. Its classical 19th-century stone barns and its park-like grounds were rehabilitated by Polo Series founder, Dan Keating in the early 1990’s and continue to thrive as an equestrian & community recreational property, and home of the Polo Series.
The Newport International Polo Series is proud to name its 2023 sponsors including Brenton Hotel, BD, TD Bank, Turkish Airlines, Modern Luxury Boston, Herb Chambers Exotics, Vanderbilt International Properties, Hotel Viking, The Vanderbilt, The Chanler at Cliff Walk, Newport Life, Providence Diamond, Veuve Clicquot, ABSOLUT, Clarke Cooke House, CCE Golf Cars, BMW of Newport, Atria Senior Living, Northwestern Mutual, Charles Schwab, Insperity, AAA Northeast | Viking, A-1 Roofing, US Polo Assn, Stella Artois, Visit Jamaica, Goslings, ROCKSTAR Limo, and Classical 95.9 WCRI; and promotional partners including Newport Helicopter Tours, The Cocktail Guru, Newport Jaguar Tours, Picnic Charters, Island Adventures, On Watch Sailing, International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport Vineyards, Newport Mansions, Island Surf and Sport, Newport Picnic Co. and Audrain Automobile Museum.
“Our sponsors have been with us since the beginning. Without their support, the Series would not be as extensive as it is,” explains Dan Keating, Polo Series founder.
This is the 32nd season of the Newport International Polo Series, which has hosted teams from 36 nations including, Ukraine, Colombia, Ireland, Germany, Spain, England, Argentina, France, Egypt, India, Australia, Costa Rica, Ghana, Canada, Chile, Jamaica, Nigeria, Portugal, New Zealand, Barbados, Scotland, South Africa, Hungary, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Kenya, Brazil, China, Italy, Mexico, Sweden, Singapore, Monaco, Morocco, Peru, Poland, and Switzerland.
Gilded Age Legacy. Polo is, without a doubt, the oldest ball game in the world today. First recorded in the 6th-century b.c. when the Turkomans beat the Persians in a diplomatic tournament, the alluring game caught on with equestrian royalty and cavalry, and took off with globalization, withstanding the tests of time. Arriving on Newport’s shores during the Gilded Age, the sport had evolved for nearly 2500 years, steeped in tradition, captivating newcomers like Newport’s summer sporting set who embraced the new pastime, establishing America’s first polo club in 1876. A charter member of the United States Polo Association, the club today is still a trailblazing model polo club, hosting the Newport International Polo Series public exhibition matches, supporting philanthropic causes, organizing tournaments, polo club member services, and polo instruction year-round. Experience the king of games in its American landing at Newport Polo.