A beautiful Sunday in backcountry Greenwich, Connecticut brought out the polo fans for a thrilling afternoon of polo at the Greenwich Polo Club. Established in 1981, the Greenwich Polo Club is a beacon for high-goal polo matches that draw top polo players and fans from across the globe who come for the sport, the excitement, and the sheer thrill of the event.
Debra C. Argen at
Greenwich Polo Club
The Sunday, June 13, 2021, match pitted White Birch Farm against Palm Beach Equine for a neck-and-neck match of constant exhilarating action on the field.
The Teams
Background Information on the Sport of Polo
Greenwich Polo Club matches are high-goal matches (16-handicap ranking). Each match consists of 2 teams with 4 players each, 1 of the players on each team will hold amateur status (non-ranked), with the remaining 3 carrying the balance of the ranking for a total of 16. The higher the rank, the better and more experienced the player. Interesting to note is that "players are ranked yearly by their peers and the USPA on a scale of 2 to 10 goals. Team play is handicapped on the basis of ability."
Play is conducted on a field measuring 300 yards x 160 yards, with horses racing on the field towards the goal at speeds up to 35 miles per hour, making the action fast and enthralling. There are 6 chukkers (periods), played for 7.5 minutes each with an intermission halfway through for the traditional stomping of the divots" to repair the playing field marked from the horses’ hooves on the field.
If there is a tie at the end of the 6th chukker, play will continue for an additional chukker with the first team to score determining the winner. Interesting to note is that players must hold the mallet in the right hand only, and players will swap out their horses throughout chukkers to keep their horses fresh and achieve optimal play, as the horse can account for up to 75% of a player’s handicap.
The Polo Action on Sunday, June 13, 2021
Right from the first chukker, the action on the field was exciting and thrilling as Palm Beach Equine made 2 goals closing out the first chukker 2-0. The action turned in chukker 2 with Christopher Brant (WBF) scoring the first goal of the chukker, with Pablo Llorente (WBF) making 2 penalty goals, followed by a goal by Juan Olivera, Jr. (WBF) to close out the second chukker 4-2 over Palm Beach Equine.
Action continued in the third chukker with Olivera, Jr. (WBF) scoring another goal, Llorente (WBF) scoring a penalty goal and PBE making a goal, closing the third chukker 6 – 3 with WBF leading over PBE. At the halfway mark of the match and intermission, the attendees were on the field for the "stomping of the divots" a time-honored tradition and a great way to stretch your legs, see the parade of fashion and dogs, mingle with other guests, and provide the players and their horses a much needed and deserved rest.
Chukker four had only 1 goal (penalty goal scored by WBF) despite the heavy action on the field, closing out the fourth chukker 7-3, with WBF continuing its lead over PBE. Chukker five saw lots of action with Costi Caset scoring a goal for PBE, bringing the score to 7-4, which was short-lived as Llorente (WBF) scored a goal, followed by a goal by Gringo Colombres (PBE) and another by Juan Redlich (PBE), closing the gap to 8-7 WBF over PBE at the end of the fifth chukker.
Final Score
The sixth and last chukker had Llorente (WBF) and Mariano Aguerre (WBF) both scoring goals for WBF closing out the match 10 – 7, making it another exciting win for the White Birch Farm team in the East Coast Bronze Cup R2.
The Winners
The match culminated in the awards ceremony with White Birch Farm taking home two prestigious awards with Pablo Llorente awarded "Best Player" and Mariano Aguerre’s horse Los Machitos the award for "Best Pony."
"Best Pony" – Los Machitos
Other Excitement
MOJO
Throughout the day, there was music in the CTC&G Players’ Lounge VIP Tent with music provided by the band MOJO, cocktails flowed at The Pony Bar by The Cup Bearer, and there was 12-year single malt whisky tasting from The Macallan to create an exciting party atmosphere. We also visited the Barbados Tourism cabana to bask in the great island vibe.
After the awards ceremony, there was an Argentine Asado barbecue, music, and cocktails at The Pony Bar by The Cup Bearer. It was the culmination of a perfect day in beautiful backcountry Greenwich, Connecticut watching "the sport of kings."
Greenwich Polo Club 2021 Sunday Matches – Gates open at 1pm, matches begin at 3 pm
June 27
Pricing Information
Pablo Llorente, Jr and Debra C. Argen
Seating Packages: East Lawn – picnic seating, $40 per car, general admission, East Lawn Reserved – reserved lawn seating, $75 per car, Grandstand Bleachers, reserved seating, $60 per car, West Lawn Club in front of Grandstand, $350 per car for table with 4 seats, Grandstand Box, $300 with 2 car passes for a box with 4 seats, CTC&G Players’ Lounge VIP, VIP Tent, with music and bar, $150 for 2 guests, $250 for 4 guests, in same car, West Cabana, reserved space, field side, $600 for 4 cabana car passes for 4 cars of guests, 10’x 10′ tent and private 25’x10′ lawn in front, includes 8 chairs, cocktail table, can accommodate up to 20 guests, access to VIP bathrooms, East Lawn Cabana, reserved space, field side, $400 for 4 east lawn cabana car passes, 10’x 10′ tent and private 20’x10′ lawn in front, includes 8 chairs, can accommodate up to 20 guests, additional car passes can be purchased, Executive Hosting Cabanas, VIP Hosting, $3000, contact Greenwich Polo for complete details.
See you at the Greenwich Polo Club
For information on the Greenwich Polo Club and attending an upcoming match, please visit their website: www.GreenwichPoloClub.com.
Greenwich Polo Club
Field Address (location of public matches)
1 Hurlingham Drive, Greenwich CT 06831
United States
Mailing Address (office, not the Polo Field)
80 Field Point Rd #3,
Greenwich, CT 06830
United States
Telephone: +1-203.561.1639
Email: info@GreenwichPoloClub.com
Website: www.GreenwichPoloClub.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/GreenwichPoloClub
Instagram: @greenwichpoloclub
Twitter: @greemwichpolo
United States Polo Association®
Telephone: +1- 800-232-USPA
Website: www.USPolo.org
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/USPoloAssociation
Instagram: @uspoloassn
Twitter: @uspoloassn
Follow the United States Polo Association® on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/USPoloAssociation
Follow Luxury Experience on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LuxuryExperience to see photos and videos.
Follow Luxury Experience on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/LuxuryPair @luxurypair
Follow Luxury Experience on Instagram: www.Instagram.com/luxurypair @luxurypair
© June 2021. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com. All rights reserved.
