News...

International Polo Club Palm Beach Announces 2006 Schedule
By YA Teitelbaum
July 8, 2005

WELLINGTON, FL – The third season of world-class high-goal polo at International Polo Club Palm Beach, the premier club in the United States, will begin on Sunday, January 15 and conclude with the prestigious U.S. Open Championship final on Sunday, April 23, it was announced by General Manager Michael C. Brown.

The club will host five high-goal tournaments over 15 weeks, including three 26-goal events, the highest-rated tourneys in the United States. The 26-goal tournaments are the Hall of Fame Cup, the C.V. Whitney Cup and the U.S. Open Championship. Peter Brant’s White Birch won all three events in 2005.

“The 2006 polo season is shaping up to be monumental,” said Brown. “We are looking forward to welcoming back our patrons, players, sponsors and fans. Polo is for everyone and International Polo Club features the best the sport has to offer.”

Thousands of enthusiastic polo fans are expected to be on hand to celebrate Opening Day with an opening round game of the 22-goal Joe Barry Memorial Cup on Sunday, January 15 at 3 p.m. The final is set for Sunday, January 29.

The season continues with the 22-goal Ylvisaker Cup, named after William T. Ylvisaker, who was responsible for bringing high-goal polo to South Florida in the late 1970s, before heading into the Triple Crown of Polo, the three 26-goal tournaments.

The 2006 high-goal polo season includes the following tournaments:
• Joe Barry Memorial Cup, January 15-29 (22-Goal)
• Ylvisaker Cup, January 27-February 19 (22-Goal)
• Hall of Fame Cup, February 17-March 5 (26-Goal)
• C.V. Whitney Cup, March 3-March 26 (26-Goal)
• Stanford Financial Group U.S. Open Polo Championship, March 24-April 23 (26-Goal)

At least 20 high-goal teams are expected to participate in part of the 2006 season, according to polo manager Jimmy Newman, enhancing International Polo Club’s reputation as the most competitive high-goal club in the country.

Among the world’s top players expected to play during the 22-goal and 26-goal seasons are 10-goalers Mariano Aguerre, Javier Novillo Astrada, Miguel Novillo Astrada, Mike Azzaro, Carlos Gracida, Bautista Heguy, Pite Merlos, Sebastian Merlos and Adam Snow as well as 9-goalers Milo Araujo, Eduardo Novillo Astrada, Lucas Criado, Paco de Narvaez, Memo Gracida, Pepe Heguy, Agustin Merlos, Gonzalito and Facundo Pieres.

“With the amount of teams and great players, the new era of high-goal polo is continuing,” said John Goodman, founder of International Polo Club whose Isla Carroll team won the 2004 Stanford Financial Group U.S. Open title. “The club has been accepted by patrons and players internationally and our continuing mission is to make the sport accessible to everyone.”

As the first new polo club to be built in decades begins its highly anticipated third season, International Polo Club Palm Beach has fulfilled a long-standing void for a facility dedicated solely to high-goal professional polo. It holds the distinction as the site of the historic 100th U.S. Open Championship in 2004 and will host that prestigious event through the 2007 season.

“I’m looking forward to our third season as much as our first season,” said Goodman. “We’re anticipating another great season for the fans and the players. This is the best polo in the United States. With the improvements on and off the field, I believe everyone will have a terrific experience.”

The International Polo Club Palm Beach will host the following series of events every Sunday, including Opening Day, beginning at 11:30 a.m.:

• During the Roederer Estate Champagne Divot Stomp, guests are invited to join in the stomping of the divots on the field at halftime while enjoying a complimentary glass of champagne…a unique twist to the game’s tradition. The Roederer Estate
  champagne is often brought to midfield by unique modes of transportation.
• After the post-match Trophy Presentation, guests are invited to meet the players for autographs and pictures.
• Visit the 7th Chukker, a friendly watering hole that features an antique wooden bar and a plasma screen TV, immediately following the awards presentation. The 7th Chukker is a fan favorite where polo enthusiasts can meet and mingle with the polo players and other fans.
• Children’s Play Area, including a bounce house, face painter and other activities.
• Vendor Village, located at the entrance to the stadium, includes booths selling a variety of merchandise for polo fans and non-equestrians alike.

The Palm Beaches and Wellington have long been polo’s international winter home. Most of the world’s best players will participate in an impressive series of tournaments at International Polo Club Palm Beach, which attracts numerous glamorous guests and celebrities. The public facilities include a state-of-the-art stadium with seven world-class polo fields, each spanning an area larger than nine football fields, as well as viewing stands and elevated box seating for more than 1,300 spectators.

Corporate partners play a large role in the success of the club. Major sponsors for the 2005 season include Stanford Financial Group, American Academy of Hospitality, Bombardier Aerospace, Celebrity Cruises, HUMMER, Ritz Carlton Palm Beach, Barclay International, Bessemer Trust, Catena Watches, Gaggenau and Mitchell Peck Jewelers.

“International Polo Club continues to promote the beauty, excitement and accessibility of the sport to the community at large,” said Brown.

The polo matches are open to the public. General admission for the Sunday games at International Polo Club Palm Beach is $10 for adults. Children under 12 enter for free. Game tickets may be purchased at the gate on the day of the game.

International Polo Club Palm Beach is located at 3667 120th Avenue South, between Pierson Road and Lake Worth Road in Wellington. For information, directions or ticket purchases, please call the club at (561) 204-5687.