Great Escape: Newport Polo at 'The Glen'

One fun thing I did last year that I want to repeat this year is going to a Newport International Polo match at Glen Farm in Porstmouth. I had met some people who raved about it and I had been wanting to check it out for myself. While my parents were up for a visit I thought it would be fun to show them something new as well. They sounded intrigued so we all loaded in the car for a new experience that weekend.

What a fun and relaxing experience it was! Remember Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman with her big fancy hat cheering for men on horses, and then helping to replace divots? That was polo.

While the event in the movie was not in Newport, the game was the same. Of course, you don’t have to dress up to go to the event in Portsmouth, but I did see a few people in their polo finest when I went. Wearing big hats and replacing divots are both optional but can be a fun part of the experience. However, if you are timid about replacing a divot because of inexperience, you don't have to let that hold you back. For your benefit I found step-by-step directions on divot replacement on-line at E-how.com. You can thank me later. 

While those things add to the fun, what I mostly enjoyed was getting to sit outside with my family watching a fun game while enjoying some drinks and snacks. What a great way to spend an evening. There are drinks and food for purchase but most people seem to tailgate by bringing their own food and beverages. Some people were like us and just brought a few munchies. But some avid fans go all out and bring tables, elegant food and even flowers for decoration. We definitely saw some tables with the high society touch.

I need to be honest here. I didn’t even know much about the game when I went. I figured out the basics though which entail  players on horses trying to hit the ball into each other's goal. However, with just knowing that little about the game, it was still exciting to watch.

Of course, if you would prefer to be more knowledgeable than I was, you can read the rules on their website before you attend. While you’re at it you may also want to read some of the do’s and don’t for this event so you can be a proper attendee.  While at the match you can also enjoy listening to and learning something from the announcer as he or she shares some of the play by play action. During the game we attended we enjoyed a British announcer who had a fun sense of humor.

While I mentioned previously that in the movie Pretty Woman Julia Roberts watched “men” on horses, don’t assume this is a men’s sport. I checked out the roster and there are several women on the Newport Polo team (I’m guessing that polo is their idea of a great escape!).

However, after doing some digging on the Newport International Polo Series website, I discovered that the first polo club created in the United State was in 1876...and was composed of only men. James Gordon Bennett, the publisher of the New York Herald, was the initiator of the polo club which played every summer in Newport thereafter. The first international polo match was held in Newport in 1886. After that time, as indicated on International Newport Polo website, 

"Newport maintained its esteem as the international polo capital of the world for nearly 40 years, until the outbreak of WWI, the Great Depression and the income tax all took their toll and ended the era of opulence and international polo in Newport."

The sport was eventually re-sestablished in it's current location on Glen Farm in 1992 and continues the international matches on a grander scale by attracting “teams from the world’s six continents." The website touts,

“The Newport International Polo Series is the only forum in the world dedicated primarily to international polo competition”

You can be a part of all this local yet international fun and history for only a $10.00 general admission fee per adult. Kids 15 and under are free. You can pre-register on their website or pay at the gate. If you have a larger group you can also reserve a spot in one of two "Tailgate Parking" sections for $30.00 (in addition to the individual general admission costs). You can even put up a tent if you so desire but it can't be put up in the front row (so as not to obstuct anyone's view) and there is size limit of 10'x12'. You can also get a variety of season passes which includes special seating that can cost  somewhere between $125 and $1000. 

Last month marked the opening of the 20^th annversary season. 

Dan Keeting is not only the team captain.He is also the founder of the Newport International Polo Series. In 1990, at age twenty-five, he "...signed a ten-year lease with the Town [of Porstmouth] to rehabilitate Glen Farm and reincarnate the international polo tradition in its American birthplace."

There's a Newport Polo match every Saturday at 5 p.m. against local, national and international teams until the end of September. 

After that, if you really get into it (and don't mind the cold), starting in 2010 Newport Polo has also been holding events as part of the . 

Quick Info:

• Where/When: 715 E Main Rd, Portsmouth. Games are usually 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Saturday into September. Check the schedule here.
• Why: A fun day with friends and/or family dining and drinking outside while enjoying an international polo patch.
• Price: Adults $10 (kids age 15 and under free) for seating in the following areas: tailgate areas, open lawn areas or the bleachers. $30 to reserve a tailgating spot ($10 admission fees still apply). Be sure to bring chairs or blankets for seating on the lawn.