Pretty (and Popular) in Pink

The Newport International Polo Series at Glen Farm "went pink" last Saturday to raise awareness and funds for the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer.

The Reds of Newport took the victory, 11-8, in the two-hour "classic six-chukker" match over the visiting team from Tiverton.

The third annual Pearls Charity Cup, sponsored by Newport's Pearls Boutique Hotel and several other local businesses and private benefactors, encouraged spectators to wear "pink and pearls" to show their support for the cause.

This year, the event raised more than $3,200 for the foundation.

Proceeds came from sponsored tables, a raffle and silent auction of prizes organized by Ray Meyerson and Lisa Downay of Pearls. Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream donated by polo player Heather Rasulis was also sold during the match.

On any given Saturday during the summer, the polo series draws a very eclectic, all-ages crowd of some 2,500-4,000 spectators of both locals and tourists. While some of the spectators look the part of the high-society "polo set," many more are simply local families looking for an inexpensive day out.

Agnes Keating – whose husband, Daniel, founded the club – says that around 60 percent of the spectators come from Rhode Island, with 30 percent traveling from other New England states. About 10 percent of the spectators are tourists from other areas around the world.

Karen Hescock of Mystic, CT, brought along her meetup.com group of age 45 and older singles from Rhode Island and Connecticut. 

"I like the pomp and circumstance," she said. "I like the camaraderie here."

The group was all decked out in pink and pearls for the occasion. It was their second year coming to Glen Farm for the polo outing.

"I love the scene," said Claire Taillon of Lincoln. "I like that you almost feel a European atmosphere. It has an element of class mixed with a sports theme. It's a sporting event where you can dress up or dress down."

A highlight of the evening comes at half time, when the crowd congregates on the field to "stomp the divots." It serves a dual purpose, Keating explains: it gives people a chance to socialize with their friends and neighbors and also repairs the field so that play is not interrupted.

"Even the Queen of England goes out on the field" at matches in Britain, Keating said. "It's a time-honored tradition."

On Saturday, a group of visitors from Montreal and Paris caught the crowd's attention, wearing 19^th century Victorian period costume complete with a splash of pink and pearls in observation of the day's theme. The troupe was in town for Newport's Vintage Dance Week, which features a series of balls highlighting dance from the 1860s-1890s.

Adding to the ambience at Glen Farm is the British wit, enthusiasm and velvety voice of William Crisp. In 1992, Crisp answered the call from "across the pond" to help Newport build its fledgling polo team.

The next season, he moved to the area, where he would meet his future wife, Lowie, a local debutante. He had helped lead the American team to an undefeated season and also served as an umpire, before discovering his knack for polo commentary.

As Newport took the lead after half-time Saturday, the commentator took a rather biting jab at the home team.

"Fairly rare thing this year, Newport leading," Crisp quipped. He offered another deadpan gem in the midst of a battle between the two teams, drawing laughter from the crowd. "We want blood! We want to see them falling off!  Just make sure the horses are OK."

Tailgating is also a tradition at Glen Farm. Gates open at 1 p.m. and people bring their own beer, wine, food, grills and whatever they choose to the grounds. Keating says it runs the gamut, from impressive spreads complete with "crystal and silver" to hot dogs and hamburgers grilling on the hibachi.

"I've even seen couches and arm chairs," she says. "Others have beach chairs and blankets."

Polo returned to the island in 1991

Agnes Keating explains that her husband started playing polo when he was 21.

The successful proprietor of a home renovation business in Boston, Daniel Keating had deep admiration for Newport's legendary role in the polo world and learned about Glen Farm in the early 1990s.

At the time, she recalls, the farm, which had been deeded to the town of Portsmouth was "completely abandoned and run down."

Daniel Keating signed a 10-year lease with the town. He rebuilt the Gilded Era stone barns standing on the property, retooled the facilities and built the polo field. Today, Keating says, the Newport International Polo Series "revisits a tradition that began in Newport 130 years ago."

Nineteen years later, the success of the polo series continues. Most of the players are students, including the Keatings' 16-year-old daughter, Ninnie.

"The polo world is fairly small," she says. The visiting teams from around the world borrow horses from the Newport club – "not a typical gesture," she points out.

The Newport International Polo Series "honors the legend of Newport and rekindles that bygone tradition,"  she says.

While polo was at one time a very popular sport, it was last played in the Olympics back in 1936, in Berlin. Keating explained that World War II "took many of the world's great polo players.  Many of the horses were used in the cavalry."

Today, Keating says, polo is played in more than 80 countries. In the United States, there are some 20-40 university polo teams and clubs.

Last Saturday, the home team was awarded the Pearls Charity Cup trophy, following their victory over the Tiverton-based team, sponsored by Coastal Orthopedic. Kids and adults ran up to the sidelines to do the "sweaty hands slappy thing," as Crisp calls it, congratulating the mounted players for a good match.

After the match, a group of friends sat in a circle around sunset, putting back a few Bud Lights and enjoying the comfortable summer evening weather.

"We live here in the summer," says Middletown native Emily Bjork, 22, who now resides in Newport.  "It's quirky fun," adds her mother, Carolyn Bjork.

The multi-generational group of family friends from Rhode Island and Massachusetts has made the polo matches at Glen Farm a summer tradition. 

"It's a totally new life experience for us," says Russell McKinnon of Westboro, Mass. "Sure, the economy's bad, but things will go on and everything's OK … I love the vintage appeal. It's a happy crowd."

Special events this weekend include the International Polo Charity Ball on Friday and the annual Lobsterbake on Saturday following the USA vs. Australia match. These events require advanced reservations.