May 2023 Issue

EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN May 2023 Page 21 Whether your idea of summer fun is zipping down a polo field taking the ball to goal or tailgating with friends while watching the horses speed by, Brandywine Polo is the place to be this summer. As the largest polo club in the Eastern Circuit, Brandywine Polo offers spec- tators the opportunity to watch top-rated players from Argentina, Mexico, Florida, and Pennsylva- nia competing in legendary tour- naments such as the Polo Ponies Memorial, the Landhope Farms Challenge Cup and the Sunny Hale Women’s Tournament. And if sitting on the sidelines isn’t your thing, polo lessons are available for those wanting to try the sport themselves. Bran- dywine’s new instructors are Ata and Olivia Alonso from Argenti- na, who have taught in the Hamp- tons and at Myopia Polo Club in Boston. Students start out in the polo arena, progressing to coach- ing chukkers and then grass play. Any level of riding experience is accepted, but hunter-jumper rides seem to make the fastest transi- tion to polo. "I was hooked after one les- son. Now, I play tournaments and have my own polo pony,” said Jill Hunt, a hunter-jumper rider who tried polo three years ago. “The friendships I have found through polo are invaluable." “A hunter-jumper rider since age 10, polo has opened a whole new world of horses to me. I had no idea how much fun it would be when I signed up for my first lesson in the arena,” says recent recruit Lydia Williamson, who started playing last year. “I will be playing on the grass in low goal matches this season. The best part is, it’s a team sport, so I get to be out there hitting the ball to my friends.“ Located in Toughkenamon, PA, on 120 acres, Brandywine Polo welcomes dogs on leash and children off leash. Specta- tors are welcome to Friday and Sunday games, May 28 through September. Bring a picnic, adult beverages and lawn chairs. Adult admission is $15, a tailgate spot is $45 per match. New this summer is “Star- light Polo”, nine Saturday night arena matches starting at 6:30 pm with a food truck, after-polo music, and a pop-up bar host- ed by Sovana Bistro. To learn more, visit Brandywinepolo. com. For weather updates, call 833-BPC-POLO. Watch or Play Polo at Brandywine This Summer Remember...tell our advertisers you found them in East Coast Equestrian! The news East Coast horse owners need to know