Dan's Papers - July 18, 2008 - Get Ready to Divot Stomp, Polo Returns this Saturday

The Bridgehampton Polo season debuts Saturday, July 19, at the JetOne Jets Field on Hayground Road, Bridgehampton with the annual Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge. Matches will take place every Saturday through August 23. Polo traditionally attracts a myriad of fans, from horse-lovers, to sports-fans, and of course celebrities and their followers. Last year ended with a cliff-hanger for season champion, with Two Trees/La Dolfina beating out Black Watch for the title.

Ralph Lauren heads the list of style setters for the opening match. That's because this year, there will be a Ralph Lauren onsite shop. Polo fans can browse through Ralph Lauren's Black Watch collection including knits, fleeces and hats bearing the Black Watch emblem, as well as an array of classic knit polo shirts, sunglasses and handbags. The Ralph Lauren shop will give spectators a view of the polo matches. The adventuresome can enter a contest to win an afternoon of playing Polo with Black Watch team member Nacho Figueras. Polo Ralph Lauren became an official sponsor of the Black Watch Polo team in 2007, providing apparel created exclusively for the polo players.

In the past, the famous have run the gamut in style and talent. Donald Trump, Chloe Sevigny, Brooke Shields, Anne Hathaway, Russell Simmons, the Hilton Family, Lorraine Bracco, and Jay Z are a few of those with star power who have shown up to create a stir under the V.I.P. tent. This year again the tent will host invitation-only cocktail parties for "exclusive guests."

For the rest of us, there are the bleachers, which provide the best view and less distraction, plus, the sun grazes your back so a hat is a good idea. And no invitation needed - just $30 to park your car, or if you can get a ride to drop you off and pick you up - it's free. Tailgating is also popular, as well as simple picnics on the sidelines with some cheeses, dips, and a bottle or two of blanc or rose. Those watching from ground level can best experience a part of the atmosphere unique to polo - the ground literally shaking as the horses pound by. (Warning - to anyone who understands Spanish and is of a sensitive nature - the polo players' exclamations at these high-pressure moments tend to be R-rated!)

The game of polo is easy to follow. Each team has eight players on the field at a time - four human, and four equine. The players try to get a bumpy white plastic ball through the goal on the opposite team's side. They whack it with mallots, and can "ride off" other players - trying to get them and their horses out of the way - within the acceptable limits. The horses' job is not only to run as fast as they can when they are asked to, but also to stop on a dime. They also have to be fearless, just like the men riding them.

The playing area is the length of three football fields, which allows the horses to build up incredible speed. Matches start at 4 p.m., and usually last about two hours. There are six "chukkers," or time periods, when players change horses and take a short breather.

Many of the great players are from Argentina, as are the ponies. Players have a rating from minus two to ten. Several of the teams that played last year at Bridgehampton Polo - including White Birch and Black Watch - have at least one player who scores an average of ten goals per game. The Argentines cross Thoroughbreds with their local Criollo horses to produce this compact breed, which can produce quick bursts of speed and possess the intelligence to learn the game.

Of course, attending a match wouldn't be complete without the half-time "divot stomping." While the riders and horses are resting, spectators mingle and stomp down the turf that the horses have torn up. Of course this is where the dilemma comes in - for men, it's not a problem, but for the women who decide to dress up, do they really want to ruin those beautiful Manolos?