Polo -- uppity fun

Published in The Post-Star (D1)
7/13/06

There's something suspiciously yuppie about the sentence: "I'm going to a polo match."

It brings to mind images of a crowd wearing designer suits or dresses and elaborate hats, sipping champagne and sharing stock tips, doesn't it?

But at least in Saratoga, the field has really opened up since the days when Julia Roberts' less-than-aristocratic (OK, hooker) character was scoffed at by the rich elite for daring to attend a polo match in "Pretty Woman."

These days, you can cram a six-pack of friends and a tailgate picnic into your station wagon and pay just $20 a carload for a spot on the sidelines.

"It's a great deal, especially if you can get a lot of people in your car," said 25-year-old Eric Hoover, who is in his second year on the parking and security staff at the polo fields.

"I think they're really trying to promote this to a younger crowd, and it's working," he reflected. "I mean, I'll even come for fun in my free time."

An optional touch of glamour remains for those who can afford it -- $20 a person scores you a seat in the "VIP hospitality tent" and admission to the air-conditioned clubhouse, where patrons can splurge on things like champagne or linger after the match for a $35 gourmet buffet.

This is where they keep the fancy hats (as the Polo Association's Web site gently puts it: "VIP Clubhouse Patrons typically take care to choose outfits that would not be out of place at other traditional Saratoga summer venues, such as the racetrack and ballet").

Over on the cheap -- excuse me, general admission, side -- spectators are more likely to be sporting polo shirts and shorts, and snacking on Cheetos and watermelon.

Behind one open tailgate, a group of friends settled in Sunday evening to watch the Chamber of Commerce Cup semifinal match at Whitney Fields.

"My dad played, and I used to play at Skidmore, but now I just like to watch," Kris Moskos-Guyette said. "We've all been coming together for a long time."

One of her friends chimed in: "We're family now."

Most of the parking spots are first-come, first-served, but it's easy to find the most devoted fans. Two spots at the head of the row are marked with nameplates, indicating the holders of what amounts to season tickets.

"It's beautiful, it's green, it's outdoors, it's horses ... what more can you ask? It's a lot of fun to watch," said Mark Doane, a Clifton Park resident.

He and his wife, Valerie, have been attending matches for at least two decades, and for the past few years, they've paid extra for a reserved spot, marked "Doane."

As Valerie cooked steak kabobs on a portable Coleman grill, Mark smiled contentedly from his camping chair.

"We can afford to be on the members' side, but we enjoy the atmosphere over here," he confided.

There are six chukkers, or periods, in a polo match. At halftime, the VIPs mingle with the commoners when everyone walks onto the field to smooth out the divots of grass churned up by three chukkers of pounding horseshoes.

Have fun, but as the polo announcer in "Pretty Woman" advised: "Avoid the steaming divot!"

IF YOU GO
Saratoga Polo Association holds matches at 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday evening through Labor Day, subject to field and weather conditions. Matches take place at Whitney or Skidmore fields, located off Denton Road in Saratoga Springs. Gates open at 4 p.m. Live music on Friday and Sunday nights until 10 p.m.
General admission tickets $10 per person or $20 per carload, $5 per person on foot or bicycle. VIP admission $20 per person. For more details, go to www.saratogapolo.com or call 584-8018.

POLO LINGO
Bump: When one player spoils another's shot by riding into him at a slight angle and jarring him.
Chukker: One of six periods in a standard polo game, each lasting seven minutes.
Hook: When one player spoils another's shot by putting his mallet in the way.
Mallet: Tool used by players to hit the ball, typically about 50 inches long with a bamboo shaft and hardwood head.
Near Side: Left-hand side of a horse.
Off Side: Right-hand side of a horse.
Ride-off: When two riders use their horses to push each other out of a position where they can strike the ball.
Tailshot: Hitting the ball behind and across the horse's rump.
(Source: Saratoga Polo Association 2005 summer program)