Tag archives: Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club

Polo de Mayo
By Richard Mineards   |   May 14, 2024

Cinco de Mayo took on a whole new complexion when the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club launched its 113th season with the 12-goal Lucid Motors Pope Challenge, a hotly-contested match between Antelope – led by Grant Palmer, whose father Geoff is a L.A. real estate tycoon – and Budweiser beer heir Andy Busch’s Folded […]

A Great Two Minutes
By Richard Mineards   |   May 14, 2024

A torrent of tony tête toppers descended on the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club when social gadabout Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey, founder of the popular La Boheme dance troupe, hosted their fourth annual Run for the Roses bash, celebrating the 150th Kentucky Derby. Known as the Greatest Two Minutes in Sport, the Churchill […]

Glen Holden Remembered
By Richard Mineards   |   April 30, 2024

On a deeply personal note, I remember Glen Holden, one of three founding members of the Santa Barbara Polo Club, who has moved to more heavenly pastures at the age of 96. Born in Boise, Idaho, Glen grew up on a ranch outside of Portland, Oregon, from the age of six where he developed a […]

It’s Chukka Time
By Richard Mineards   |   April 30, 2024

Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club opens its 113th season on Sunday (May 5) kicking off an action-packed schedule filled with exciting tournaments and events that will showcase some of the world’s most talented equestrians from across the globe. With a record number of teams and players participating at every level, this season is set […]

Private Clubs Add to Santa Barbara’s Residential Appeal
By Gabe Saglie   |   July 18, 2023

The pandemic is now solidly in the rear-view mirror. But one of its unexpected silver linings – a surging allure to living along Santa Barbara’s South Coast – roars on. An enclave like Montecito is not all that far from the urban sprawl of Los Angeles, but as so many new residents and visitors now […]

Rousing Rosey Race
By Richard Mineards   |   May 16, 2023

A torrent of tony tête toppers descended on Fieldside at the Santa Barbara Polo Club when social gadabout Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey Nowak, founder of the popular La Boheme dance troupe, hosted their third annual Run for the Roses bash celebrating the 149th Kentucky Derby. Known as the Greatest Two Minutes in Sport, the […]

Polo Season Almost Upon Us
By Richard Mineards   |   April 25, 2023

Santa Barbara Polo Club launches its 112th action-packed season on May 7, showcasing some of the most talented players from around the globe. With a record number of teams and players at every level, the season is set to be one of the most memorable in the club’s history. “The club has always been considered […]

Fieldside Birthday Fun
By Richard Mineards   |   March 28, 2023

Social gridlock reigned when society gadabout Rick Oshay took over the Fieldside restaurant at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club to celebrate the 13th anniversary of his half century. Fifty guests descended on the clubhouse locale to nosh on a five-course dinner after beluga caviar canapés and champagne and then dancing the night away […]

Polo Lessons Available
By Richard Mineards   |   November 8, 2022

Prince Harry’s polo playing pal Nacho Figueras is now part of a Neiman Marcus Christmas present – for a price! For $295,000 the legendary Texas emporium – known as Needless Markup by Dallas denizens – is offering a two-night stay at the St. Regis in Aspen, Colorado, with a private Argentinian Asado dinner by chef […]

A Game to Remember
By Richard Mineards   |   September 13, 2022

The 113-year-old Netjets Pacific Coast Open is considered the biggest polo event on the Left Coast, but this year’s final at the Santa Barbara Polo Club was an absolute cracker with the L.I.N.Y. team, consisting mainly of teenagers, beating the more established Farmers & Merchants Bank, led by two-time PCO winner Dan Walker, 12-11 in […]

All Fore the Best
By Richard Mineards   |   September 6, 2022

Mallets were changed for golf clubs when the Santa Barbara Polo Club’s Polo Training Center hosted its fourth annual golf tournament at the Montecito Club with a record 80 participants raising $20,000 for the Carpinteria-based facility. Players went round the Jack Nicklaus-designed course in foursomes during the Farmers & Merchants Bank-sponsored event, although a truck […]

High Goal Season Off to a Bucking Start
By Richard Mineards   |   July 19, 2022

Social gridlock reigned when, after a two-week hiatus, Santa Barbara Polo Club launched its highly anticipated high goal season with four top teams playing in the roster at the Carpinteria equine paradise through September. The 20-goal culminates at the end of August with the Netjets Pacific Coast Open, the biggest tournament on the Left Coast, […]

Yoga Après Polo with Megan Llambias
By Michelle Ebbin   |   July 19, 2022

For over 100 years the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club (SBPRC), situated beautifully in the Carpinteria foothills between the Santa Ynez mountains and the Pacific Ocean, has drawn polo players and spectators from all over the world. This year the buzz about Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and world-renowned Argentine polo champion, Nacho […]

Success at the Polo Club
By Richard Mineards   |   May 10, 2022

Santa Barbara Polo Club is now by royal appointment! Prince Harry is going to be playing regularly on the Los Padres team with his good friend, Argentinian Ralph Lauren Polo model Nacho Figueras, in the 12-goal tournament at the lush Carpinteria equestrian facility.  “Prince Harry is an avid polo enthusiast and player, and has played […]

Polo Gallops Back
By Richard Mineards   |   April 19, 2022

After nearly two years of limited access to the public, the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club is back at the gallop! Opening day is May 1 for a riveting season of action-packed games and exhilarating tournaments. “We have a record number of teams participating at every level, with many of the world’s most talented […]

In the Kitchen with Fieldside Grill’s Philip Stein
By Claudia Schou   |   March 22, 2022

Philip Stein doesn’t fit the standard mold of a polo club chef. For starters, his warm and friendly personality is devoid of the stuffy airs that one might assume is mandatory among those in close orbit to the regal sport. Now the Fieldside Grill’s executive chef, he was completely unfamiliar with the game – and […]

What a Concept
By Richard Mineards   |   October 12, 2021

More than 200 exotic and historic automobiles will be participating in the ninth annual Montecito Motor Classic at the Santa Barbara Polo Club on Sunday, which founder Dolores Johnson tells me is a record. This year’s theme for the free-admission event, presented by the Armand Hammer Foundation, is “The Concept Car,” which will focus on […]

Prince Perfecting Polo Prowess
By Richard Mineards   |   September 21, 2021

An accomplished polo player, Prince Harry has been honing his mallet skills “stick and balling” at the Santa Barbara Polo Club, I can exclusively reveal. The Duke of Sussex, 37, who lives with his wife, Meghan Markle, at Riven Rock, just a short gallop from the Carpinteria equestrian facility, is following in the stirrup-steps of […]

Dinner with a Side of Polo: New Fieldside Grill Offers Distinctive Culinary Experience
By Gabe Saglie   |   September 9, 2021

One of the newest spots to eat in town is a longstanding destination all its own. The Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club is one of the oldest of its kind in the U.S., and its polo season, which runs May through October and lures a sophisticated crowd to both play and watch from all […]

A Sense of Belonging: Private Clubs Add to Santa Barbara’s Residential Appeal
By Gabe Saglie   |   August 12, 2021

Among the unexpected silver linings of the pandemic? The fact that the appeal of living in Santa Barbara’s South Coast has surged, and surged in a big way. An enclave like Montecito is not all that far from the urban sprawl of Los Angeles, where a pandemic-inspired exodus continues. But, as so many residents and […]