Tag archives: Santa Barbara Polo Club
“It was close! A big battle. It’s an amazing feeling to win,” said Most Valuable Player Nachi Viana after Klentner Ranch captured the Pacific Coast Open Sunday afternoon, defeating La Karina 16–9 at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. For Jake Klentner, the victory still felt unreal. “It’s just amazing. I still can’t believe […]
Time was that the very venerable Santa Barbara Polo Club fielded 20-goal teams that competed in high-goal season, meaning the total handicap (a high number is better) could not exceed a total 20-goal rating among the four players. That’s what allowed the then-consensus best player in the world Alberto Cambiaso to grace us with his […]
By Lisa Duncan “For me, it inspires kids to want to play. So it’s very important for me. That’s what this is all about tonight,” said Mindy Denson, whose passion for the Santa Barbara Polo Club’s Polo Training Center set the tone for a glamorous evening under the stars, devoted to the next generation of […]
By Lisa Duncan Father’s Day brought family, fierce competition, and two powerhouse patrónas to the field at the Santa Barbara Polo Club for the championship final of the 12 Goal Intra-Circuit Cup. On one side was Brazilian patróna Alecia Seidler, owner of Quite on Z. On the other was Sarah Siegel-Magness, the driving force behind […]
By Lisa Duncan Mother’s Day at the Santa Barbara Polo Fields unfolded in glorious Riviera style this weekend, with champagne flowing, complimentary rosé tastings for mothers, children twirling, and the manicured grounds positively blooming with fashionable families gathered to celebrate the extraordinary influence mums have on the lives around them. Among the celebrity guests enjoying […]
By Lisa Duncan The Santa Barbara Polo Club launched its 115th season in glittering style this weekend with Polo in Paradise, proving once again that nowhere does sport-meets-society quite like the manicured fields of our Eden by the Sea. The mood was champagne-fueled and Riviera chic, with the ladies arriving in sweeping Kentucky Derby-worthy hats […]
Polo has long been known as the “Sport of Kings,” and while it’s true that Prince William played at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club (SBPRC) in 2011 to celebrate the 100th anniversary, and then new-Montecito resident Prince Harry played real matches at the club, you don’t have to be royalty, a mover and […]
As polo season draws to a close, the allure of Sunday Polo is still ever-present. Few gatherings so seamlessly blend Montecito and Santa Barbara society with the delight of magnificent ponies as those at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. This weekend’s match was no exception; a radiant afternoon of athletic mastery, equestrian grace, […]
Social gridlock reigned, equestrian style, when 4,000 spectators descended on the Santa Barbara Polo Club to watch the U.S. Polo Association’s Pacific Coast Open, the biggest tournament on the Left Coast, with the winners lifting a five-foot gold and silver trophy. The six chukker match was hard fought to the final chukker when La Karina, […]
They call polo the Sport of Kings, which isn’t just a cliché but a reference to its historical association with royalty and other wealthy elites. If you want to sponsor a team or play the game at any kind of reasonable level, be prepared to fork over a pretty penny, as well-bred horses and competitive […]
A positive profusion of creative and colorful tony tête toppers packed the stands and cabanas at the crowded Santa Barbara Polo Club as it celebrated its 18th annual Ladies Day. As usual I had the onerous task of judging the mélange of magnificent millinery, including the largest and most creative, and the day couldn’t have […]
To polo playing billionaire Tom Barrack’s Happy Canyon Vineyard for the 13th annual Santa Ynez Valley Polo Classic benefitting local charity People Helping People with 300 guests helping raise more than $25,000. The energized equestrian bash, co-chaired by T.J. Barrack and Sean and Jodi Pitts, consisted of two matches – female and male – and […]
As the season nears its end, social gadabout Rebecca Brand hosted one of her last dinner party art classes at the Middle Road estate of Jim Melillo, the site of the first Santa Barbara Polo Club. The colorful bashes held every month, accompanied by delicious gourmet-style food, attract an eclectic crowd with guests at the […]
Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club opened its 114th season on Sunday, kicking off an action-packed schedule with exciting tournaments and events that will showcase some of the world’s most talented equestrians. With a record number of teams and players participating, including a Number Ten rider – the top accolade in the sport – this […]
Social gridlock reigned supreme when more than 4,000 equestrian fans descended on the Santa Barbara Polo Club for the biggest match of the season – the NetJets Pacific Coast Open. Grant Palmer, son of Los Angeles real estate tycoon Geoff Palmer, and his team Antelope led right from the opening chukker against real estate investor […]
Mallets were changed for golf clubs when the Santa Barbara Polo Club’s Polo Training Center held its fifth annual tournament at the Sandpiper Golf Club with 76 players raising around $50,000 for the Carpinteria-based facility. A total of 19 foursomes played in the Farmers & Merchants Bank sponsored event, organized by Mindy Denson, though a […]
It wasn’t quite Monte Carlo, but roulette wheels, blackjack and craps tables abounded on the hallowed Holden Field at the Santa Barbara Polo Club as the lush Carpinteria equestrian facility held Casino Night for nearly 100 guests. “As the NetJets Pacific Coast Open, the biggest polo match on the West Coast, looms large, we try […]
Santa Barbara winemaker Doug Margerum celebrated the launch of his new sauvignon blanc with a boffo bash fieldside at the Santa Barbara Polo Club where the new label is being sold. His “all white” party for 150 guests at the weekend, featured all of his labels, including his popular Rhône varietal M5 and a host […]
A positive profusion of creative and colorful tony tête toppers packed the stands and cabanas as the Santa Barbara Polo Club celebrated its 17th annual Ladies Day. As usual I had the onerous task of judging the mélange of magnificent millinery, including the largest, most colorful and most creative, and the day couldn’t have been […]
After more than 50 years as a journalist and TV commentator, I took on one of my most unusual assignments when the Polo Training Center hosted its 10th anniversary Denim and Diamonds benefit dinner, raising more than $50,000 from the 120 guests in a giant fieldside marquee at the Carpinteria-based polo club. Club president Rhys […]
