USA’s Biggest Crowd Assembled at This Year’s Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships
11,969 turned out for World’s Most Interesting Polo Event, Including Top Players From Around the World
(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) The Arizona desert again hosted the biggest crowd of the year in American polo with just shy of 12,000 fans, on Saturday, October 25th and Sunday, October 26th where polo fans witnessed some of the fastest, most skillful and aggressive polo ever played in Arizona at the Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships: Horses & Horsepower.
Now in its fourth year, the event, which is dubbed The Polo Party hosted top players from around the world including the top female American player Sunny Hale and top male player Julio Arellano, as well as last year’s defending champions Clogau Wales Polo Team, England’s Sarah Wiseman, Paola Martinez of Argentina, Caroline Anier of France and top American collegiate player Patrick Uretz. And in between it all was a live art auction, dog fashion show, World’s ’Longest’ Catwalk, and The Arizona Porsche Concours D’ Elegance.
The action started Saturday as the hometown Arizona Polo Club edged out the Gay Polo League by a score of 6-5. The Gay Polo League, which is based in Florida and the world’s only organized gay polo league, almost came back scoring 2 goals in the last 30 seconds.
In the fierce match that followed on Saturday, defending champions Ricky Cooper, Richard Blake Thomas, Roddy Matthews and Pete Webb of the Bentley Scottsdale Clogau Wales Polo Team toppled the Molina Fine Jewelers Woman’s World All-Star Team at 9-5. Pete Webb of Wales, who earned MVP honors for the weekend, led the team scoring 8 of its 9 goals Saturday.
“The ladies have terrific experience and were the best female team assembled in the world this year. If it were not for the fact that we have played together for many years, it could have been a very different story,” said Wales Captain Ricky Cooper. “Retaining our title in our adopted home of Scottsdale means so much to everyone on our team. Playing at the Scottsdale Polo Championships is a highlight in every one of our polo careers and we can’t thank The Polo Party enough for the reception we received.”
Sunday more teams assembled for the USPA Governor’s Cup Match. Polo players from the around the U.S. visiting for the United States Polo Association’s Annual Meeting competed for the Governor’s Cup that ended in a victory for Team Heineken over the Sears Vacations Team.
Sunday’s All-Star match proved to be the highlight of the day when 9-goaler and top U.S. polo player Julio Arellano, representing Barrett-Jackson faced-off against Saturday’s MVP, Pete Webb of Bentley Scottsdale.
It was Arellano who started better scoring with ease and setting up local AZ polo club player Diego Florez to take a 4-2 lead.
Still just as in Saturday’s game Pete Webb of Wales came to life in the second half, scoring 5 goals for Bentley and with the game tied up at 5-5 and heading to over-time Roddy Matthews of Wales popped up to clinch the game winner for the Bentley All-Star Team with the last touch of the match.
“It was a close match, which always makes it fun,” Arellano said. “Unfortunately we lost by a goal, but it was a great battle. What a great crowd, and we had a lot of fun.”
The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show dazzled crowds along with the First Canine Couture Fashion Showpresented by Applewood Pet Resort and The World’s ‘Longest’ Catwalk Fashion Show sponsored by Cullum Homes and presented by Phoenix Fashion Week.
When fans cheered for the polo stars, at times more applause could be heard during Saturday’s LIVE Larsen Art Auction held inside the Omni Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Montelucia Wine and Spa Lounge. More than 240 works of art were auctioned off to the highest bidders, to
“The results are in and the 2014 Larsen Art Auction was a huge success. With 700 registered bidders from 46 States and 33 countries the Larsen Art Auction sold 80% of the available lots and are actively accepting post auction offers on remaining lots. With a backdrop of the McDowell Mountains, fashion shows and polo matches, collectors commented that it was truly a unique art experience,” said Scott Larsen, of the Larsen Gallery.
About the Polo Party
With the breathtaking backdrop of McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale, Arizona the event started in 2011. Just four years later it has transformed into the country’s most attended polo event and without question, one of the world’s most interesting. It returns to Scottsdale in 2015 on October 24th.
For more information please visit www.thepoloparty.com.