Chukkers, Mallets, & Ponies...Oh My!

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow...

2010-06-13T13:32:00.001-07:00

Dear Polo Fans,

After three seasons of covering Sunday polo at Whitney Field, the CMP gals are saying farewell. They say all good things must come to an end and now is that time for "Chukkers, Mallets, and Ponies...Oh My!" We are both starting new chapters of our lives. Jessica recently got married in March and wishes to focus on being a newlywed while Lindsey is leaving Aiken to seek new ventures in Annapolis, Maryland. We have enjoyed meeting and getting to know the Aiken polo fans and becoming apart of the local polo scene. We appreciate all of your support and hope you have enjoyed the CMP blog, as much as we enjoyed doing it. A huge thank you to all our sponsors who provided the weekly prizes and to Aiken Polo Club for their support.

As this spring season comes to an end, we would also like to show our appreciation for the announcers, the flaggers, the paramedics, the referees, the hospitality tent staff & caterers, and of course, the grooms for all their hard work. Polo would not be successful without the help of all those individuals. A huge pat on the back to all the teams, players, and patrons for giving their all and making those Sunday polo games worth coming out for!

And for the last time, Marco...

POLO!

XOXO
Jessica & Lindsey
Your "CMP Girls"

Rain, Rain Go Away...Virginia Beach Won the Day!

2010-06-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

Even though the rain held off this past Sunday, Virginia Beach brought a storm onto the polo field against Casa Azul in the Holley Tractor 8 goal finals. Casa Azul was holding their own at 5-1 until the second chukker when Eddy "Papa" Martinez pulled his groin. The CMP girls were right at the sidelines when Eddy hopped into the medic's SUV and despite his injury, he still managed to give us a grin as we passed by. In the fifth chukker, the teams were tied up 8-8 until Ruben Coscia scored 3 goals back to back to pull his team ahead. Even 13 year old Wesley Bryan, who substituted for VA Beach's Bart Frye in this tournament, got a piece of the action when he scored a goal to make the score 12-8. It was "Dr. Omar" Cepeda of VA Beach who shot the winning goal of the Holley Tractor finals, beating Casa Azul 15-9.

In case you didn't notice his amazing performance on the field, Ruben Coscia was awarded the MVP and Best Playing Pony for his horse, Katrina. The ball seemed to be on his mallet like a magnet, as Announcer Bob said. Although, Ruben wasn't the only one from the VA Beach camp to win awards. New to the Virginia Beach crew is Abby Adams, who is Bart Frye's groom, and also the winner of our Best Dressed award sponsored by PINK Clothing Company! We spotted Abby in the hospitality tent in a sleeveless blouse and white jeans with black summer sandals. Kudos to her for wearing her "whites" to support the team!

As for our Polo Pooch of the Day award, we awarded pups Lily and Moose the goodies from Bone-i-Fide Bakery! They belong to John and Cassie Samuels. Moose was quick to come out from under the tailgate once we placed those treats on the ground in front of Lily for a photo op! Speaking of those yummy Bone-i-Fide treats, CMP gal Jessica was quickly becoming popular with the dogs around our tailgate spot. She had a bag on hand for her pooch Niko that she shared with former Polo Pooch winner Molly and our new furry friend, Chester. It was quite lucky that Chester got our attention with his unique barking because that led us to our Best Tailgate Spot winners, Sean Cashin and Jenny Repono. The cute couple just met last weekend, but Sean couldn't stop gushing about how "head over heels" he is for Jenny. Sean is from Asheville, NC and Jenny is from Atlanta, GA but they picked Aiken as their meet in the middle spot since they are both polo players. We thought they would certainly make good use of the award, which is a dinner gift certificate to The Restaurant at the Willcox...perfect for a romantic dinner for two!

Only two more Sundays of polo for this spring season! The June 4 Goal Invitational starts this Friday. Check out Aiken Polo Info for game information and team rosters! See you this Sunday at 3PM at Whitney Field, weather permitting. With all this rain this week, field conditions can be tricky. Always call the polo hotline (803) 643-3611 to confirm field locations!

Until next time, Marco...

POLO!

Season's End is Near But Summer is Already Here!

2010-05-25T17:01:00.000-07:00

It was a HOT one this past Sunday and we aren't just talking about the weather. Duck Hill Farms certainly turned up the heat on their opponents Cadena, defeating them 13-10. Duck Hill held the lead throughout the game although Cadena made a great effort towards the end for a comeback. For this 8 goal tournament, Randy Rizor has replaced Bill Patterson, who joins John Gobin, Marcus Onetto, and Bob Stanton on the team. Cadena patron, Nancy Glober joins us from Texas and her squad is comprised of Taylor Bostwick Freeman, Nicholas Snow, and Will Tankard. All the fellas on Cadena are also members of Team USA, a program sponsored by the United States Polo Association.

According to the USPA's website, "The Team USA concept was established by the Association to identify talented young American players and to provide them with medium-and high-goal playing opportunities." In January 2010, 24 players were selected from 73 applicants. This spring, Aiken has been fortunate enough to have quite a few of these players visiting and playing at our local polo clubs, such as, Devon Dailey, Cristina Fernandez, Carlitos Galindo, Nicholai Galindo, Nicholas Morrison, and obviously the players mentioned above on the Cadena team. If you get a chance to see these talented players, remember you could be watching one of polo's future 10-goalers!

Now, onto Sunday's sidelines highlights! You may have noticed a new member of the CMP crew, joining us for our usual stroll around the field. That cute little pup you saw is named Niko and is owned by CMP gal Jessica. Niko made friends with everyone at the game, being sure to stop at every spot to get some attention from all the fans! When she stopped in front of Steve and Cindy Matheson's spot, it was their matching red shoes that stood out and gained them the Best Dressed award sponsored by Equine Divine! It was the first time we have given the award to a couple, so hopefully we don't cause any disputes over how to use their gift certificate!

If it weren't for their previous win for Best Tailgate earlier this season, we would have awarded it to Dan and Gayle Elliott for the fan in their backseat. Kudos to those Sunday regulars for that great idea to help stay cool! The winners of this week's Best Tailgate Spot were also doing a good job of staying cool with their own tent and lots of cold drinks! If you are a fan of Takosushi, you would recognize winner, Kaya Hagen, who works at the downtown restaurant. Kaya and her husband Robbie received a gift certificate to The Restaurant at the Willcox as their prize.

At half time, it was a little gal named Tessie who took the Aiken Polo Club hat prize for Best Divot Stomper. She must have gotten some tips from her sister, who was last week's winner and sporting her own APC ball cap. Now the girls have matching hats to show off together when it's divot stomping time! To beat the heat and try to catch a breeze, the CMP ladies spent the second half of the game in the announcer stand. Bob Besley was cracking jokes as usual while Bob Donahey found the corner of the booth with all the shade to take over. He was happy to share the space once we arrived...I imagine we must have looked a hot mess for him to take such pity on us! The CMP girls try to stay neutral when cheering for teams, but it was hard not to give a few extra shouts for Cadena with one of their biggest cheerleaders, Amanda Hersey, hanging out in the stand with us. [Check out this week's Spotted to see where she and her "MVP" Nick Snow headed post polo!]

Hopefully this Sunday's game will be a bit cooler and a bit breezier! We will be at Whitney Field at 3PM and hope to see you there! So, wear your Sunday polo best, bring your pretty pooches, and spruce up your spots because we will have a pocket full of prizes to give out! Only a few Sundays are left in the spring season, but you can still sign up for an Aiken Polo Club social membership to get a jump start on fall polo! Visit the Aiken Polo Club website for more details on memberships!

Until next time, Marco...

POLO!

Under the Big Top for the Aiken Cup Finals

2010-05-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day for a Finals Sunday at Powderhouse Field! Duck Hill Farms and Casa Azul/C-Spear took the field to battle it out for the Aiken Cup! At the end of the day, Casa Azul/C-Spear came out on top! As we went to do our usual rounds, tailgate spots were missing in action. It seems the hospitality tent was the place to be this past Sunday! As a matter of fact, all of our prize winners this week were found underneath the big top.

More than one fan gave us a helping hand looking for our "Polo Pooch of the Day." It seemed inevitable that we would have to choose Kiazi Marie, a 12 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback, since she was such a fan favorite. She belongs to Kathy Roberts and Chuck Wright, who are new members to the Aiken Polo Club! A fun fact we learned was that Kiazi's name means "sweet potato" in Swahili, which they chose because her fur was the same shade orange as the inside of a sweet potato when she was a puppy. Kathy and Chuck were quite happy with the prize treats from Bone-i-Fide Bakery since they said they were already loyal customers of the store!

If you have seen Mary Pimsner lately, you have probably noticed her new arm accessories. Bless her heart, but she is sporting two arm casts on each arm after falling off of a horse. However, there was no "horsing around" when it came to picking our "Best Dressed" winner this week. Mary was sporting a bright green halter sundress and a straw John Deere cowboy hat. She complained that her bright pink cast didn't match, but we told her it fit perfectly with the Best Dressed award, which was sponsored by PINK Clothing Company this week.

Since there were no tailgate spots to contend for our usual "Best Tailgate" award, we decided to find the table inside the tent that was having the most fun. It didn't take us long to spot Lori and Sean O'Conner and their friends, laughing and enjoying the day. All were dressed to impress and making good use of the tent's open bar! We even had to wait on a few guys before we took the group picture because they were getting a refill! Don't forget, everyone can enjoy the hospitality tent each Sunday for $20 at the gate, which includes game entry, food and beverages in the tent and all the fun you can stand! If you're a member of Aiken Polo Club, the tent is free for you! So, if you haven't experienced a Sunday game at the tent, you only have a few more Sundays this spring to do so!

Everyone was having such a great time at the tent, it was hard to get anyone out to stomp divots at half time. There were even some people who made it out to the field, but not to stomp divots. Justin Pimsner and his son played a bit of soccer instead of stomping...and Justin kept asking us why he couldn't win. You can't be the #1 Divot Stomper when you aren't stomping divots! It was Geoff Ellis, owner of the Willcox hotel, that saved the day. He was all over the field, jumping all over those divots. He even let me in on his secret to stomping, saying, "Everybody forgets the area right in front of the goals. That's where the most action happens, so I always make sure to get those divots taken care of." Good advice from Geoff, who received an Aiken Polo Club ball cap as his reward!

This week is the start of the last 8 goal tournament for Aiken Polo Club this spring. Check out the APC website: http://www.aikenpoloclub.org/ or http://www.aikenpoloinfo.com/ for game information and team rosters! We will keep you posted on this Sunday's game location. Be sure to check the "Upcoming Events and News" section before this Sunday's game, so you'll be in the know on where to go!

Until next time, Marco...

POLO!

Duck, duck....Win!

2010-05-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

For a game so full of penalties, it only seems right that the winning goal be scored by a penalty shot! John Gobin of Duck Hill Farms scored the winning goal for his team, beating Acme Rockets 13-12. It was a close game all the way through and both teams put in a tremendous effort this past Sunday to bring the fans an exciting match from the very first goal that was scored by the Rockets under 15 seconds into the first chukker!

Quite a treat for everyone's favorite announcer, Bob Besley, was the attendance of his family from Columbia! As we went over to say hello, we knew there was no doubt who was winning the Best Tailgate award. The spot was overflowing with 15 or so members of the Besley family all under a large white tent, complete with a hanging flower basket and table floral arrangements. You should have seen their table spread which featured fried chicken, strawberry cupcakes, veggie & cheese trays, and much more...not to mention those three large coolers iced down with all your beverage needs! They said they couldn't wait to come visit again to use their prize, which was a gift certificate to The Restaurant at the Willcox!

Looking like the very essence of spring in her pink, green, and white sundress, Stephanie Ferrante was our winner for the Best Dressed award! It was also her birthday (which can help you win our awards because we love helping people celebrate their birthdays!) As our winner, Stephanie will be treating herself with a gift certificate to Equine Divine. Speaking of divine, let's talk about the mouth watering food Dan Bullington was serving up in the hospitality tent. Bob and I both had a chance to sample the homemade Waldorf summer chicken salad and as Bob said, it was "lip smacking good!" [You can get your tickets for the hospitality tent each Sunday at the gate for $20 which includes your entry to the game. Free food and drinks and a shady spot to watch the action! Or become a social member of Aiken Polo Club and get free admission to the tent every Sunday, included in your membership fees!]

Our Polo Pooch of the Day winner was Baby Lou, who happens to be dog buddies with a previous winner, one of our favorite Jack Russells, Lucy. This week, the CMP gals provided the prize with a chew toy and some beefy snacks. Lucy was quick to make use of the toy, but maybe Baby Lou will share her yum yums too! While we were busy with the doggies, Bob was choosing Kat Moore as the Best Divot Stomper during halftime! She received a hat from Aiken Polo Club, which was a bit big for her yet she wore it proudly for the rest of the afternoon!

We spotted Gray's Polo Equipment parked over by the trailers. If you didn't get a chance to check out their large trailer equipped with all your polo needs, don't worry because they assured us they will be at all the games! So, give their trailer a look see at the next game and say hello to Claude & Monique for us! We also spotted the Aiken Standard covering the game again, which will hopefully bring out more fans for polo Sundays!

This past Sunday's game was apart of the prestigious Aiken Cup sponsored by the Smoak Family of Aiken. It is one of the most popular tournaments played at Aiken Polo Club. For the full schedule and team rosters, be sure to visit www.aikenpoloinfo.com.

Next Sunday, we will be moving the polo action to the Powderhouse Field. [You can find directions in the sidebar of this blog.] At 3PM, the finals of the Pete Bostwick Memorial tournament will be played with the Aiken Cup game to follow. So don't forget the field change or you'll be sitting at Whitney all by your lonesome!

Until next time, Marco...

POLO!

Can't Beat the Heat...that Aiken Hay Farm was Bringing

2010-05-02T14:53:00.001-07:00

It’s only the 2nd of May, yet Sunday at Whitney Field the weather felt like we were at the end of the spring polo season. With temperatures reaching the low 90’s with the humidity around 50%, it was a sweaty Sunday for all the spectators on the sidelines. At least we can be thankful for the wind that provided us with a tiny bit of relief throughout the game.

Speaking of heat, Aiken Hay Farm may be to blame because boy did they bring it! It was a close game, but they pulled out the “W”, defeating La Pechada/Pony Up, 8 to 6. Federico Wulff didn’t seem too pleased at the end of the game, raising his arms in frustration. He shouldn’t be too down though, considering it was his pony, Caminada, that was awarded “Best Playing Pony”. It’s arguable that if a few more minutes were given to play, La Pechada/Pony Up may have just turned that game around. A big congrats also goes out to Devon Dailey with Aiken Hay Farm for being awarded “MVP” for the first 2010 spring 4-Goal Invitational. I was joking with his mom during trophy presentations regarding his noticeable height difference from all the other players. It must have been his longer reach that gave him the advantage.

You couldn’t miss the large umbrella shading Don & Linda Biersack and Bob & Sterling Denny during the game. Of course, I gravitated right to that shady spot and ended up realizing there was more than just shade there. They were awarded our “Best Tailgating Spot” sponsored by The Restaurant at The Willcox thanks to their crab dip, fruit salad, mixed nuts, champagne and most importantly, according to Don, the BEER! The only thing missing was the kiddy pool for me to sit in. I have no doubt that their next couple’s outing will be on Colleton Avenue at The Restaurant.

This Sunday was a first for our “Best Dressed” award because we didn’t have just one! It was a “Double Take” edition with both of our sponsor’s participation. Barbara Woolley was awarded the Pink gift certificate which was a perfect addition to her pink and white skirt! It was Laura Bagwell’s flowing brown and white sundress (and possibly that silver cup accessory) that helped her snag the other award sponsored by Equine Divine. The CMP gals love our polo ladies and can’t wait to see what they are wearing next week.

Laura and her polo partner in crime, Miles Denham, should probably consider playing the lottery because they ended up walking away with two prizes! Miles had the lucky number 47 on his program and was awarded the “Shaping Up for Summer” award sponsored by Kenny Ray Personal Fitness! Laura later told me that she will be taking that award as well. We didn’t see too many pooches on the sidelines probably due in part to the hot, humid weather but there was one Sunday regular pooch that was still full of energy and lots of kisses. “Polo Pooch of the Day” was given to Spencer, a 6 month old Airedale owned by Pat & Elizabeth Paterniti, who is quite the polo regular. I hope he enjoys his yummy treats courtesy of Bone-I-Fide Bakery!

Everyone should also take a look back at the NBC 26 News archives from Sunday for any footage from the game. A reporter was out talking to some of the board members and I think I even saw him interviewing Pam Gleason! It’s great that the media is starting to realize what an amazing sport this is, especially on Sunday’s with the family!

Don’t forget polo fans, APC is still accepting memberships for the 2010 season. If you are interested in full, practice, family, junior, parking or social memberships please contact club manager Craig Fraser at craig@pologuy.com.

Until next Sunday, Marco…

POLO!

Sponsor Spotlight: The Restaurant at The Willcox

2010-05-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

As soon as you walk through the doors of the Willcox, you instantly get that feeling of walking into a piece of Aiken's history. New proprietors, Geoff and Shannon Ellis, became apart of that history in January of this year and have without a doubt brought it's historic prestige into the present. The Restaurant at the Willcox is certainly a popular spot for the Aiken locals, especially many of the familiar faces that frequent the polo scene. The Restaurant offers delicious and exquisite food in a cozy, relaxed environment...a perfect combination! It can certainly be a challenge for a restaurant to offer 5 star quality food and still maintain an atmosphere that isn't too stuffy. The Restaurant at The Willcox has done so flawlessly. Whether you are enjoying a meal in the simply elegant dining room, or having a few cocktails on the patio by the poolside, you are sure to feel "welcome and comfortable" as its website boasts. It is perfect for special occasions, big or small, with concept and pricing that makes The Willcox a place you can afford to enjoy often. [CMP gal Jessica can vouch for that, as her intimate wedding ceremony took place poolside at this beautiful property just last month!]

Take a peek at The Restaurant's website, www.therestaurantatw.com, and if those pictures don't make your mouth water, you should probably get your eyes checked! You can also view their menus on the website as well. "Chukkers, Mallets, & Ponies...Oh My!" are proud to have them as our new sponsor for the Best Tailgate award this spring! If you want to win this savory award, it is awarded at every Sunday game to the spectators with a parking spot that features a festive & functional set-up, yummy food, and good spirits (not just the ones in the bottles!) The Restaurant is open 11:30am - 10pm Monday - Saturday and 9am - 10pm on Sunday, located inside The Willcox hotel at 100 Colleton Avenue in downtown Aiken. The CMP gals give The Restaurant at The Willcox four thumbs up!

Windy Win for Aiken Hay Farms!

2010-04-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

Those pesky April showers brought us a field change this past Sunday to Loughrea East, which is home to Brigadoon Polo. Aiken Hay Farms controlled most of the game against Hyde Park Farms, except the second chukker where they made some good plays for a comeback. Luis Galvan played exceptionally well. Despite Hyde Park's efforts, they were defeated by Aiken Hay Farms 9-6 for this 4 goal tournament game.

Maybe it was all that wind, but Aiken Hay player, Devon Dailey took a spill from his horse in the fourth chukker. We hope this won't be become a habit, but according to APC club manager, Craig Fraser, he has fallen off in both games he's played so far this season. Although there was no speaker equipment for Bob Besley to use for announcing, he was still full of his usual Bobisms. As soon as Devon was up and okay, Bob joked that he fell off that horse "like a sack of potatoes." As we left the announcer stand, I also heard Bob say, "He went through that goal like he had winds in his sails." Even without a microphone, he's still doing his thing in the announcer stand!

If you were wondering why we weren't giving out prizes this week, it's probably because we didn't arrive until the end of the third chukker. It's a long story, but let's just say that Lindsey and road detours on 302 don't mix. We promise to be back with all your favorites awards and prizes next week! Let's keep our fingers crossed for a Sunday game at Whitney Field!

APC is currently accepting memberships for the 2010 season. If you are interested in Full, practice, family, junior, parking or social memberships please contact club manager Craig Fraser at craig@pologuy.com

Until next time, Marco...

POLO!

2010 Polo Season Springs Into Action

2010-04-18T14:27:00.001-07:00

For this Sunday's spring opener polo game, everyone was a winner! Aiken Hay Farm and Foxdale Equine teams were tied 13-13 at the end of the 6th chukker and the fans got to see a great game! [If you were wondering why there was no overtime today, it's because this match wasn't a part of the tournament which starts next Sunday at Whitney Field. For the tournament schedule and team rosters, visit http://www.aikenpoloclub.org ]

If you want to win a prize from the CMP gals, showering us with compliments never hurts your chances, as Dan and Gayle Elliott and Jack McElwee found out. We had already decided they were in the top running for Best Tailgate after we spotted the salmon and sushi spread, but telling the CMP gals that we were "a sure sign of spring" definitely sealed the deal! They were awarded a gift certificate to The Restaurant at The Willcox, one of our new sponsors for the spring! Gayle was delighted with the prize, saying it was one of their favorite downtown spots to eat!

Sometimes we just can't decide on one dog to win, so we choose a French bulldog and a Boston terrier owned by Eric and Allison Brinkley for our Polo Pooches of the Day. Mya and Hazel were enjoying their first time at polo although Hazel was looking a bit bloated, shall we say. Apparently, Hazel got into the cat food right before polo according to Eric. She still managed to have room for those yummy prize treats from Bone-i-Fide Bakery!

Setting the bar for this season's Best Dressed award was Alanna Wigdahl in a strapless white sundress and platform shoes. Proving that a sundress can be functional & sexy, she and Amanda Hersey got a little practice in with their foot mallets before the game started. The Best Dressed prize came from another new sponsor, Pink Clothing Company, located in the Holley Building in downtown Aiken.

CMP gal Lindsey gave announcer Bob Besley a bit of help during halftime and chose Jonathan Valdez as the Best Divot Stomper for the day. 10 year old Jonathan received an Aiken Polo Club hat and a high five for a job well done. Speaking of our favorite announcer, Bob never disappoints with his way with words. This week's favorite Bobism: "...sliced through the play like a loaf of bread." We look forward to what clever lines Bob comes up with next week.

We'll be back at Whitney Field next Sunday for polo action at 3:00! Don't forget...Aiken Polo Club is currently accepting memberships for the 2010 season. If you are interested in full, practice, family, junior, parking, or social memberships - please contact club manager Craig Fraser at craig@pologuy.com!

Until next time, Marco...

POLO!

Reunited with Polo and It Feels So Good!

2010-03-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air and so is polo! This past Saturday USC-Aiken held their "Pacers and Polo" match for the third leg of the Triple Crown. What an amazing turnout! Even with all the spectators, we were able to spot a few of our favorite Whitney Field regulars. Bob Besley was on the announcer's microphone, giving us his best Bob-isms. The Burger King team certainly gave him plenty of material...our personal favorite, "Hold the lettuce, hold the cheese, hold the whatever!" after BK scored two goals back to back. Although that awesome play was not enough to pull out the win against Biddle Realty in overtime. Overtime games are always exciting, so we're glad that the record crowd was able to see some great polo action!

Among other Whitney Field Sunday regulars, we spotted Fred Wright snapping photos [apparently of us!] during the halftime divot stomping. Our "Hecklers" from the Sunday games were in attendance as well. Andy Brown, Ben Young, & crew are excited to see their favorite player "Chucky 3 Sticks" back in action this season. Polo player Fede Wulff was on the sidelines drinking Argentinian mate tea with his friends, who lounged in the grass enjoying the sunshine. We wonder if Aiken Polo Club's most dedicated fans, Mr. & Mrs. Burns were missing their regular parking spot which was on the opposite side of the field. It seems there was a big tent in their way...

You may have recognized those green side boards from Whitney Field, although we are not sure if they will be a staple for the Powderhouse Field for this season. Stay tuned to aikenpoloinfo.com for more information on the all game locations. Don't forget Aiken Polo Club is currently accepting memberships for the 2010 season. If you are interested in full, practice, family, junior, parking or social memberships, please contact club manager Craig Fraser at craig@pologuy.com.

We would like to thank everyone for all of their support and making the blog so popular this past year. We look forward to another great polo season! See you soon! It feels so good to say it again...

Until next time, Marco...

POLO!

Aiken Junior Polo Final

2009-11-23T14:15:00.000-08:00

The rain held off on Saturday and it made for an awesome day for junior polo at Powderhouse field. The day started with the little ones, also known as the leadline division, making their way to the field with the help of their parents. Announcer, Charlie Herrick, made it even more amusing with his commentating like it was a high intensity 20 goal game. These kids, ranging in ages from 2 to 5 years old, were all smiles as they played a little friendly polo. Abby Capps, Bailey Capps, Danny McCarthy, Santiago Gonzalez, Lucas Gonzalez, Ash Guttierez and Jersey Cogan have some well known parents around town, but moms and dads were more than happy to take time out of their day to spend some quality time with the kids. All the leadline ponies were awarded Best Playing Pony and received a nice big package of carrots for keeping it nice and easy with the tots. It was great to see the parents involved and the kids playing nice.

After the little ones finished up their game, the older ones made their way to the field. I found that these chukkers were even more entertaining at times than high goal polo. You could see the smiles on their faces and sense of camaraderie between opposing teams. The winner of the round robin game was Silverstone Farm. This stellar team was comprised of Kegan Walsh, Jason Wates, Ashley Ragucci, & Malia Bryan. The winning team was given an extra boost by Jason Wates' Best Playing Pony, "Ya Mon" and MVP, Kegan Walsh.

Tess Pimsner assisted in giving mom and spectators a little nervous rush when she fell off her pony Rita. Tess received the "Real Estate" Award for her fall since she was the only player to really get a good look at the homestead. Pony and player were fine and when asked later Tess said, "Most people thought I wouldn't finish the chukker with Rita, but I wanted to." Although she is a very persistent player, her and her team couldn't pull out the win for C-Spear. Tess, along with Maggie Boyle, Louis Biarritzi, & Taylor Freeman made up the team for C-Spear who put up a valiant effort.

They say nice guys always finish last, but that wasn't such a bad thing for Sam Leguizamon who received the "Sportsmanship" Award for always being the guy to help someone out. Anytime a younger player was having trouble or needing assistance, he was always there to help guide and teach them. Although El Aguila Farms team, comprised of Sam and his sister, Sabrina Leguizamon along with Wesley Bryan and Matt McGhee finished last, it was made known that it's not about winning...good sportsmanship is key to great polo.

Aiken Junior Polo isn't just for polo families. It's open to anyone! If you would like more information on the program, please contact Karen Reese at hilltopfarmpolo@aol.com.

The Birds Are Heading South For Winter...And So Is Polo!

2009-11-19T08:31:00.000-08:00

We were a bit disappointed the last Sunday game of the fall season couldn't be played at Whitney Field [due to field conditions] however Powderhouse Field was a more than acceptable substitute. The CMP girls set up shop on the sunny side of the field to watch Polo Cops/C-Spear and Aiken Horse battle it out. The Aiken Horse team of Gary Knoll, Pam Gleason, Luis Galvan, and Nigel Allcock together had a 3-goal team and therefore started off the game with one point due to the handicap difference with the Polo Cops/C-Spear team of Kathy Roberts, JD Cooper, Jason Wates, and Geoff Cameron.

During the first chukker, Nigel Allcock received two technical fouls and was forced to leave the field for the remaining 63 seconds of that chukker due to "choice words to the umpire" as APC manager, Craig Fraser so eloquently put it. If a third technical foul would have been received by Allcock, he would have been ejected from the rest of the entire game. As irony would have it, he took a spill in the 4th chukker and was unable to finish the game anyway due to a knee injury. Taylor Freeman stepped in to finish up the game, but could not help turn Aiken Horse's luck around as Polo Cops/C-Spear defeated them 9-5.

The CMP prizes for the last fall Sunday game were all about taking care of some of Sunday polo's largest supporters. Every Sunday at Whitney Field, the Groat and Schaumann families are always in attendance at their parking spot usually with extra friends as well. They are social members of Aiken Polo Club and after hearing they brought baked brie, we knew they were a shoe in for the Best Tailgate Spot that day! Christian Schaumann, who works at the Aiken Brewing Company, said he was looking forward to using the Prime gift certificate to check out the competition...and take the wife Molly out for a lovely meal of course!

During the halftime divot stomping, we spotted a woman with a straw hat and a light green sweater tossed around her shoulders. It was a perfect outfit to suit the sunny weather yet still a fully functional fall get-up. Little did we know, she was also apart of the Groat/Schmaumann camp! Jeannie Groat was awarded Best Dressed and a 25% off gift certificate to Equine Divine!

Our Polo Pooch of the Day belongs to some of the most important people involved at Aiken Polo Club...the people who keep the polo fields in shape, Debbie and Pat! We have watched their golden retriever, Zack, grow up over 3 polo seasons now. We figured it was time he got to partake in those Bone-i-Fide Bakery goodies. [Speaking of Bone-i-Fide Bakery, we hear they are under new ownership. Be sure to tune in next week to the CMP blog for a full report! Most of the polo might be heading south, but we still have some tricks up our sleeve for winter here!]

We would like to say thank you on behalf of the Aiken Polo Club to all of the club members, loyal spectators, sponsors, players, teams, game help, grooms and catering for their hard work and support. Another great polo season must come to a close, but the spring season kicks off in April [just about the time when the Florida weather starts to get too hot!]

The CMP gals will be sticking around Aiken for the winter and plan to keep blogging ever so often, so please drop us an email at cmp.ohmy@gmail.com if you wish to be notified when a new blog is posted over the winter!

Until mid-April, Marco...

POLO!

Burnt Mill Gets Burned by Duck Hill Farm 8-7 in Fall Invitational Finals

2009-11-11T10:37:00.000-08:00

The sun was shining bright to let us know that there would be no rained out game this week! After two weeks of no Sunday polo due to rain & wet fields, the spectators were in good spirits and happy to return to the regular Sunday routine. Whitney Field Sunday regular, Jan who moved to Aiken from up north was heard saying "This is the life...barefoot in November!" as she lounged on the sidelines sans shoes. We couldn't agree more! It was also perfect weather for the Fall Classic Invitational finals between Burnt Mill and Duck Hill Farm.

Although the fields weren't wet, we still managed to have a couple players come unseated from their horses throughout the game. Bill Paterneti was the first player to start the trend shortly into the first chukker with Marcos Onetto following suit in the second chukker. Horses were okay and both players played the entire game, so no serious injuries that we're aware of. After those spills, the fans certainly had their work cut out for them during halftime divot stomping.

Although Kris Powers has been a previous winner of one of our weekly prizes [Best Dressed a few weeks ago] we couldn't deny that her tailgate spot was the best this past Sunday. They were celebrating Kris' birthday with a "princess party" if you will. The ladies were sporting tiaras on their heads and letting the wine flow freely! When getting photographed, Kris said "Everyone take off your tiaras but me!" as she wanted to make sure everyone knew who the Birthday Girl was! We hope she enjoys the gift certificate to Prime Steakhouse as her prize for winning Best Tailgate Spot.

As for our Polo Pooch of the Day, we choose Flora, an Irish terrier from Lydia Bibeau's puppy party. We hope the other dogs in the group, Coco Plum and Spartacus weren't too jealous! Flora was a rescue from Chicago and is considered the "red devil of the household" per Lydia after losing 8 pairs of Italian shoes and 2 handbags to Flora's chompers. Flora is owned by Peter Bibeau of Buckley Farms and was wrangled by Lydia. We choose Flora for her spunky personality and enthusiasm. Treats & toy provided by the CMP Gals to the winning dog.

At the end of the day, it was Duck Hill Farm defeating Burnt Mill 8-7 after a very close game. The game MVP award went to Federico Wulff and Best Playing Pony was presented to John Gobin's Coronita. Lindsey and honorary CMP gal Amanda Hersey [filling in for Jessica, who snuck off to Florida for a few days] were spotted presenting the trophies to the winners and finalists of the Fall Classic Invitational.

The final fall tournament for APC is a 4 goal tournament that is taking place this week, assuming the rain from Hurricane Ida passes over quickly. Check out http://www.aikenpoloinfo.com/ for the schedule & team rosters. [While you're on the Update Center's website, be sure to check out how you can become a Aiken Polo Club member! Full, social, or parking members get 2 tickets for every Sunday and complimentary access to the hospitality tent! It isn't too early to sign up for the 2010 Spring & Fall polo seasons!]

We look forward to seeing everyone this Sunday, November 15th for the last Sunday polo match at Powderhouse Field for the fall season. Note: The game is NOT at Whitney Field due to unsafe field conditions. The finals for this last tournament will most likely take place next Thursday, so be sure to check the Update Center for those details!

Until Sunday, Marco...

POLO!

High Noon Showdown...VA Beach Comes Out Guns Blazing!

2009-10-20T15:00:00.001-07:00

The CMP girls traded in their sundresses for multiple layers this past Sunday. As we walked around the sidelines, we saw we weren't the only ones! The crowd was bundled up tight in warm hats and blankets to beat the chilly air. One lady who didn't let the weather affect her outfit was Marla Scherer, looking stunning in bright red slacks & a black hat to hold in her body heat! As soon as we saw her, we knew she was our Best Dressed winner for the day! And no, we weren't being biast because she's the wife of Warren Scherer, one of Aiken Polo Club's board members...we had no idea who she was when we chose her! She was very flattered and happily accepted the prize from Equine Divine!

Although they say size doesn't matter, it did for this Sunday's Polo Pooch of the Day. As soon as Jessica saw Mr. Big, a huge bullmastiff, she pointed excitely and said, "I like this one!!" [PS if it weren't for Lindsey speaking up on some Sundays, the little dogs would never win dog of the day because Jess likes the big ones!] When we presented Mr. Big with his prize, his owner Bill gave us permission to tear open the bag of dog treats from Bone-i-Fide Bakery. Talk about mouth watering! Mr. Big scarfed down 6 treats in less than 2 minutes! It's safe to say they were a "big" hit with him!

A special edition prize [for this week only] donated from the PTF Silent Auction this past Friday was a Three Night Stay at Powderhouse Kennel for one lucky dog owner and their pet. We choose Bo Taylor to receive the prize, who is best known as Phil Staples' go-to gal and one of the best darn grooms around. We are always snapping pictures of her pooch when we go by the trailers, so we presented her with the prize while she was hard at work for VA Beach. Grooms are fans too, so we decided it was about time we let them in on some of our prize action!

Our Horsepitality award sponsored by the Carriage House Inn was presented to Bruce and Nancy Shiffler. We were greeted with a smile as the Shiffler's munched on some brunch sandwiches and mixed up some sort of wine concoction. Bruce has been coming to town for a few months on business, so we thought it might be nice to show them some of Aiken's hospitality with a complimentary Two Night "Staycation" Package. They were pleasantly surprised with winning since it was their first time at polo!

We tried to live up to our word and give away TWO free Kenny Ray "1 Hour of Personal Training" sessions, but only Karen Sfara came up to claim the prize for lucky number "16"! It was also Karen's first time at polo. She was in town visting her daughter Ali, who attends USC-Aiken. Karen decided she would give the free session to Ali since she was local and could get better use out of it. [Don't forget the lucky numbers are located on the back of the game handout you receive at the gate. They announce the winning number at halftime, so don't miss your chance to win too!]

For those of you who left your "A-game" at home for the halftime divot stomping, Miss Betty was happy to show you how it's done. She was tap, tap, tapping those divots back into the ground and received an Aiken Polo Club ball cap & a gift certificate to Sweet Cow Creamery for all her efforts. Our Best Divot Stomper certainly showed us what "respecting our elders" is all about!

We were so busy having fun with the fans that we don't have much to report about the game! I guess if you missed it, all we can tell you is that Virginia Beach came out on top, winning 10-8 against Silverstone Farms. The finals for the US Foods 8 Goal tournament are to be determined but we'll let you know as soon as we know! Either way, it's polo as usual at Whitney Field at 3PM on Sunday! The hospitality tent will up & Dan Bullington will be serving up something good for sure! See you there!

A reminder for the fans: For all Whitney Field Sunday games, it is a $5.00 admission per person. If you want to check out the hospitality tent, pay $15 more for complimentary food & cocktails! The hospitality tent is free to all Aiken Polo Club members! If you are interested in becoming a member of APC, please see Charlie Bostwick for details! [If he isn't on the field, he can usually be found at the announcer's stand.] Full, social, or parking members get 2 tickets for every Sunday. Prorated amounts available for the fall season, or be an early bird and sign up for next season!

Until next Sunday, Marco...

POLO!

Hunka, Hunka Burnt Mill - Winning 12-11 Against Silverstone Farms!

2009-10-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

What a great turnout for Sunday's 3:00 game at Whitney Field! As soon as the overcast skies cleared up, out came the sun...and so did the spectators! Both sides of the field were filled with cars and fans, ready to cheer on their favorite teams. The Burnt Mill team of Bill Pattinini, Del Walton, Federico Wulff, & Marvin Slossman were burning up the field in an intense game that was back and forth in every single chukker!

With 2 seconds left in the final chukker, it was Del Walton who scored the final point to break the tied up game, leading Burnt Mill to a 12-11 victory over Silverstone Farms. Although Silverstone didn't pull out the "W" the team of Keegan Walsh, Tom Thayer, Gabriel Crespo, & Justin Pimsner gave Burnt Mill a run for their money and certainly is a team to watch for the rest of this tournament.

The Polo Pooches of the Day for this past Sunday are always on the sidelines at Whitney Field and always happy to see us when we walk by. Little Lucy and Belle belong to Mr. & Mrs. Graham. We hope the two pups have fun sharing the Bone-i-Fide Bakery goodies! If you want to pick up goodies for your own pooch, go visit Peggy at Bone-i-Fide for some freshly baked treats! Take a peek at what they're baking up...http://www.boneifidebakery.com/

Just when I had almost given up on a Best Dressed winner for the day, Announcer Bob helped me choose Ms. Stephanie Rawicki for our Equine Divine prize! Stephanie had on a very "horsey" collared top and a visor to block those rays & catch the action! She was in town visiting from Cincinnati, Ohio, so we hope she got a chance to use her gift certificate to Equine Divine before leaving town!

The Best Divot Stomper for the day was David Stinton. Looking sharp in his pink polo shirt, he was jumping all over those divots at halftime. With a red Solo cup in one hand, he did some serious work on the field and didn't spill a drop! Good job, David! He received one of those snazzy Aiken Polo Club caps and a free treat at Sweet Cow Creamery!

Our Lucky Number winner never came to claim their prize this past Sunday for the "Free 1 Hour Training Session with Kenny Ray" so I guess that means this Sunday we will have TWO lucky number winners. Just a special treat from the CMP girls! And while I really wanted to give the Prime gift certificate to the Best Tailgate Spot...I just couldn't find one that stood out this time. Let's see if you fans can step up your tailgatin' and show us how it's done!

US Foods Fall 8 Goal Tournament has another matchup this Sunday, October 18th at 12:00PM [Don't come at 3:00 - we won't be there!] Come show your support & don't forget to look for the CMP Gals, as they make their rounds & give away great prizes! We will also be presenting our special "Horsepitality" Award this Sunday! So, make sure your parking spot is full of southern hospitality and win a Two Night "Staycation" Package sponsored by the Carriage House Inn!

A reminder for the fans: For all Whitney Field Sunday games, it is a $5.00 admission per person. If you want to check out the hospitality tent, pay $15 more for complimentary food & cocktails! The hospitality tent is free to all Aiken Polo Club members! If you are interested in becoming a member of APC, please see Charlie Bostwick for details! [If he isn't on the field, he can usually be found at the announcer's stand.] Full, social, or parking members get 2 tickets for every Sunday. Prorated amounts available for the fall season, or be an early bird and sign up for next season!

Until next Sunday, Marco...

POLO!

Duck Hill Farm Gets C-Speared by Spring Season Defending Champs

2009-10-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

As we made our rounds this past Sunday, it felt like that polo ball was following us. It seemed everywhere we went, the ball was getting knocked out of play right where we were! Luckily we are pretty spry gals and easily dodged those mallet driven bullets! One smart spectator used her lavendar perisol umbrella as a shield when one ball came her way. [The CMP gals dusted off Lindsey's own green perisol umbrella for their protection at the 3:00 game later that day at New Bridge! Thanks for the idea!]

Polo Pooch of the Day went to the French Bulldog we just couldn't stop petting...Tila! She belongs to Jen Murdock, whom some of you will know because she is Collin McCosh's groom. This week's special prize was a "Pampered Pooch" package at the Carriage House Inn, one of our new sponsors this spring! Since Jen isn't a local, she was excited about the free night stay in one of the Inn's Pet Friendly suites with lots of goodies for Tila included!

We spotted Devang Patel taking a break during halftime from his scoreboard keeping duties to do some serious divot stomping. So, we awarded him the Best Divot Stomper award from Sweet Cow Creamery! After all that hard work at the game, a free ice cream sounds pretty nice! Speaking of pretty nice, Gary and Sandy Seccucci had a pretty nice spot set up for themselves this past Sunday. Sometimes all you need for a Best Tailgate Spot is two nice chairs, a picnic basket of treats, and good company! As for the Free 1-hour Personal Training Session with Kenny Ray, Mark Rennie was the lucky winner with number 19 [Don't forget to check your game information sheet you receive at the gate for a number written in the bottom corner of the page. That number could make you a winner!] Mark was happy to receive the prize since he said he never wins anything!

After halftime, players and referees took the field to begin the 4th chukker but had a slight delay. Sergio Muris was taking a leisure stroll across the field and holding up the game...although we're sure he meant no harm. His act did however get a few chuckles in the announcer stand and we may have heard the phrase, "Must run in the family." It was back in the spring that we mentioned a certain relative doing the same thing....we'll let you put two and two together!

Often times we hear people joke about John Gobin's mouth piece he wears...whether it is to protect those pearly whites or to keep him quiet. It was constantly going in and out last Sunday as he could be heard giving helpful coaching to his teammates on Duck Hill Farm. The Duck Hill team roster also includes Bill Patterson, Marcus Onetto, and Bob Stanton. Despite Gobin's coaching efforts, it was C-Spear/Casa Azul [defending champions from the spring season] winning the game 12-11. The C-Spear/Casa Azul team is Eddy Martinez, Matt Sekera, Grayson Brown, and J.D. Cooper. Martinez, with less than 30 seconds in the 6th chukker, hit the ball to the boards and ended the game. If some of you were confused when this happened, don't worry we were too! We were informed that it is a new rule they have put into effect. Go to http://www.uspolo.org/ for a full detailed rules guide, which will explain it a lot more clearer than we can! [Speaking of the USPA, their annual handicap meeting in Aiken is coming up soon...we should see some of the Who's Who in polo coming into town soon!]

Here's a few of our favorite spottings at Sunday's game...

- Kathleen Gobin, working on her laptop in her SUV [we hear the farm has no internet...how do you survive without it? We'd go crazy!] and daughter Skylar in the passenger seat, cheering on her dad
- Alan Martinez, spending some time in the announcer's stand and getting a good view to check out his dad Eddy's moves on the field
- Little Pitcher Schaumann in his bright tie dye t-shirt stomping down some divots with his parents, Christian & Molly and grandpa Steve Groat [They never miss a Sunday polo game!]
- Tara Gail Bostwick, getting her food "to-go" from the hospitality tent and trotting back over to her parking spot

Also, check out the pictures from the Wednesday 12 goal finals game, sponsored by Holley Tractor at Powderhouse field... Congrats to the Willcox team for winning the finals! Most Valuable Player was Collin McCosh and Best Playing Pony was "Kali" played by Ruben Coscia!

This Sunday's polo at Whitney Field is back to it's regular time of 3:00pm. Lindsey will be missing her partner Jessica this Sunday [who is off to Atlanta for the weekend], so Lindsey is looking for a substitute to do the rounds with her. Any takers??

Don't forget: For all Whitney Field Sunday games, it is a $5.00 admission per person. If you want to check out the hospitality tent, pay $15 more for complimentary food & cocktails! The hospitality tent is free to all Aiken Polo Club members! If you are interested in becoming a member of APC, please see Charlie Bostwick for details! [If he isn't on the field, he can usually be found at the announcer's stand.] Full, social, or parking members get 2 tickets for every Sunday. Prorated amounts available for the fall season!

Until this Sunday, Marco...

POLO!

Winfield, Foxdale Equine Both Blew Their Competitors Away!

2009-09-30T07:59:00.001-07:00

The finals for the APC Fall 4 goal tournament were held at 11AM Sunday morning at Powderhouse field. Winfield defeated Natural Soda 5 - 3. The "Baltimore Bachelor" Jeff Embow was the top scorer for Winfield, while Cindy Kelly was named the unofficial MVP by APC club manager, Craig Fraser for her "stellar defensive work." That's how you "shake & bake," right Cindy? The winning team received $150 gift certificates to Floyd & Green and the finalists, Natural Soda, received $50 gift certificates to the Willcox restaurant. Congratulations to Winfield and thanks to all the teams who played in the APC Fall 4 goal!

For the 3PM game at Whitney Field, Crestview met up against Foxdale Equine in a match for the APC 12 goal sponsored by Holley Tractor. The Crestview team in their memorable & bright pink jerseys was Keegan Walsh [substituting for patron, Alan Meeker], Omar Cepeda, Alan Martinez, and John Eicher. Foxdale Equine in white jerseys took the field with Hugh Worsham, Ruben Coscia, John Gobin, and Phillip Staples. It must have been all that wind but during the game, 3 of the 4 Crestview team members took a spill off their horses. Luckily all players and horses were okay! Omar was the only one who stayed in the saddle from Crestview. Maybe the falls had them a bit shook up, because after going into sudden death overtime Foxdale won the game 14-13 with a penalty shot. Their win takes them to the finals on Wednesday at 4PM against The Willcox team at Powderhouse field.

If we had a prize to give out for most dogs at a spectator spot, it would have gone to Tiger & his crew...and the 5-7 dogs lounging in their tailgate area. Instead, we dubbed him as the "Best Pooper Scooper" for the day! Great job keeping up with all those pooches, Tiger! Speaking of pooches, our favorite pick was Gunter, a beautiful doberman that we saw as an itty bitty pup last spring and now he's HUGE! Polo Pooch of the Day wins treats from Bone-i-Fide Bakery and Gunter couldn't wait to get his paws on them!

In the 2nd chukker when Alan Martinez took a fall off his horse, we were too busy choosing our Best Dressed winner to even notice. [Sorry, Alan! You know we love you!] Ms. Chris Powers had on the cutest skirt with ribbons & bows on it...she said she got it off Ebay! I love a stylish bargain shopper who doesn't even have to leave the house! A surprise for two of our adult divot stompers was free access to the hospitality tent, which we awarded to Jan Leek and her daughter Ali, who was celebrating her birthday! Our little divot stomper award from Sweet Cow Creamery went to Halle Parks, who was so enthusiastic about her stomping she kept right on after the game was over!

Best Tailgate Spot this week went to a group that never misses a Sunday polo match. They are always cheering on the teams and are to blame for Charlie Bostwick's nickname, "Chucky 3 Sticks." They are a very enthusiastic group made up of Ben Young, Sara Hair, John Gustavson, Andy Brown, Brittany Rush [and this week Megan & Tim, visiting from Columbia!] Not to mention, they are always quick to offer us CMP gals a cold beverage as we make our regular trail around the field!

A reminder to all of our Sunday regulars, polo at Whitney field this Sunday will be at 12:00pm so that you can also catch the 20 goal finals for the USPA Monty Waterbury at New Bridge Polo Club at 3:00pm. For all Whitney Field Sunday games, it is a $5.00 admission per person. If you want to check out the hospitality tent, pay $15 more for complimentary food & cocktails! The hospitality tent is free to all Aiken Polo Club members! If you are interested in becoming a member of APC, please see Charlie Bostwick for details! Full, social, or parking members get 2 tickets for every Sunday. Prorated amounts available for the fall season!

Until this Sunday [at 12:00pm - don't forget the time change!], Marco...

POLO!

A few pics from Sunday, September 20th...

2009-09-29T18:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay...
Jessica's computer is back in business =)

Stay tuned tomorrow for the blog from last Sunday...

Hats Off to Aiken Horse for their win over Casa Azul 8-4!

2009-09-24T01:15:00.000-07:00

It was a dog day afternoon last Sunday, as the CMP gals were really put to the test when choosing their "Polo Pooch of the Day." We were happy to see our regular pups in attendence...Molly in her new scarf for fall and Zack, all grown up since we saw him last spring! We also said hello to Chukker, Dale, Spartacus, & sweet Tallulah Belle. But we decided that the Bone-i-Fide Bakery prize should go to Scout, with those beautiful blue eyes [and he gave Lindsey some unexpected puppy sugar!]

Just a few spaces down from our pooch winner, we found a nice little tailgate set up by the O'Neil Family. Cheese, crackers, & yummy beverages in a cute little basket. We thought their tailgate picnic was enough to win the One Hundred Laurens gift certificate for the Best Tailgate Spot! Mrs. O'Neil was very happy with the prize & said she couldn't wait to use it! Eat some garlic chili shrimp for me! Mmm, good!

Looking stylish & snagging our Best Dressed award [a gift certificate to Equine Divine] was Ms. Elizabeth Tudor. She was one of the first fans we saw that day and after making our lap around the field, her outfit left an impression on us! The real treat for the day was having the cast of "Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding" make their way across the field [from their party at Jane Page's back patio] during halftime for "Tina" in her bright red hat to show off her stomping skills & win Best Divot Stomper! In the 3rd chukker, Bob decided to play a little "New York, New York" from the announcer stand for our visiting actors who had been doing shows all week at the Washington Center for the Arts. They showed their appreciation from their porch party by lining up for a few leg kicks Rockettes' style in time with the music.

A few of our favorite spottings from Sunday:
- Karen Reese coming from the hospitality tent sans a tent entry wristband [when polo club manager Craig Fraser asked her about it, Karen gave a sneaky shrug & said, "Oops"]
- Justin Pimsner racing right in front of the announcer stand after a near head on collision in the 3rd chukker and yelling a few choice words not for children's ears...after seeing firsthand the almost accident, we can't say we blame him!
- Sunday sideline regular, Alexis Reece making good use of her dog Reggie's dog bed while making Reg sit on the grass

The hospitality tent was up & Dan's cooking was smelling great! Don't forget: Only APC Club Members will have complimentary access to the tent. If you are not a member, there will be tickets to the tent available for $20 at the gate. [Keep in mind that your $5.00 admission is included in that price, so for a mere $15 you can enjoy the tent with the APC Club Members!] The hospitality tent not only provides a shaded seating area but yummy food and a bar stocked with beer, liquor, and wine!

If you are interested in becoming a member, please see APC President Charlie Bostwick. If you don't know who he is, grab a CMP gal & we'll point you in the right direction. Full, social, or parking members get 2 tickets for every Sunday. Prorated amounts available for the fall season!

P.S. Sunday, September 27th is a day full of polo & we can hardly wait! 11AM at Powderhouse field is the finals for the first Fall 4 goal tournament: Winfield VS Natural Soda. Then, right after at 1PM Willcox VS Duck Hill Farm playing the remainder of their rained out game from last week. Next stop, head to Whitney field for the 3PM game Foxdale Equine VS Crestview and your CMP girls will be making their usual rounds! But wait, there's more. What, more polo?!? YES! The USPA Monty Waterbury 20 goal tournament will have Pony Express VS Bendabout at New Bridge - Field 1 at 5PM. So, come out this Sunday & get your fill for polo in Aiken!!

P.P.S.
Dell still hasn't come to fix CMP photographer, Jessica's computer but we will upload those pictures soon! We'll be sure to take plenty of extra ones THIS Sunday to make up for it!

Until this Sunday, Marco...

POLO!

Win,Win for Winfield in the Fall Season Opener!

2009-09-16T18:23:00.000-07:00

The last bit of summer was trying to hang in the muggy air, but fall polo season is here either way! Scoring the first goal of the season was Billy Raab for the Aiken Horse team. Joining Billy on Aiken Horse for this tournament are Pam Gleason, Gary Knoll, and Justin Pimsner. This past Sunday, Aiken Horse took on Winfield comprised of Jeff Embrow, Taylor Freeman, Rick Hartnett, and Miss "Shake & Bake" herself, Cindy Kelly. Although Aiken Horse was the first to score, it was Winfield coming out on top, winning the first game of the fall season. Although not on the field with his dad, Willie Harnett "caught" a piece of the action in the 4th chukker when a fly ball came his way. Careful, Willie...isn't that collarbone still healing up?

The CMP gals made their rounds during the first two chukkers to select their Polo Pooch of the Day. We were delighted to see some of our former winners like Molly and Lucy wagging happily on the sidelines. The Hartnett family dogs were out also to support Winfield. While Tizzy and Mouse were keeping Ann Hartnett busy, Willie's hound Maggie was just a howling to show her support. We finally decided that a red haired golden retriever named Cody should get the goods, or rather the goodies from Bone-i-Fide Bakery!

Our Best Tailgate award, receiving a gift certificate to PRIME Steakhouse, went to Sunday polo regulars, Mr. & Mrs. Burns. Without fail, they are present every Sunday and always on time. Sometimes the best tailgaters are the most loyal ones, too! Besides, we love Ms. Burns' sunflower hat and since we don't have a Best Hat award, we had to give her something!

Little did we know at first glance that the very person we chose as winner of Best Dressed to receive a gift certificate to Equine Divine was actually wearing a shirt from the store! Katy Judd had the perfect look in navy shorts, a white peasant top, sandals, and her hair pulled back to beat the heat!

Our Best Divot Stomper was Allie from Boston who received a hat from Aiken Polo Club and a gift certificate to Sweet Cow Creamery [the perfect gift after a hot day at polo!] The lucky raffle ticket holder for a free gym training session with personal trainer, Kenny Ray went to new Aiken local Judy Likener who just relocated from New Jersey.

Although the hospitality tent was absent this past Sunday, it will be up and at 'em this Sunday! Aiken Polo Club wanted us to put the word out that only APC Club Members will have complimentary access to the tent. If you are not a member, there will be tickets to the tent available for $20 at the gate. [Keep in mind that your $5.00 admission is included in that price, so for a mere $15 you can enjoy the tent with the APC Club Members!] The hospitality tent not only provides a shaded seating area but yummy food and a bar stocked with beer, liquor, and wine!

If you are interested in becoming a member, please see APC President Charlie Bostwick. Full, social, or parking members get 2 tickets for every Sunday. Prorated amounts available for the fall season!

Don't forget about the One Hundred Laurens' one year anniversary and fall polo kick-off party this Sunday! It's the perfect way to get the fall polo season in swing!

Until this Sunday, Marco...
POLO

Back in Business!

2009-08-31T19:55:00.001-07:00

September is finally here and so is fall polo season in Aiken! A lot of familiar faces are finding their way back to town [we're "spotting" a lot more than we're telling you about!] We have a special treat for all you Whitney Field Fans...new sponsors for our weekly prizes at the Sunday games! If you're a newcomer, here's the deal...every Sunday the CMP gals make their way around the field mingling with the spectators, checking out tailgating spots, & snapping pics of all the cute pooches [oh, and the people too!]

For our Polo Pooch of the Day, they receive a bag of dog goodies from Bone-i-Fide Bakery. For Best Tailgating Spot, we will be alternating every other Sunday with gift certificates to tapas & wine bar, One Hundred Laurens and downtown Aiken's premier steakhouse, PRIME! For our Best Dressed award, Equine Divine will be providing a discount coupon to use in the store. A NEW award we are introducing for the fall season is called the "Horsepitality" Award. We see so many friendly faces when we take our walk around the field and we feel that hospitality needs to be rewarded too! Winners of the "Horsepitality" award will receive a complimentary "Staycation" package from the Carriage House Inn which includes room accommodations and Downtown Dollars to use at a downtown location of your choice!

Oh wait, we aren't finished yet! Personal trainer [and our favorite DJ on the side] Kenny Ray has agreed to give away free personal training sessions every other Sunday at Whitney Field. We want everyone to have an opportunity to win this great prize so we're still working out the kinks on that one. But we'll be sure to let you know how you can take advantage of that!

The CMP gals are very excited for this fall polo season and apparently so is One Hundred Laurens. As they celebrate their one year anniversary in mid-September, they will also be throwing a Fall Polo Kick-off Party on Sunday, September 20th! EVERYONE is invited to eat, drink, & be merry at this fun-filled event! This event will be hosted by One Hundred Laurens with special door prizes provided by Chukkers, Mallets, & Ponies...Oh My! Come enjoy 25% off tapas, beer & wine specials, and MORE! The party starts at 7pm and will go until they kick us out! Oh & Hotel Aiken said they'd be more than happy to give a good discount to anyone who might need a place to crash that night with all the fun they have planned for their favorite customer, the polo crowd!

We would really like to thank all of our new and returning sponsors! We look forward to seeing you at the first Sunday game at Whitney Field on September 13th at 3PM! Don't be late!

Until this Sunday, Marco...
POLO!

Equine Divine finds a new home!

2009-08-02T02:03:00.000-07:00

We are happy to report that one of our sponsors, Equine Divine, has found a new home on Laurens Street! Just a few weeks ago, owner Taryn Eicher moved the business from its location inside the Holley Building on Laurens Street to where it is now on the same street tucked between Cote Designs and the Aiken Center for the Arts. The new space is twice as big as the old store, which gives Taryn's Jack Russell Fletch plenty more room to run around! According to Taryn, Fletch loves the new store and he loves the customers. He is always quick to greet you with a nose nudge on your leg, but knows when to leave you to your browsing!

Last Wednesday when we went to snap a few photos of the new store, there was a 25% off sale on all clothing and handbags. Equine Divine carries clothing brands such as j. McLaughlin, two bees cashmere, and Liza Byrd...all perfect for an afternoon at polo or a night on the town! It doesn't stop with clothing though. You'll also find lovely jewelry and classy accessories, such as belts and scarves for those finishing touches to any outfit. For those accessories that go inside the handbag, you'll find leather wallets & keychains by Lilo Collections...and picture frames to show off your favorite pooch!

What catches the eye the most is all the amazing artwork on display [and for sale] at Equine Divine. Beautiful paintings and prints of all things equestrian and canine. Dog lovers can also find decorative items for their homes as well. An assortment of china, silver, and tea sets are set up throughout the store. In the children's corner, you'll find clothing, books, toys, and backpacks for the kiddies.

A decorative plaque in the store reads, "Horsepitality" and we couldn't have said it better ourselves! We wish Taryn the best of luck in this new location! An open house is planned for September...we'll be sure to post those details soon! Equine Divine is open Monday - Saturday 11AM - 6PM. So, stop in & have a look! Try on some of those chic clothes and check out those new large dressing rooms...they're bigger than my bathroom!

Fall polo season is just around the corner and with an outfit from Equine Divine you're sure to be in the top running for Best Dressed every Sunday at Whitney Field!

Gone til September...

2009-06-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

Well fans, it’s the end of an amazing spring season at Whitney Field and what an end it was with a sudden death chukker between Aiken and High Cotton with High Cotton taking the Banks Mill Feeds 4 Goal win. Between a player falling off his pony, sudden death, and a pony losing one of his wraps during the game, fans were definitely kept on their toes the entire day. Best Playing Pony was awarded to Karen Reese’s [High Cotton] Lunch on the Hill, while Charlie “3 Sticks” Bostwick of Aiken took home the MVP. With the fans chanting “SPEECH, SPEECH!”, Charlie was humble and a great sportsman heard saying, “It’s so much fun to get beat by such a great team!”

There were many pooches on the sidelines, although you had to actually look for them considering they were all beating the heat underneath the nearest vehicle. Lucy, a Jack Russell puppy, didn’t seem to mind as she was seen playing on the field after the game. Even Bubbles, a yellow Lab, came out to say hi and get its photo taken. This week’s Polo Pooch of the Day was awarded to Barley, an American Staffordshire terrier, owned by Sean and CC of Rock Hill. They said they came down from Rock Hill specifically for a polo match…and boy did they get a lot more than just a game!

Lots of talk behind the boards was about the cool convertible car owned by Claude and Monique. The red and white two toned car with white rims was enjoyed not only for its look on the outside but also the cowhide seats on the inside. Many people couldn’t tell if it was a Camaro or a Mustang, but after one look at the rear, it donned the famous Mustang emblem. We were waiting on the winners to do a victory lap around the field on the back of it.

Divot stomping is a very important part of a polo game, while it also provides many people the opportunity to catch up with friends from across the field, it also helps ensure a safe second half for the players and ponies. The Best Divot Stomper award was given to Beth who just moved here from Florida. We look forward to seeing Beth stomping divots again in the fall.

We are very excited about the many new things coming in the fall! With new contests and prizes, it’s sure to been an amazing time on the sidelines. We will be bringing back our regular contests including Polo Pooch of the Day and Best Dressed, while introducing a few new contests & prizes. One prize that is sure to wow the crowd will be a free hour workout session with amazing Kenny Ray. K.Ray is a personal trainer to all the fittest and hottest people around town. He’s the “who’s who” around the fitness world and this is a prize you don’t want to miss out on.

Fans, we couldn’t ask for a better game or season! Thankfully, Mother Nature is a polo fan and we were lucky that rain didn’t ruin any Sunday games; although, we’re hoping that Mother Nature can help blow a few more breezes our way for the start of the fall season in September. If you’ve experienced a South Carolina summer, you know that it usually lasts until early November…if we’re lucky! Stay cool over the summer and be ready for exciting and better things in the fall!

Until September, Marco…
POLO!

Sorry, Charlie...

2009-06-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

For only 4 chukkers, the High Cotton and Aiken teams gave us quite an exciting match! By the third chukker, High Cotton was dominating the game 5-0 which led to their victory against the Aiken team with the final score of 7-4. Most memorable of the day was in the fourth chukker when a whistle was blown to stop play, but Charlie Bostwick kept right on going down the field. As announcer Bob put it, "$75 for a mallet, $2000 for a horse saddle, running up the field & realizing there is no one there - priceless." [We still love you, Charlie!]

Speaking of Mr. Bostwick, it looks like the nickname "Chucky 3 Sticks" is going to stick. After revealing the nickname last week on this blog, we heard Announcer Bob using it & even a few spectators. We are guessing that Charlie's horse, Bayview, must have enjoyed the attention, as it earned the Best Playing Pony for the day. As for the rest of the Aiken team [Charlie Armstrong, Ricardo Armstrong, & Taylor Freeman] if you keep hanging with "3 Sticks" you might find yourself with a new nickname as well!

Karen Reese was bringing the fire as she scored 5 goals for High Cotten. Although, with only 1 goal, Jason Wates wowed the sidelines and won MVP. His teammates Geoff Cameron, Karen Reese, and Rose Sease were all smiles at the trophy presentation after the game, celebrating their win & his MVP performance. [Don't think we didn't notice you showing a little skin, Geoff Camerson, in your ripped jersey!]

Once again we couldn't pick just one dog for the Polo Pooch of the Day, so we gave the goodies from Bone-i-Fide Bakery to Merlie and Striker. These corgis belong to Linda and John Kassel, who couldn't wait to give their pets the treats. We chatted with them after the game and discovered Merlie and Striker had already gotten a taste!

We were graced with highly enthusiastic divot stompers this week! One stomper was seen jumping high into the air and "diving" right on top of the big ones. Another creative stomper decided that turning back flips on the divots was the best route to go. Others were seen using their hands and even their furry friends. Creativity is key with divot stomping! Will you be the winner this Sunday?

We will be bringing back our Best Tailgating Spot and Best Dressed awards next Sunday, so be sure to dress up your spot [and yourself] to win some great prizes from our favorite downtown businesses! There are tailgating spots still available for the remainder of the spring and all of fall season. The spots are included in a social membership at Aiken Polo Club, which is only $400 and includes hospitality tent access during and after the Sunday games and invitations to all of the polo club's social events! See you behind the lines this Sunday at 3...the CMP gals will be at Whitney Field ready to spot YOU!

See you next week, Marco...

POLO!

Virginia Beach is HOT, HOT, HOT!

2009-06-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

What a scorcher! The hot temperatures couldn't keep the fans away, as the sidelines of Whitney Field were packed for another finals Sunday! Meeting up on the field again were Duck Hill and Virginia Beach. Although, VA Beach won the game, the MVP for the day was Del Walton of Duck Hill. Phil Staples had the Best Playing Pony with his 4th chukker horse "62". As we tried to follow the one cloud in the sky that provided some shade, we mingled with the spectators and enjoyed the view from behind the boards. We saw a record number of umbrellas that were blocking the sun instead of rain drops (like the previous two Sundays!)

We also picked up a few new polo terms created by some of the younger Sunday regulars. They were happy to do a little "divot diving" during halftime and cheering on their favorite player, "Chucky 3 Sticks" Bostwick. Hopefully their harmless heckling from the sidelines wasn't too distracting to the players. This fun group can also be seen after the games every Sunday playing a few rounds of bocce ball!

Cay Young was wearing the perfect attire for the hot summer Sunday, which is why we chose her for the Best Dressed award sponsored by Equine Divine. We were digging her stylish aviator sunglasses with a green floral strapless sundress...perfect to even out those pesky shoulder tan lines! Kudos for being fashion forward with a functional and cool look!

Through rain or shine, this week's Polo Pooch of the Day, is always on the sidelines. Our favorite doberman, Buck, has been coming to polo all spring season and we finally awarded him for his continuous support! Buck and his owner Randy were thrilled to receive a doggy goodie bag from the CMP gals. Randy told us that he has been bringing Buck to the games to get him accustomed to horses, having just moved to Aiken recently and being unfamilar with life in horse country. We are proud of his progress so far! Keep up the good work, Buck!

It was a Sunday for rewarding our faithful polo regulars, as we gave Lydia Delrossi a gift certificate from One Hundred Laurens for having the Best Tailgating Spot. Ms. Delrossi knows what good presentation is and isn't afraid to show it with a table adorned with cheese, strawberries, and one of the most important items..."the bubbly!"

You know the deal...same place, same time. It's always recommended to bring your umbrellas, tents, pooches, wine, and friends. Sunday polo is a great way to spend the day with family and friends because you never know when the CMP gals will spot you! There are tailgating spots still available for the remainder of the spring and all of fall season. The spots are only $400 and also include a social membership. This means tent access during and after the game for complimentary cold ones and delicious food. Special thanks again to all our contest sponsors!

Until next Sunday, Marco...
POLO!

No Raining or Pouring But Virgina Beach was Scoring!

2009-05-25T22:46:00.000-07:00

No team introductions were needed on Sunday as the dark clouds loomed over the field. If you're a regular Sunday spectator at Whitney Field, it was just a couple Sundays ago that we saw Duck Hill taking on Virginia Beach. Their rematch had the same result with VA Beach taking the win after another close game!

After the same weather last Sunday, we're starting to think that mother nature is a polo fan. For once we weren't trying to "stay cool" thanks in part to the nice breeze blown in from the dark clouds. Despite the forecast of 60% chance of rain, many fans tempted fate and came out to support, even Jane Page had a porch full at her home, which overlooks the field from her backyard. Talk about prime real estate!

We were lucky enough to have our own doppler radar for the day...Aiken Polo Club manager, Craig Fraser provided us with constant updates as we waited for the sky to fall. We even spotted Craig checking the field before the game to make sure it was in good shape for game play. The rain held off during the game, but let loose during the trophy presentation. The players didn't seem to mind the sprinkle as they stood outside while the fans crowded underneath the hospitality tent to avoid getting wet.

We are guessing that Henry Cato was vying for our Best Dressed award since he arrived fashionably late with a minute left in the 5th chukker. He's hard to miss in his signature white fedora hat and that big white truck. Announcer Bob, who never misses an opportunity to call someone out, was happy to make the crowd aware of Mr. Cato's arrival as well. After picking a couple basset hounds for last week's Dog of the Day, we went with another member of the hound family this week. Fievel Mousequitz, an Italian greyhound puppy owned by Angie Princell received the award this week along with yummy treats from Bone-i-Fide Bakery! We received a message from Angie on Monday thanking us for the treats & letting us know "Fiev Nast" as she has nicknamed her pooch thought they were so good she had almost finished them! So, head on over to Bone-i-Fide Bakery to get YOUR favorite pooch some of Ms. Peggy's goodies!

Our Best Divot Stomper this week was Rachel, who was at her first polo game with her family. The announcer described her to the crowd as "approximently 4 years old" to which 6 year old Rachel quickly corrected him when she received her prize.

As the game winded down, we thought Duck Hill might bring an upset to the VA Beach team. To kick off the 6th chukker, it was Charlie Bostwick who took a coast to coast down the field. Being such a great team player, he left it at the last minute for Del Walton to score. After an exciting final chukker, it was VA Beach who came out on top winning the game 9-8. VA Beach had been undefeated since last October until last week's upsetting loss in the Aiken Cup finals against Casa Azul. When asked how he felt about the win at this past Sunday's game, Bart Frye said with a smile, "Well, it's time to start a new winning streak."

Join us Sunday for another wonderful day at Whitney Field. We will be giving away awards for Polo Pooch of the Day [sponsored by Bone-I-Fide Bakery], Best Dressed [sponsored by Equine Divine], & Best Tailgating Spot [sponsored by One Hundred Laurens]. It's looking like it will be a hot and humid day, so be sure to bring the hats, umbrellas, cold beverages, & friends for another Sunday of polo. Aiken Polo Club still has a few tailgating spots available for sale. The spots are only $400 for the year so don't miss out on this great deal! Click the link below for more info and a social membership application.

Until next Sunday, Marco...
POLO!

It's Raining Mallets

2009-05-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

Forecasters called for a 70% chance of rain Sunday, but the weather gods held the rain off so we could see the storm on the polo field. It was Casa Azul/C-Spear versus Virginia Beach for the finals of the Aiken Cup presented by the Smoak Family. After winning 14 straight games since last October, VA Beach was defeated by Casa Azul in a nail biter game!

Through the entire game, it seemed the announcer never stopped saying Eddy Martinez's name and Eddy in fact was awarded with the MVP award for the game. Surprisingly, Eddy was fairly quiet the entire game until the last chukker. He used his vocals to shout encouragement and help his team pull out a win. The Best Playing Pony was awarded to Gringa, owned by VA Beach's Omar Cepeda.

A large and lively crowd came out to the field and all were surprised the weather turned out so nice! Some decided to use their umbrellas for the sun since the rain was nowhere in sight. Others decided to take their shoes off and rub their feet through the cool green grass...which feels amazing by the way!

Also, enjoying a roll in the grass was our Dog(s) of the Day - Beaufort and Beulah, a pair of American basset hounds who belong to Mr. Francois Verglas. When presented with their yummy treats from Bone-i-Fide Bakery, Mr. Verglas thanked us and said, "This is 'vunderful'!"

Owner of Equine Divine, Taryn Eicher, was present to help us choose our Best Dressed recipient, Ms. Penny Ertelt. Ms. Ertelt donned a pink and white knee length skirt with a white sleeveless top, a hot pink sweater draped across her shoulders and cute gold thong sandals. She received a gift certificate to Equine Divine. "I shop there all the time!" she exclaimed.

We learned from little Miss Jordan Archer Cline that divot stomping is not about hats [even if you're wearing a fancy white one] With help from her brother Buddy, the two children of photographer Brent Cline won the Best Divot Stomper awards for the day and an APC hat for each of them.

The Smoak family was also in attendence to present the Aiken Cup to the winning team of the day. The Aiken Cup trophy dates all the way back to 1913. It was the Smoak family who found it at an auction and contacted Aiken Polo Club regarding its history. We are glad the Smoak family shares that wonderful piece of history with APC and all of us polo fans!

See everyone next Sunday at Whitney Field! We will be giving out a polo pooch of the day award, best tailgating spot, and a new surprise award! All you skilled divot stoppers be sure to show your moves next week because the Best Divot Stopper hats from APC are back! Don't forget there are still social memberships available for purchase that include a tailgating spot and much much more. Click the link below for the application and more info.

Until next Sunday, Marco...

POLO!

Who Let the Dogs Out...Woof Woof

2009-05-12T12:25:00.000-07:00

On Mother's Day as Virginia Beach and Duck Hill/Pony Up battled it out, we found there were MVP's on AND off the field. While Bart Frye of Virginia Beach was named the game's MVP, the CMP girls combed the sidelines to find the most valuable pooch of the day. While all the dogs were looking lovely, it was Gary & Penny Gumingo's Molly who won "Best Pooch" receiving goodies from Bone-i-Fide Bakery! Molly was styling in her pink bandanna with her most important accessory...her leash. A big "woof" goes out to all the spectators who brought their furry friends along.

This past Sunday we also took a look around to find our "Best Tailgate Spot" winner. Without question, it was awarded to the Automotive Workbench who had a large black tent and tables full of food, drinks, flowers, and more! They brought the whole family out for a day of polo fun. They received a gift certificate for dinner at One Hundred Laurens at Hotel Aiken. The mothers were also given a nice surprise for their special day as we strolled around the field handing out white carnations to the moms at Whitney Field.

If we had an award for most creative attire, we would have given it to our colored horse hat ladies! In hats of green, yellow, & red, these ladies left the kids at home for a relaxing Mother's Day at polo. This was the ladies first time at polo and they were all very excited about the half time divot stomping. All the women graduated together in 1968 in Pocahontas, Iowa and we hope they enjoyed their
reunion!

Some three hundred yards seemed to be a bit too far for Ed Bernard of Storm Branch Polo and his pooch to travel, so he decided to just cut across the field after the first chukker. Announcer Bob gave Ed a hard time for this, telling him that he should know better...he responded with a wink and "No, I don't!" and headed into the hospitality tent for some shade.

As for the polo game, it was Virginia Beach [Bart Frye, Omar Cepeda, Ruben Coscia, & Phil Staples] that came out on top, defeating Duck Hill/Pony Up [Bob Stanton, Del Walton, Jose Roderiguez, & Federico Wulff]. Top scorers for the day were Ruben Coscia and Federico Wulff with 7 points each for their teams. One of the most memorable shots of the game was in the 6th chukker...Philip Staples hit an amazing back shot 40 yards offside of the goal from an acute angle! After this Sunday's win, Virginia Beach is now 13-0, which makes them undefeated since last October. Can they be beat?

Some of you may have noticed the line-up change for Duck Hill/Pony Up. We hear Rick Salter headed home to New England to throw a Mother's Day party for his mother while Francisco Eddy was injured in the previous game with a suspected concussion. We wish Francisco a speedy recovery & hope to see him back in the saddle soon!

Many special thanks go out to all our weekly blog sponsors! Without them, our awards and surprises wouldn't be possible.

All of these businesses are located in beautiful downtown Aiken.
Join us next week as we continue the Sunday polo fun at Whitney Field. We will be giving out a polo pooch of the day award again and hopefully the best dressed award! All you skilled divot stoppers be sure to show your moves next week because the Best Divot Stopper hats from APC are back! Don't forget there are still social memberships available for purchase that include a tailgating spot and much much more. [We heard Hotel Aiken owner, Kish, just bought two spots!] Click the link below for the application and more info.

Until next Sunday, Marco...
POLO!

Easy, Breezy, Beautiful...Whitney Field

2009-05-05T12:28:00.001-07:00

A large and lively crowd came out for the Aiken Cup, presented by The Smoak family, with the majority of them towing their pooches, wine, and friends as well. We brought along two polo rookies, Brett Ferguson & Brett Stewart who both attend USCA and are members of the Pacer baseball team. We used many different sports' analogies to explain the game to the athletes and by the third chukker, they were making bets on who was the better player. Both Bretts agreed that while confusing at first, once they caught on to the polo basics, it was "a great way to spend a Sunday."

Speaking of bets, we wonder if this game finally settled the score of a long standing rivalry between APC President, Charlie Bostwick and APC Treasurer, Alan Corey. (Or perhaps added more fuel to the friendly fire?) Alan Corey definitely brought his A game to the field hitting a neck shot from about 80 yards out from the goal in the third chukker. Charlie Bostwick was not to be outdone by scoring 3 of his team's 6 points...one of which was a heck of a cut shot! In the end, it was the Treasurer's team, comprised of Alan Corey, Karen Reese, Jose Rodrigues, and Luis Galvan, that came out on top, winning 11 to 6. The President's team consisted of Charlie Bostwick, Jason Wates, Julian Aguilar, and Bob Donahey.

While the majority of the spectators chose to stay close to their tailgates during the game, many made their way over to the hospitality tent for the post game festivities while Dan Bullington was cooking up a storm and "rocking out with his Crocs out!" During the game, one family found shelter from the sun underneath a shady tree while another family was having a little horseplay off the field with Super Soaker water guns. Taryn Eicher, new owner of Equine Divine, was having a "no boys allowed" day with all her lady friends at their spot. Linda & Dan Biersack blocked the sun with a huge linen umbrella and even brought along one very important item..."Pardon me, but do you have any Grey Poupon?"

In the 5th chukker, the players and ponies on the field got quite a surprise as a dog ran loose onto the field. Luckily, no person or animal was hurt. Remember, it is an Aiken Polo Club rule for all dogs to be kept on leashes at all times for the safety of your pets, the players and the ponies. It is a $100 fine for any "unleashed" doggies that Mitt will certainly collect!

Many people said it was a perfect day for polo. Even Paul Miles, who was stylish in white linen pants, was heard saying, "82 and breezy!"

We hope to see all of you next Sunday, May 10th on Mother's Day! Aiken Polo Club and the CMP gals will have a special surprise for all the moms in the crowd! This coming Sunday will also mark the launching of the CMP weekly awards, including Polo Pooch of the Day and Best Tailgating Spot brought to you by Bone-i-Fide Bakery and One Hundred Laurens!

Don't forget, tailgating spots are still available! By purchasing a social membership, you receive a personal tailgating spot at Whitney Field along with admission to all games and the hospitality tent [complimentary food and alcohol!] & invitations to all APC social events. These spots are only $400 for the year, so grab a few of your friends and click the link below for contact info.

See you Sunday, Marco...
POLO!
xo

Too Hot to Trot

2009-04-29T11:33:00.000-07:00

As the spectators were feeling the heat at Sunday polo, Omar Cepeda was keeping his cool on the field, leading Virginia Beach to victory against Brigadoon 8 - 4. Cepeda scored 4 out of their 8 goals, earning himself the MVP award for the day and a nice pair of Casablanca knee pads courtesy of Final Chukker.

It was good to see Justin Pimsner back in action after Bill Townsend filled in for him at the last game. What a comeback he made with his pony Tilly, who received the Best Playing Pony award. They were awarded a pair of spurs and a whip courtesy of Final Chukker, although after her performance Sunday, we doubt Tilly needs the extra encouragement.

Since the winning team blew the competition away, it was only seen fit that they each receive a Kubota leaf blower and hat, courtesy of Holley Tractor. Virginia Beach’s team includes MVP of the day, Omar Cepeda, Bart Frye, Robert McKenzie, and Phil Staples. The runner-up team, Brigadoon, consisting of Christine Cato, Cindy Kelly, Todd Martineau, and Justin Pimsner were awarded beautiful paper weights, also courtesy of Holley Tractor. Although Todd said he was a bit disappointed there wasn’t a bottle of wine waiting on the table for him [Joking of course…or was he?]

There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, but there were umbrellas scattered on the sidelines to help beat the sweltering sun. Polo fans were dressed to stay cool, with straw hats and shades being the most popular accessories. While casual was the dress code behind the boards, Cindy Kelly of Brigadoon was keeping it fashionable…even in her whites!

We saw that most fans arrived in their automobiles; however, Christian Schaumann & family decided to stroll in by vintage bicycle caravan. It brought a whole new meaning to the phrase “sunday stroll.” As the refreshments’ cart circled Whitney Field, beer & wine were overlooked for bottles of water to quench the thirst of the crowd and man’s best friends. Under the shaded hospitality tent, fans sat at tables with bright orange linens and enjoyed some good country cooking served up by Dan Bullington.

At half time, spectators competed for the coveted “Best Divot Stomper” award with three prizes going to both young and old stompers. With so many divots on the field, even a little help was needed from our furry four-leggers…we mean the dogs, not the horses. Half time also provided a break for our umpires, Geoff Cameron and Billy Raab, and a bit of a breeze for all of us in the hot seats.

Overall, it was a great day for polo at Whitney Field, despite the blazing temperatures.

Join us this Sunday, at 3pm, for the Cup of Aiken presented by The Smoak family. Stay tuned for upcoming contests each Sunday!

Until next Sunday, Marco…
POLO!
xo