equestrian

Will Miami Beach Polo Finally Make Money?

Filed under: Events, Sports, Wealth, Video

With the Miami Beach Polo World Cup having recently wrapped up, organizers are finally hoping to turn a profit from the sport of kings in the glitzy locale, the Miami Herald reports. A seven goal performance by Argentinean Matias Magrini lead the way for the Hublot team as it scored an exciting 11-9 victory over the previously undefeated AMG side in the finals of this year's exciting championship. After taking a loss on their first few seasons – despite the seemingly perfect convergence of sexy polo matches and the money-worshipping enclaves of South Beach – the event's producers say they'll finally be in the black when the accounting is done this time around.

The only locale in the U.S. where polo is played on sand, spectators can watch for free from the sidelines while those wanting champagne, open bar and a catered lunch pay $150 for VIP tickets in the beachside tents. Helping things along this year was Mercedes-Benz – AMG, which signed on as a sponsor and set up a track by the arena for test drives of the new SLS AMG in addition to fielding a team. With a fashion show in the VIP tent and after-parties at the Delano and Shore Club hotels, the event is designed to appeal even to those who aren't that into the sport itself. If all goes well, organizers hope to bring a polo tournament to Chicago this fall. Check out the video footage and gallery for beautiful babes, thoroughbreds, and cocktails galore.

Gallery: Miami Beach Polo

Source

Tags: AMG, beach, beach polo, equestrian, Hublot, Mercedes-Benz, Miami, Miami Beach, polo, South Beach

Pinctada Resort Launches Australian Beach Polo Cup

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Events, Sports

You've read about polo played in the snow and on elephants; why not on the beach as well? The 5-star Pinctada Cable Beach resort is helping to launch Australia's first beach polo competition, Paspaley Beach Polo 2010. Taking place at the beautiful Cable Beach in Broome on May 23, the inaugural tournament will feature top professional polo players competing for the Paspaley Cup against the scenic backdrop of Australia's Kimberley coast. "Paspaley Beach Polo has attracted interest from around the world and we've designed the Pinctada Polo Experience for guests who want to immerse themselves in the excitement and glamour of this unique sporting event," Pinctada Hotels & Resorts founder Marilynne Paspaley tells Luxury Insider. "Pinctada Cable Beach will be hosting Australia's leading polo players during the tournament as well as a number of polo related events including the 'after party.' We are looking forward to also hosting our guests at these activities as part of the Pinctada polo experience." Pinctada Cable Beach has announced a special Pinctada Polo Experience packages for the event.

Tags: Australia, beach, beach polo, equestrian, horses, Pinctada Cable Beach, polo

Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic Returns to NYC

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Events, Charity, Sports

Famed French champagne house Veuve Clicquot will stage its third annual Polo Classic in New York City on June 27. The event will once again take place on Governors Island, where the tradition of playing polo was revived after a 70-year lull. At last year's match the UK's Prince Harry led his team to victory over the Ralph Lauren-sponsored Black Watch team to cheers from a VIP crowd that included Madonna, Kate Hudson, Marc Jacobs, Chloe Sevigny and Donna Karan. Spectators can attend for free but exclusive lawn picnic tickets to the event for $250 apiece will go on sale beginning May 17th at www.vcseason.com. Ticket holders get ringside seats, unlimited Veuve Clicquot, a custom Polo picnic blanket and a gourmet picnic lunch created by Michael Romano of Union Square Café. Ralph Lauren model and Black Watch player Nacho Figueras is co-chairing this year's event, and Veuve Clicquot will once again donate proceeds to American Friends of Sentebale, a charity supporting at-risk children in Lesotho, Africa, founded by Prince Harry and Lesotho's Prince Seeiso.

Tags: champagne, equestrian, Madonna, Manhattan, Marc Jacobs, Nacho Figueras, New York, New York City, Polo, Prince Harry, Ralph Lauren, Union Square Café, Veuve Clicquot

Polo in the Park Returns to London's Hurlingham Club

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Sports

On June 4–6 Polo in the Park, a three day celebration of international polo, will return to the grounds of London's famed Hurlingham Club. Last Year, the inaugural Polo in the Park played host to 25,000 spectators as polo returned for the first time in 70 years to its historic home at Hurlingham. Model and polo player Jodie Kidd (above) helped found the event, which also includes lavish entertainments such as a Veuve Clicquot Champagne Garden. This year teams from New York, Moscow, Barbados, Geneva, Milan, Durban and Sydney will compete against each other according to new rules adapted especially for the event. The new format of "high-octane polo" aims to "introduce the adrenaline fueled sport of polo to a new city audience, but also of making the sport faster and more exciting for TV and event spectators."

Tags: equestrian, horses, Hurlingham Club, Jodie Kidd, London, polo, UK, Veuve Clicquot

The Classicist: America's Finest Equestrian Architecture

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Sports, The Classicist, Wealth

Kathryn Masson, author of the book on Hunt Country Style which we wrote about back in 2008, has returned with another brilliant exposition on equestrian style for our enjoyment. Stables: Beautiful Paddocks, Horse Barns, and Tack Rooms takes us on an alluring journey through America's horse country. Collaborating once again with Hunt Country photographer Paul Rocheleau, Masson visits some of the most notable stables and equestrian centers from coast to coast. Ranging from private to historic to state-of-the-art, from homes for retired racehorses to lodgings for polo ponies, thoroughbreds and world champions, 25 distinctive examples of equestrian architecture and interiors are profiled, showcasing their design, construction, and landscaping.

Each of the featured buildings evokes its distinctive regional heritage, from an enormous 1830s English-style barn near the Saratoga Springs Racetrack, to the Mediterranean aesthetic of one of the world's leading Arabian breeding farms, Om El Arab International in California's Santa Ynez Valley. Also highlighted are the world-famous racing stable Newstead Farm in Upperville, Virginia, home of Kentucky Derby winner Genuine Risk, and the quintessential Western working ranch Centennial Ranch in Ridgeway, Colorado. Three historic Vanderbilt family stables are featured: The Breakers in Newport, Sandy Point Stables in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and the newly restored project of Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, Sagamore Farm in Glyndon, Maryland.

Avid equestrienne and professor Dr. Perky Beisel explores the history of the American stable and the long tradition of horsemanship in this United States in an informative preface. "For some Americans, horse ownership and participation in horse sports became a lifestyle and, for others, a way to join the upper class," She notes. "Families who reaped the benefits of 19th-century expansion in industries such as railroads and manufacturing had seemingly unlimited wealth with which to satisfy their desires. While some became notable art collectors, yachtsmen, or horticulturalists, others became active participants in horse sports. In so doing, not only did they create a new upper class, but they also transformed the physical landscape of equestrian recreation and leisure."

Gallery: Great American Stables

U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation Center, Gladstone, NJ

Tags: architecture, book, California, coffee table book, coffee table books, Colorado, equestrian, foxhunting, horseracing, horses, hunt country, Kathryn Masson, Kentucky Derby, luxury book, Maryland, polo, Rhode Island, Saratoga Springs, stables, The Breakers, upper class, Vanderbilt, Virginia

Continue reading “The Classicist: America's Finest Equestrian Architecture”

A Complete Guide to the World of Horse Racing

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, Books

As the buildup to the Kentucky Derby gains momentum, there's a beautiful new book by one of the world's bestselling equestrian authors to help get you in the right spirit. Racehorse: The Complete Guide to the World of Horse Racing (AA Publishing) by Elwyn Hartley Edwards opens with a foreword by renowned jockey Richard Dunwoody. Featuring four full-color, fold-out photographic spreads in addition to hundreds of arresting images, the oversized tome documents all aspects of the multibillion-dollar horse racing world, of which the Derby is just one facet. Royal Ascot, he English Derby at Epsom, the Dubai World Cup and the racecourse at Saratoga, New York are featured along with sections on flat racing, harness racing and steeple-chasing, the triumphs of great jockeys, and the lineage and records of the world's fastest horses.

Tags: Dubai, equestrian, horse racing, horses, Kentucky Derby, racehorse book, Royal Ascot, Saratoga

Land Rover Gets the Pony its Always Wanted

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Sports

Adding another layer to the term "English riding," Land Rover has been named The Official Vehicle of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). The British purveyor of fine SUVs will provide the services of its entire lineup, the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and LR4 to the USEF and US Eventing Team, the latter of which will be strutting and jumping its stuff at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky this September. For the rest of us who don't ride any kind of English or Western, Land Rover will offer exclusive one-on-one driving instruction on a purpose built off-road course at that event and others, such as the 2010 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event.

This means there is probably no better time to start riding a horse and join the USEF if you want to try out the latest in luxury, go-anywhere four-wheel-drives. Sure, you could go to a dealer, but that would be what is called, "cliché" – and you couldn't have that, now could you?

Tags: equestrian, land rover, range rover, useful

Hermès Haute Bijouterie Jewelry Collection

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Hermès has launched an exquisite 14 piece jewelry collection designed by Pierre Hardy called Haute Bijouterie. Inspired by the brand's equestrian roots, all the pieces in the collection are inspired by horses -- namely the hoof and the whip. In explaining how the collection came about Hardy told WWD that he looked to Hermès' history and started by "taking the roughest, strongest, almost radical element and giving it the most feminine, the most modern interpretation."

The collection features rose gold, white gold, black jade, diamonds, aventurine and pink opal, and seeks to blur the lines between femininity and masculinity. Prices start at $23,675 for a pair of rose gold clip-on earrings and top out at $880,000 for the diamond necklace.

Gallery: Hermes Haute Bijouterie

Source

Tags: equestrian, haute bijouterie, hermes, horses, jewelry

Win a VIP Trip to the Kentucky Derby with Woodford Reserve

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Art

Woodford Reserve, the Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, has unveiled its limited-edition commemorative bottle for this year's event. The 2010 bottle features the work of nationally-acclaimed, Louisville-based artist Jeaneen Barnhart, and also includes a chance to win a trip to the Derby.

Barnhart's image depicts the vibrancy and intensity of Kentucky Derby racehorses as the jockeys charge toward the finish line. The artist's signature adorns the neck of the bottle, and an attached neck tag bears information about the artist and product.

The limited edition liter-size bottle will be available later this month in 42 U.S. states at a suggested retail price of $42.99. In addition to purchasing a true collector's item, consumers can enter Woodford Reserve's Kentucky Derby Sweepstakes with a chance to win a VIP trip to the 2011 Kentucky Derby.

Though no purchase is necessary, buyers can enter by registering their bottle's unique number, printed on the neck label, at www.WellCraftedDerby.com. Upon registering they will be given a randomly-generated post position, from 1-20, for the 2010 Derby. If the horse that starts from their assigned post position wins, he/she will be entered in the grand prize trip drawing.

For the twelfth year in a row Woodford Reserve Bourbon has been selected the "Official Bourbon of Kentucky Derby." It also sponsors a Grade I race, the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, which is run on Derby Day, May 1, 2010, and has become one of thoroughbred racing's premier turf events.

Tags: bourbon, equestrian, horseracing, Kentucky, Kentucky Derby, Louisville, Woodford Reserve

Desert Palm Wins Cartier Int'l Dubai Polo Challenge

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Sports, Wealth

The home team captured the trophy at the Desert Palm Polo Club the other day during the Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge. The Desert Palm team, manned by the best polo players money can buy, beat out Swiss bank Julius Baer's team 7 – 4.5. The patron of the event, which got underway with a ball being thrown from the back of a Porsche 911, was HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum. A secondary prize, the Desert Palm Trophy, was given to the Qatar Airways team after they defeated Cartier's own team 9.5 – 3. Matias Machado of the Bank Julius Baer team was named Most Valuable Player and received prizes from both Cartier and La Martina, the Official Team Kit Supplier.

Source

Tags: Cartier, Desert Palm Polo Club, Dubai, equestrian, polo, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum

Aston Martin DBS Leather Saddle Case

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Men's Style

Aston Martin is offering the ultimate accessory for owners of the awesome DBS, its 6.0-litre V12 powered race-bred two-seater favored by James Bond. The bespoke leather saddle case is designed to fit over the car's rear center console and draws inspiration from equestrian craftsmanship. It features flapped pockets for a variety of gentleman's accessories including holders for two leather flasks or bottles of wine. Each piece is individually handmade by master saddler Robin Coleman who has over four decades of experience at his workshop in Warwickshire, UK, and each one takes 28 hours to complete. Coleman uses an array of tools and techniques that have remained unchanged over the last 500 years in crafting the incredibly rich, supple piece. No word on the price but obviously if you've already got a DBS you can afford it.

[via LuxuryLaunches]

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Tags: Aston Martin, Aston Martin DBS, equestrian, James Bond, leather, saddle, UK

Learn the Sport of Kings at the Barbados Polo Club

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports

In addition to some of the best beaches in the Caribbean and the incredible Sandy Lane resort, the former British colony of Barbados also has a strong sporting tradition; aristocrats and officers have been playing polo there since 1884. Now you can learn the sport of kings during your stay on the island thanks to a new offering at the Barbados Polo Club. The club's swashbuckling vice captain Jeff Evelyn is now offering lessons consisting of personal instruction on wielding the mallet, hitting the ball, and of course staying in the saddle while doing so; polo ponies are provided from the club's stable. He also stages practice matches at the club's Holders polo grounds in St. James so you can try your hand at scoring a goal. The Barbados Polo Open, where world-class sportsmen such as Britain's Prince Harry compete, takes place March 14-21.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Barbados, Caribbean, equestrian, polo, Sandy Lane, SandyLane

The Polistas Polo Dress

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Sports

Polistas, the first true polo lifestyle brand made for polo players by polo players with a chic boutique in London's Burlington Arcade, has come out with a fetching polo dress for sportswomen and sexy spectators.

Priced at £100.00 and made of 100% cotton, the dress is a longer, form-fitted version of the classic Polistas polo shirt as worn by the likes of England's Prince Harry and Prince William. It features an an embroidered number 3 and a Polistas logo on the chest.

Officers of Her Majesty the Queen's Life Guards, part of the Royal Household Cavalry, are also customers of Polistas, which outfits the Royal Jordanian Polo Team, the Sultan of Brunei, and members of the Kuwaiti Royal Family for the sport of kings as well.

Tags: Burlington Arcade, BurlingtonArcade, dress, equestrian, Polistas, polo, polo shirt, PoloShirt, UK

Cartier Captures Snow Polo World Cup in St. Moritz

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Sports, Wealth

The team fielded by famed French jeweler Cartier beat back rivals Brioni, Maserati and Swiss banking house Julius Baer to capture the 26th World Polo Cup on Snow in St. Moritz the other day. 15,000 well-heeled spectators cheered on during the four-day event, culminating in a nail-biting finale where Cartier and Julius Baer were tied 3 - 3 up until the very last minute when Cartier won a penalty shot with only 8 seconds remaining on the clock. A team of seven well-known Swiss star chefs with a combined total of 118 Gault-Millau points catered to the guests on the chic resort's frozen lake where the matches are staged. In snow polo the ponies are shod with special cleated shoes to provide better traction, and the ball is larger, lighter, and painted bright red to accommodate winter conditions.

Tags: Cartier, equestrian, Maserati, polo, snow polo, SnowPolo, sporting, St. Moritz, St.Moritz, Switzerland, winter sports, WinterSports

The Classicist: Learning the Art of Polo at Estancia Vik

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports, The Classicist

In our column on photographer Aline Coquelle's brilliant book about the wide world of polo, we discussed some of the exotic locations where the sport of kings is played far from the the hermetic hemisphere of the Hamptons and Palm Beach. At Estancia Vik, a recently opened, ultra-luxurious private retreat in Jose Ignacio, Uruguay, you can now learn the ancient and noble game while enjoying all the amenities one would expect from a world class resort. A stylish haven of art, nature and design, the Estancia is situated on 4,000 acres taking full advantage of the pristine beaches, spectacular rolling landscape and relaxed, bohemian setting the area is famous for. Designed to be a coveted destination for the curious and design-forward international traveler, it's a sprawling Spanish colonial structure featuring white adobe walls and a red tin roof, designed by Uruguayan architect Marcelo Daglio with some dramatic avant-garde design flourishes.

The 50,000-sq.-ft. Estancia boasts 12 spacious suites each designed by a different Uruguayan contemporary artist, wine cellar, gym, spa, game room, a traditional Uruguayan barbeque pit, polo field, stables, several outdoor patios and gardens, rivers, lakes and a 65-ft. Absolute Nero stone swimming pool overlooking the lush countryside and the ocean in the distance (the beach is a mere five miles away). The property has partnered with with Haras Godiva Polo Management to provide a number of polo packages for all skill levels. Beginners and first-time riders may elect to try an introductory course, while a family who plays can have a group session and intensive, one-on-ones can be arranged as well. Ponies and all equipment except for riding boots are provided. They are currently offering a polo package including two nights at the Estancia and three polo lessons, will also be available from March through October for $1,750.

Gallery: Polo at Estancia Vik

The Estancia also hosts major polo events on occasion, for those who prefer the role of spectator. On Jan. 4th the La Dolfina team, consisting of Adolfo Cambiaso, Jr., Ernesto Gutierrez, Juan de Dios Cincunegui and Federico Heinemann, played the Fiat Linea team of Andres Cassarino, Fernando Pigni, Cristiano Rattazzi and Bartolome Castagnola, with the highly exciting match ultimately ending in a draw. Following the event which was attended by a the chic sporting set the players' helmets were auctioned to benefit local school, each having been painted by some of the South American artists whose work is represented at Estancia Vik.

Tags: equestrian, Estancia Vik, EstanciaVik, horses, hotel, polo, resort, South America, SouthAmerica, Uruguay

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