Welcome to the second installment of our new feature, "10 Luxuries", wherein a notable figure in the world of luxury, tastemaker or stylish personality tells about the 10 necessary luxuries they simply cannot do without. Related quotes and images of each item can be found in the gallery.

World-class professional polo champion Ignacio "Nacho" Figueras is the face of The World of Polo. Already the face of Polo Black, Nacho was recently chosen to represent all of Ralph Lauren's Polo fragrances, including Polo Modern Reserve and Polo Blue, in print and advertising campaigns because he embodies the many facets of today's modern Polo man. Born in Argentina in 1977, Nacho developed a love for horses and the game of polo by the age of nine. By the time he was 17, Figueras began his professional polo career. Nacho's name has become so synonymous with the sport of polo that the American Museum of Natural History looked to Figueras to donate his polo equipment to their 2008-2009 exhibit, "The Horse", and he has been matched against England's Prince William and Prince Harry in the UK's Sandhurst Tournament.

Figueras, who divides his time between the United States and Argentina, is currently playing for Neil Hirsch's Black Watch Polo team in Bridgehampton, New York in the summer and in Palm Beach, Florida during the winter season. He returns to his ranch in Argentina for the spring and fall. Off the field, Nacho's natural charisma made him the face of Ralph Lauren Black Label clothing and the Polo Black fragrance in 2005. In 2007, Polo Ralph Lauren began sponsoring his Black Watch team and debuted a line of Black Watch clothing. "Nacho personifies The World of Polo by living the lifestyle represented by each of the fragrances," says Guillaume de Lesquen, President, Worldwide, Ralph Lauren Fragrances. "When he isn't playing polo in the world's most prestigious tournaments and promoting its heritage as an ambassador, he is sailing with his young family off the coast of Punta del Este, Uruguay and breeding horses on his ranch outside of Buenos Aires."

Previously: Vertu President Perry Oosting's Ten Essential Luxuries
Related: The Classicist: Exploring the Wide World of Polo

Contrary to popular belief in certain quarters, polo is not just a rich people's pastime confined to the Hamptons and Palm Beach; nor is it merely an extremely lucrative clothing empire founded by Ralph Lauren. In fact, it's an ancient and noble game, as well as the world's oldest team sport, that has evolved into an entire way of life. In her upcoming book Polo: The Nomadic Tribe (available for pre-order on Amazon), photographer Aline Coquelle chronicles all aspects of the ultimate equestrian pursuit, tracing polo from its nomadic origins to the incomparably chic lifestyle it encompasses today. Coquelle, who studied art and anthropology, traveled around the world for five years photographing and writing about each significant place along the route of polo's evolution, capturing all its courage, strength, speed, style, beauty, elegance and allure.

Polo was first played in Persia well before the 1st century AD. Warlike tribesmen played it with as many as 100 to a side in what was essentially a miniature battle. Later on it was passed from Persia to other parts of Asia including the Indian subcontinent and China, where it was very popular during the Tang Dynasty. The name polo is said to have been derived from the Tibetan word "pulu", meaning ball. The first polo club was established in the town of Silchar in Assam, India, in 1834. The British, who are seen as the main proponents of the sport today, picked it up in India and the classic style of the colonial era with its overtones of aristocrats and army officers gives polo much of its current cachet, cleverly marketed by the aforementioned Mr. Lauren and others.

Divided into geographic sections, Coquelle's book presents the sport on a global scale. At locations around the world, "the vibrant green carpeted fields, the carefully ornamented players, the brilliant sheen of their horses, and the deep brown leather of their saddles" provides an aesthetic link between polo's devotees - the "nomadic tribe" of the title. She reveals the essence of what has historically been called the "Sport of Kings" and the passion of its players from across the globe. Designed to be "the ultimate book on the sport of polo," Coquelle offers "an homage to beauty in pursuit of a modern perspective" while maintaining the spirit and sophistication of this centuries-old game. See the gallery for a preview of some stunning images from this incredible book.

A Hong Kong-based company is offering memberships in what is billed as the world's most expensive private club for $15.2 million apiece. Only 100 Charter Corporate Platinum Memberships in the Richman's IMC (International Millionaire's Club) will be available worldwide, good for 30 years. The whopping fee is justified by its being an an "all-access, first-class VIP pass" to megayachts, yacht clubs, jockey clubs, country clubs, golf courses, ski resorts, gentlemans clubs, supper clubs, luxury hotels and restaurants around the globe, eliminating the need for multiple memberships.

You also get the right to own and race horses at China's Royal Nanjing Jockey Club, where prizes run to the millions; confidential concierge and problem resolution services including 24-hour international emergency medical assistance; global executive travel assistance; personal bodyguards, travel guides and elite escorts worldwide; and the ability to charge expenses to an exclusive global biometrics-protected club card with a $1 million credit line. It all sounds incredibly ambitious considering there's an international recession on.

[via JustLuxe]

Jenny Craig might taste victory at the Kentucky Derby this weekend -- but if she does, it's likely to be bittersweet.

That's because -- while the average person associates Jenny Craig with a weight-loss program -- horse racing fans know Jenny and her late husband, Sid, as long-time sports enthusiasts. They first got involved with racing by buying up successful horses from Argentina, and eventually began home-breeding their biggest winners in California. Like most owners and trainers, their dream was to win the Kentucky Derby.

The couple made their biggest splash in 1992, when Jenny gave Sid a $2.5 million present for his 60th birthday, a Kentucky Derby hopeful named Dr. Devious. (He ultimately finished 7th, but went on to win $1.4 million for them.) The forgotten part of that story -- until recently -- is that Jenny bought Sid a filly named Crownette as a part of that same gift, for a paltry $190,000. She wasn't nearly as successful as Dr. Devious at the track, earning only $184,488 in 19 total starts before the Craigs sent her to be a broodmare.

Fast forward 17 years, though, and Crownette is suddenly the best gift Jenny could've given Sid -- because the Craigs bred her to their biggest champion, Candy Ride (who went undefeated in all six of his careers starts, earning $749,149). That pairing gave them a chestnut colt they named Chocolate Candy. (Maybe CNBC will relax their cries to rename Chocolate Candy something more diet-friendly now that they understand the origins?)

When Chocolate Candy loads into gate 11 to run in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, he'll be the third horse to do it wearing the white and blue silks of the Craig Family Trust, but he'll be the first Craig homebred to wear them.

He'll also be the first hopeful Sid won't be there to see.

He lost a long battle with cancer at age 76 in July 2008, with Jenny by his bedside and his Derby dreams unfulfilled.

On Kentucky Derby day - Saturday, May 2nd - Esquire magazine will celebrate the "Greatest Two Minutes in Sports" at NYC's Eleven Madison Park with Maker's Mark bourbon. Esquire Editor-in-Chief David Granger and Union Square Hospitality Group CEO Danny Meyer will co-host the event at the award-winning restaurant. The fete will feature live coverage of the race at Churchill Downs, chef Daniel Humm's take on Southern cuisine, Maker's Mark mint juleps, a cigar lounge by Nat Sherman, live music, and a silent auction benefiting New York Horse Rescue. Maker's Mark Master Distiller Kevin Smith will also be holding bourbon tastings in the upstairs lounge.

Four special Maker's Mark Bourbon bars will be stationed throughout the restaurant, serving Maker's mint juleps in traditional ice-frosted silver cups. Legendary tobacconist Nat Sherman will transform Eleven Madison Park's patio into a sleek cigar lounge, complete a Maker's Mark bourbon bar and live Kentucky Bluegrass music. A portion of the proceeds from a silent auction of luxury, epicurean and travel packages will benefit New York Horse Rescue, New York's not-for-profit charity whose goal is to place unwanted thoroughbred racehorses in new homes. The price per person is $250, plus tax. To purchase tickets visit www.elevenmadisonpark.ticketleap.com. You can also email derby@elevenmadisonpark.com for more info.

Woodford Reserve, the "Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby", crafted at the historic Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky in the heart of thoroughbred country, has released its limited edition 2009 Kentucky Derby liter-sized bottle (right) featuring artwork by retired jockey Tom Chapman.

Chapman's eye-catching image captures the excitement and intensity of the Kentucky Derby as two jockeys in brightly-colored silks concentrate on the race with the historic Twin Spires of Churchill Downs in the background. The artist's signature adorns the neck band of the bottle, and an attached tag bears information about the artist and product.

Woodford Reserve, an award-winning small-batch bourbon, has served as the Derby's official bourbon for the past 11 years. It also sponsors a Grade I race, the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, which is run on Derby Day, May 2, 2009, and has become one of thoroughbred racing's premier events.

"Much as we try, it's impossible to express in words the intensity of racing from a jockey's perspective," Chapman says. "My goal is to capture it with a paint brush and canvas, often using unique angles and vibrant colors to set the tone. But no painting can truly capture the vibrancy and intensity of the Kentucky Derby."

With the Kentucky Derby coming up on May 2 we start thinking seriously about bourbon. As Fred Noe, Jim Beam's seventh-generation distiller, puts it, "It ain't a Derby without bourbon, and it ain't bourbon if it's not from Kentucky." Noe knows whereof he speaks, given that Jim Beam, which dates back to 1795 and is now he world's No. 1-selling bourbon, is located in Louisville not far from Churchill Downs where the Derby has been held since 1875. In addition to the classic Jim Beam Bourbon we're all familiar with however, there are some other variations which are well worth trying on an important bourbon-drinking occasion like the Derby: Jim Beam 7-Year, Jim Beam Black, and Jim Beam Choice (above, left to right).

Jim Beam Black is the oldest of the trio. Eight years of aging make for a complex, sophisticated taste, with aromas of toffee and tobacco and flavorful notes of oak and toasted grains. Jim Beam Choice, aged five years, is rounded and mature with added complexity and depth from charcoal filtering. The strong aroma of oak and sweet nuttiness is balanced by a rich, creamy flavor. Jim Beam 7-Year is ideal for drinking straight up or on the rocks, and it makes a mean mint julep, with notes of caramel and vanilla. In 2008, Derby-goers consumed nearly 10,000 bottles of bourbon, mixed into 120,000 mint juleps, the Derby's official drink.

To help celebrate on Derby Day, here's a new variation on the mint julep which you can make with your favorite variety of Jim Beam. Bottoms up:

Jim Beam Jule-Up
4 parts Jim Beam Bourbon
3 parts Simple Syrup
3 parts Fresh Lime Juice
6 each Fresh Mint leaves (Medium size)
*note: 1 part = ½ oz.

Enthusiasm for the noble sport of polo and the luxurious lifestyle it entails has never been more in evidence. It seems the economic downturn has done little to dampen it, perhaps because polo's roots are so steeped in class and tradition. Over the past several months we saw Veuve Clicquot stage the first polo match in New York City in over 70 years; St. Regis inaugurate a major new International Polo Cup; the Snow Polo championships take place in Aspen and St. Moritz; and the first Desert Palm Nations Polo Cup in Dubai. Polo player Johnny Lynn (above) saw it all coming. In 2001 he founded Polistas, the first true polo lifestyle brand, made for polo players by polo players, and now he's opening up branches all over the world.

Lynn, a Canadian-born former financier who plays polo internationally and teaches as well, conceived of Polistas to outfit polo teams with high quality clothing and accessories both for playing in and for après polo. An immediate success, polo and equestrian enthusiasts of all stripes soon gravitated to his flagship store in London's famed Burlington Arcade. The name Polistas is Argentine slang for "polo players" and it is the classic Argentinian polo lifestyle - rugged, laid-back and timeless - that comes through in Polistas' products and attitude. For the past six years Polistas has had a major presence at Harrods and other high-end boutiques worldwide, and has been selected as the official supplier to several major tournaments, including the Veuve Clicquot British Open Gold Cup, The Hildon Queen's Cup, and the Prince of Wales Trophy in the UK.

Snow polo was first introduced in 1985 in Switzerland's swank St. Moritz, and caught on immediately among the bon ton. It's no surprise that swells in equally upscale Aspen, CO decided to stage their own snow polo tournament nine years ago, the only one of its kind in the United States. The ninth annual World Snow Polo Championships just took place there, and the Land Rover America's Polo Cup Team, fielded by the famed British auto marque and the luxurious St. Regis Aspen Resort, made a strong showing.

The Land Rover team - comprised of John Gobin at 8 goals, (one of the highest rated arena polo players in the world) at position 3; Doug Barnes at position 2, rated at 3 goals; and Team Captain Tareq Salahi at position 1, rated at 1 goal - usually plays on grass, and of course some changes to the game are required for playing on snow.

For one thing, the polo ponies are shod with special cleated shoes to provide better traction in the snow, and the ball is larger, lighter, and painted bright red to accommodate winter conditions. The Championship is a four-team elimination tournament comprised of local and international players mounted on Colorado-raised ponies; teams are comprised of three players and play consists of four seven-minute chukkers.



The game played on snow is every bit as dramatic, aristocratic and, of course, expensive as the original. In Aspen, the Land Rover America's Cup Polo Team played a dramatic match against the Roaring Fork Polo Team, scoring the winning goal in the final five seconds. Prizes were presented by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and model Michaele Salahi. The game has now become so popular it has even spread to the Middle East; a tournament was held in Iran in 2006 and it and will be played in Dubai next winter, no doubt on artificially created snow.

The Land Rover America's Polo Cup is the world's most prestigious and largest international televised charity grass polo sporting event. The Land Rover team will take the field at the America's World Cup on May 9th, 2009 at their host club, the Capitol Polo Club in Potomac, Maryland. The first polo match will feature the New York Empires vs. the Washington DC Patriots. The main polo match will be the World Cup, in which team USA will being challenged by Australia in a weekend featuring concerts, fashion shows, military exhibitions and a spectacular fireworks show said to rival the 4th of July.

A foxhunting portrait painted by British master Sir Alfred James Munnings in 1925 could fetch up to $1.8 million at Christie's Sporting & Wildlife Art sale in New York on Dec. 3. Titled F.H. Prince and the Pau Foxhounds, the painting (above), depicts American financier Frederick Henry Prince riding to hounds at Pau, his estate in the foothills of the Pyrénées. Prince had a stable of over sixty horses at the château, where King Henri IV of France was born in 1553. There are several other Munnings works in the sale as well.

Followers of my sporadic style posts here have probably noticed certain threads running throughout; anglophilia, certainly, but also an affinity for all things equestrian-related: the polo matches staged by the likes of Veuve Clicquot and Mercedes-Benz; the Royal Ascot Races; riding boots by John Lobb of London; leathergoods by Swaine Adeney Brigg; and even classic sporting art. All these elements and more come together beautifully in Vicky Moon's new book Equestrian Style: Home Design, Couture, and Collections from the Eclectic to the Elegant, due out this week from Clarkson Potter.

It's a magnificent, much-needed extension of the horsey lifestyle portrayed in Hunt Country Style, the book I wrote about back in April. Moon divides her volume into different facts of the equestrian experience: In the Field, On the Farm, At the Track, In the Ring, On the Move, and Down the Road, focusing on all facets of horsiness and everything that goes along with it. The emphasis is on authenticity, not affectation; she barely mentions Ralph Lauren for instance except in the context of the actual polo team he fields.

Here at Luxist we have a bit of a weakness for charities involving horses, we've covered quite a few of them and here comes another worthwhile horse rescue. The Sunrise Horse Rescue is located in St. Helena, California in the Napa Valley. Sunrise Horse Rescue is a non-profit organization that operates at the Sunrise Stables, a riding school that emphasizes not just riding but total horse care. Children and adults spend as much time grooming and feeding and cleaning up after their horses as they do riding in the arena and on the trails at the ranch.

Sunrise Horse Rescue is the only horse rescue operation in the Napa Valley. They rescue abused and neglected horses in Napa and Sonoma Counties and provide students of all ages with life-enhancing skills derived from riding and horsemanship. Sunrise Horse Rescue currently shelters 10 rescued horses of a variety of breeds, ages and backgrounds and welcomes donations and volunteer support.

Lifesavers Inc. is all about saving horses -- all kinds from unwanted or homeless domestic pets to retired working animals to wild mustangs. Created in 1997 it's a fairly young organization that serves as a source of news and contacts to other horse related campaigns (like this one geared towards saving America's wild mustang population) and events like this horse dancing competition and this women's empowerment workshop. They also provide links to horse rescue resources and homeless horses that are available for adoption -- I love horses and seeing these that need a home makes me wish I had room for a one!

On May 7, Sotheby's in London will stage an auction of important Sporting Art, headlined by two Sir Alfred Munnings equestrian paintings worth several million dollars. The top-priced piece of the sale is Munnings' "A Boy And His Pony - Portrait of Daffern Seal on Canary" painted in 1926. With an estimate of $3 - $5 million, it's one of the highest-priced equestrian portraits ever; however, it's worth noting that in 2004 Sotheby's sold a Munnings entitled "The Red Prince Mare," which had formerly belonged to Mr. and Mrs. John Hay Whitney, for $7.8 million, almost $2 million over estimate.

The second-highest lot in the May 7 auction is also a Munnings, "Portrait of Lady Barbara Lowther on Horseback" painted in 1919, with an estimate of $1.6 - $2.4 million. However, we happen to prefer the work of earlier artists such as Ben Marshall and John Frederick Herring, Sr., whose "The Match Between Priam and Augustus at Newmarket," painted in 1831 and pictured above, is estimated at $1 - $1.4 million -- a relative bargain.

Tierra Madre (Spanish for Mother Earth) is a 3 acre Horse Sanctuary located in Arizona, that houses just under 30 horses at a time. Horses arrive at Tierra Madre after living as race horses or pets, many of them are simply not wanted anymore or not being cared for adequately. Injured horses receive medical attention as well as chiropractic care for their sore and broken legs at this amazing safe haven. Tierra Madre is owned and operated by Jim Gath (pictured above) who comes from a family of horsemen. After a successful career in both journalism and advertising he decided to return to his roots and found his true calling rescuing horses. Tierra Madre offers adopt-a-horse programs, and also gladly accepts donations from the public. Learn more about this charity here.