tioned but no real changes; “We can always improve
and make the polo better and make it more competitive.
Some of the things I would like to add are international
matches, women’s polo and intercollegiate polo”.
– John Gobin General Manager Great Meadow Polo Club.
But one thing was made clear. The Great Meadow model
is a successful model and one steeped in tradition. And
while improvements can and should come the Great
Meadow Twilight Polo model has proven its mettle for a
quarter of a century now and it is a model that works.
Umpire Isabella Wolf bathed in the waning sunlight
near sunset at Great Meadow Twilight Polo.
is finished, the evening is
still young, as dancing and wine in
the Pavilion go on past midnight.
What does any of this periphery
have to do with Polo? Nothing,
unless you consider it has proven
to be a model for Arena polo in
the region, having been duplicated
by other centers based on the
success of the model pioneered
by the Arundel’s and Great
Meadow. Today Twilight Polo
is going strong with this spring’s
opening season marking the 25th
Anniversary of Twilight Polo at
Great Meadow and not much
has changed in the venue or format
of the Arena polo matches.
A field has been built where Polo
Club players graduate to as they
get better in the arena, and that
is used for larger Polo events,
5089 Old Tavern Road
The Plains, VA 20198
Tel: 540-253-5001
www.greatmeadow.org
44 www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com
philanthropist David Greenhill
also happens to be an avid
Polo player and a regular in
the more advanced matches.
You can buy wine by the
glass up near the pavilion,
but there are plenty of treats
and events for the kids. A
favorite event with both parents
and kids has got to be
the giant tug of war, held in
the arena usually before the
final match of the night. Hundreds
of children line up on
either side of a nautical rope,
usually boys against the girls
with announcers and staff
often jumping in to help one
side cheat. It’s all in good
fun, just a way for the community
to get together and
have a blast and maybe get
a little exercise. In fact, after
EE
the tug-of-war the parents break out the cell phones (if they
haven’t already) and start recording their kids in the big foot
race for the kids. 2 laps around the arena usually is all it takes (for
a quiet kid on the way home). Parents seem to love that one.
One of the key eyecatchers of the evening will be the
costumes or theme based accessories. Like Light-sabers
on Star Wars night, or patrons (and staff) dressed up in a
Scarecrow costume or as Glenda the good witch on the
“Wizard of Oz” theme night. Finally, after the last Polo
like the National Sporting Library and Museums Annual
Polo Classic. The Polo Classic draws the very top stars
of the sport including the great Nacho Figueras who is
a regular at GM for the Polo Classic. But the Arena model
has remained the same and intact now for 25 years.
When asked what if any changes are on the horizon
for Great Meadow Polo several additions were menmatch
“One of the most amazing
things about Great Meadow
is all the history here. As
we move forward and modernize
things, we need to
be cautious to maintain the
traditions that make Great
Meadow so special”
– Kira Topeka,
Promotions Manager,
Great Meadow.
David Greenhill (red jersey)
and Peter Arundel (blue jersey)
/www.greatmeadow.org
/www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com