Homegrown polo players will be among the athletes swinging mallets from atop their horses in the city late this summer when the Philadelphia Polo Classic returns, featuring two matches.
The event commences Saturday, Sept. 21, at Edgely Field, the turf near Laurel Hill Mansion and the park's tennis courts in East Fairmount Park. Gates open at 10 a.m., with the first match of the day to follow at 11 a.m.
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This will be the third planned Philadelphia Polo Classic, but only the second to take place, if all goes according to plan. The 2023 competition was canceled due to bad weather.
Tickets are on sale now (and are nonrefundable). More the 4,000 fans are expected to attend.
The Philadelphia Polo Classic benefits Work to Ride, which provides year-round equestrian programming for city kids. Several graduates of the program will compete in the matches, including Shariah Harris, who earlier this year became the first Black woman to compete in the U.S. open Women's Polo Championships; Harvard women's polo player Alyssa Perren; and Work to Ride executive vice president and polo champ Kareem Rosser. Rosser was featured in an episode of HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" last year.
"This year, our goal is to further expand the reach and impact of this incredible sport through our capital campaign," Rosser said in a statement. "helping us prove that the sport of kings is accessible to all, regardless of background, and ensure that we continue to change lives through the opportunities we create for our Philadelphia Youth."
Work to Ride is raising funds for an indoor riding arena at Chamounix Equestrian Center, to provide lessons and practice during inclement weather. Its campaign ends Saturday and construction is planned to begin in July.
General admission tickets are $45, but pricier tiers include premium bleacher seating, tents and complimentary drinks. If you can't make it in person, the events will be streamed live on ChukkerTV.
Along with the matches at the Philadelphia Polo Classic, there will be a hat contest, antique carriage parade and stick polo race for all ages. And in between the competitions, at 2:30 p.m., dogs will take the field for a divot stomp, wherein the pups smooth out the dirt clods kicked up by the competing horses.
Philadelphia Polo Classic
Saturday, Sept. 21 | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission $45-$500
Edgely Field in East Fairmount Park
Philadelphia
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