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By BETSY BRANSCOME
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
In the spring of 1992, the Meadow Outdoors Foundation approved plans for building a polo club on the MOF grounds, home of the Virginia Gold Cup steeplechase races since 1985.
In their presentations to the board, local polo enthusiasts argued that the sport of polo has deep roots in the region and the MOF offered the perfect permanent home at Great Meadow for this magnificent sport.
Traditionally, polo was somewhat prohibitive, requiring as many as six ponies to play a six period game on a huge grass field. So, the budding polo enthusiasts proposed to design a polo arena, much smaller than the traditional polo field, in order to reduce the number of horses necessary to play the game. Less demanding on the horse, arena polo requires as few as two ponies to play a four chukka game.
Friday Twilight Polo was bom of the original idea, and hunt country embraced the new idea in its first season last year. One of the secrets to arena polo’s instant success is its charitable mission. Founder Peter Arundel said that he believes the sport of polo should give back to the community by identifying worthy causes for its “Ride For Charity” program. Under the program, well-organized charities are selected by the Polo Committee to help organize polo benefits and receive in return thousands of dollars in ticket and sponsorship proceeds. Charities include: Virginia Regional Therapeutic Riding Center, Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center, Northern Virginia Cancer Society and the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children.
The first-year success of Great Meadow led to the MOF decision to expand the program to include traditional grass polo.
Great Meadow Polo is estab
88.8%