•Newport
Polo's '09 Charity Round-up
December, 2009...In addition to making donations to
many nonprofits throughout the year, Newport Polo is pleased to announce
the results of fundraising efforts that it sponsored in 2009:
-
$20 K.....Rotary
Club Charity Match & Polo Program ad sales
-
$4000.....Pearls
Charity Cup for Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer
-
$16K......Taj
Ma Ball (International Polo Charity Ball '09) for Newport Opera
House
-
$4600.....Portsmouth
Youth Lacrosse
-
$1600.....Greenlock
Therapeutic Riding Center
-
$2000+...American
Red Cross
-
$2300.....St.Jude's
Children's Hospital
-
$400.......Pro-Am
Ticket Sales by Intercollegiate Polo Clubs of the Northeast
For details of these events, and
all the charitable organizations that Polo supports, please read
here.
•Polo
Club Names '09 Standouts
October 17, 2009...The Newport Polo Club named the
'09 recipients for its annual Sportsmanship
and Most Improved Player Awards at the
end-of-season Players Dinner. In a vote by the members of
the Newport Polo Club, two individuals were distinguished by
their peers for achievement and performance in the sport of
polo over the course of the past season.
Most Improved Player - the player who
demonstrated the greatest improvement over the course of the
season, compared to their level of play in the previous
season, and overall improvement above their previous level
of play, independent of the player's USPA handicap rating.
The most votes went to Heather Rasulis,
shown above with Polo Manager Dave Markell and Polo Club
President Dan Keating.
Sportsmanship Award - the player who
demonstrated the highest form of sportsmanship and good
character on and off the field. The most votes went to
Dave Carrington, shown above with Polo
Manager Dave Markell and Polo Club President Dan Keating.
Silver bowls
bearing the names of the newest and all past recipients were
presented on the occasion. Past recipients of the Most
Improved Player Award are: Paul Rice (’04), Wayne Gordon
(’05), Sam Shore (’06), Jonas Mikolich (’07) and Minnie
Keating ('08). Past recipients of the Sportsmanship Award
are: Jim Zynsky (’04), Jonathan Kaye/Jim Zynsky (’05),
Jackie Shore/Jim Zynsky (’06), Jonathan Kaye (’07) and Steve
Smith ('08).
•Taj
Ma Ball Scores A Hit for Opera House
July 31, 2009...It
was East meets West, as many of the guests sported authentic
saris and Indian formal attire for the 9th annual
International Polo Ball, themed Taj Ma Ball, at
Newport's Rosecliff. The event was honored by
the presence of
Raghev Raj Singh,
8th Maharaj Sahib of Shivrati and his fellow teammates who
competed the following day in the Newport International Polo
Series featuring USA vs. India.
 Among
the exuberant guests were
Stacie Mills,
who chaired the successful silent & live auctions to benefit
the Newport Performing Arts Center. Others in the
crowd included
Baroness Calvet de Madillon,
polo player
Raj Jain and wife
Arpana Jain,
talking and bidding on silent auction items, which included
a number of vintage 78 rpm recordings and music memorabilia.
Captain
Michael Waters wore his
kilt, and
Jasnina Bakir and
Laurie Consoli
sported gorgeous, nearly
backless gowns.
The Polo Ball raised over
$16,000 to benefit the restoration of Newport's historic
Opera House into the city’s future live theatre and
performing arts venue..
Dining on gourmet Indian fare, the more than 200 guests
participated in a competitive live auction led by auctioneer
Kathy Kingston,
for a vintage wine collection, an
elephant polo
adventure in Nepal or safari in South Africa, luxury
getaways to Tuscany or Grenada and a cocktail reading by
'Gilded' author Debra Davis.
Newport Seen spotted
Colonel Brian
and
Elizabeth Rogers, John
and
Jae French, Sarah Peppercorn Janes, Brenda Smith
and
Barbara Nestingen, Mark Urman
and
his wife,
author Deborah Davis, and
Jonathan and
Marcella Baggot
among the revelers. See our
Gallery of photos of the
Taj Ma Ball.
|
•Sports Illustrated Names Newport Polo '5th' in
Top 25 Sports Bargains Nationwide
Friday,
July 10th, 2009...Sports Illustrated has named the
Newport International Polo Series fifth in its list of Top 25 Best
Summer Sports Bargains, released Friday on
SI.com.
"As a world authority on sports, we are honored to have this
distinction among all the options available nationwide," stated Dan
Keating, Polo Series founder and President, "because we have always
strived to make Polo affordable and a family event."
•Taj Ma Ball Gala to Support Opera House Restoration
March 30, 2009 Newport, RI,
…The Newport International Polo
Series is pleased to announce
the beneficiary of its 9th annual
International
Polo Ball
on Friday, July 31st - the
Newport Performing Arts Center (NPAC),
a nonprofit entity currently restoring the Newport Opera House to
serve the community as its future live theatre and performing arts
venue.
“We are committed to supporting this vital civic project, which
will boost the local economy with new construction and upscale
tourism revenue, as well as elevate the cultural life of our
community,” states
Dan
Keating,
President and Founder of the Newport International Polo Series.
The restoration of the
historic Newport Opera House (Newport Performing Arts Center) will
return the former opera house, vaudeville stage and movie palace to
its position as a glorious centerpiece of downtown Newport. The
mission of the restored Opera House, located in historic Washington
Square, is to provide the Greater Newport Area with a unique
sustainable community asset that will be a lively center for
culture, the arts, education and civic interaction while also
providing positive economic impact and contributing to the well
being of the city and the region. Washington Square is the virtual
heart of historic Newport and the restored Opera House will
highlight its central place in the life of the city.
Alison
Vareika,
Chairman of NPAC explains, "Restoring the Opera House Theater
back to its original 1867 glory as Newport's central Performing Arts
Center, could be a real "game-changer" for Newport. The 650 seat
theater will present a year round program of dynamic Performing Arts
- attracting professional road shows featuring music, international
dance, opera, ballet, theater, musicals, comedy, specialty films,
family programs and so much more to delight audiences who will make
Newport their new destination for dynamic, quality theater. This
project is about more than just restoring Newport's historic Opera
House. It is about infusing Newport's economy with the kind of
financial support and excitement that a downtown performing center
can generate by providing a permanent state-of- the-art venue for
our existing music and cultural festivals as well as attracting a
host of new shows, performers, performances year-round for audiences
to enliven the life and economy of Newport for many years to come.
Imagine the excitement that live theater could generate in this
town! Along with the excitement of Polo, one more great reason to
come spend time in Newport for residents and visitors alike."
For more information on the project, visit
www.operahousenewport.org.
For ticket information
and details about the Taj Ma Ball and associated events in
conjunction with the Indian Polo Team visit, click
here.
•International Media
Spotlight Shines on Polo Series
March 3, 2009, Portsmouth RI:…The Newport International Polo Series
is pleased to announce the release of a 9-page feature story in
Polo International magazine, published in Argentina with
world-wide subscribership. The glossy ‘coffee table’ magazine is
reputed
for its coverage of world-class polo events at elite destinations
around the globe. Now in its 19th year in print, this
issue of PI leads off with coverage of the prestigious
Argentine Open - the super bowl of polo, and traverses the world
showcasing the most prominent recent tournaments.
The Newport editorial is loaded with glossy full-page photography
including iconic Newport panoramic photos of the legendary mansions,
the Cliff Walk, the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Castle Hill
Inn & lighthouse and Newport’s sailing tradition, courtesy of
Onne Van Der Wal and
RI Aerials, to complement dramatic polo action shots
of the USA vs. Egypt match by
Susan
Choquette and
Rod Harris, as well as
images
from the annual
International Polo Charity
Ball and faces in the crowd at the Saturday polo matches at Glen Farm.
Addition mentions are given to the Breakers, Rosecliff,
Pearls Boutique Hotels, the International Tennis Hall of
Fame, America’s Cup racing tradition, among others.
“We
are thrilled that the international spotlight has alighted upon our
unique polo venue and that we could share its glow with our
promotional partners in the community,” states Dan Keating,
president of the Polo Series.
“By
presenting
Newport to the world, we hope this will, in turn, bring visitors
from far and wide to Newport, and inspire new participants in the
Polo Series from among the 80 polo playing nations around the globe.”
“At an advertising cost of top dollar per page, and circulation to a targeted audience
around
the world, the promotional value of this placement for Rhode Island
tourism is invaluable” adds Kathryn Farrington of the
Newport County Visitors & Convention Bureau. “It reaches an
audience of world travelers, and its quality has a long shelf life.
This issue is definitely a collector’s item and a major publicity
coup.”
“We are grateful to Kathryn Farrington at the Newport County
Visitor and Convention Bureau and to the contributing photographers
for their allied support of this promotional
opportunity” adds Keating.
A
limited number of copies of this No. 76, 2008 (English Edition) will
be available at the Saturday matches of the Newport International
Polo Series beginning in June, or upon request.
They
are otherwise available by yearly
subscriptions.
- END -
•Local Kids Stand Out
in
2009 Interscholastic
Regional Tournament
Feb. 5, 2009
Portsmouth
,
RI
: ….The
Northeast regional playoffs for Interscholastic Girls took place on Feb.
5-8 at Glen Farm in Portsmouth, RI.
The Newport interscholastic girls' team, including twins Katie
and Maggie Ferrato and Minnie Keating, participated against
Westchester (RI), Culver Academy
(IN), Country Farms
(NY)
and
Cedar Valley
(Toronto)
interscholastic girls polo teams in this preliminary
playoff tournament. Admission was free and the matches were open
to the public.
The results were:
Thursday: Westchester defeated Newport
Friday: Culver defeated Cedar Valley
Saturday:
Country Farms defeated Westchester
Sunday:
Consolation: Cedar Valley defeated Newport
Finals: Country Farms defeated Culver
Congratulations to
the winners ~ Country Farms, and to local standouts including
Westchester's Vicky Fredrichs for being named to the Regional
All-Star Team, and Newport's Minnie Keating, recipient of the
tournament's Sportsmanship Award. The bleachers were packed with
supporters throughout the weekend, and a fundraising concession & raffle
operation succeeded in raising enough money for a new electronic
scoreboard for the Glen Farm arena.
The winner of this tournament, Country
Farms of Long Island, NY
will advance to the USPA National girls interscholastic tournament at
Cornell University in Ithaca, NY on Feb. 26 - March 1, to face winners from two other regional playoffs as well as the Brandywine,
Cornell, Garrison Forest, Maryland and
Shallowbrook, to determine
the 2009 National interscholastic
girls
champion.
The Newport Interscholastic
youth polo program includes high school age girls and boys, and
welcomes interested new players. Instruction is provided by
Dan Keating and Matthew/Tony Fonseca throughout the year at private
outdoor and indoor arenas in Portsmouth, RI.
“The
growth and future of the sport of polo lies in early training for up
and coming players.
We hope these kids continue to play polo while earning a degree at
one of 40 top universities in the US that offer polo programs, and
some may even qualify for college scholarships,”
explained Dan Keating, founder and president, Newport Polo Club.
“Two of our
boys, Anthony Russo and Ryan Fontaine,
substituted last night on the Brown University polo team and
defeated the Harvard U. polo team. You know where their sights are
set!”
•Overseas
Report: Destination Ireland
Jan.,
2009, Wicklow, Ireland
... The annual New Year’s tournament in Ireland added a new chapter
to its annals, beginning with a bleary-eyed landing
in Dublin on New Year's Eve. The modern freeway leading to Wicklow was
sufficiently deserted for a beginner’s lesson in driving on the
wrong side of the road and left-handed shifting, no pun intended,
southward into the pale sunrise.
The enthusiastic
Herbst clan greeted team USA, represented by Dave Bullis and
Christer and Stephanie Still, at their spacious clubhouse
with plenty of warm embraces and Guinness on tap for an Irish
breakfast to start the day off right, especially if there was
to be
a festive celebration in several hours to receive the visitors. "The second Guinness is optional." reassures Micky,
head of the
Herbst clan. Laughter
abounds, singing, dancing, storytelling and merrymaking is the
Hibernian pursuit.
As the Irish sun
ascended to its winter apex barely above the treetops, dazzling
shades of green came to life in lush mosses, ferns and grasses
growing on every hill, dale and berm in the mildness and moisture of
the Irish coastal winter. As guest umpires for the
club's afternoon chukkers, Dave and Christer straddled bar stools on
the mezzanine and debated the proceedings from on high with no
shortage of opinions, despite any lack of sleep. Indoors, glowing fires
crackled, velvety soups
simmered and whole grain breads crispened to welcome and nourish the
traveler for Irish adventure and polo. Conversations of the latest
polo matches and polo ponies bridged to country events, and then to
world events, and back again to polo. A New Year's Eve party
ensued that night with revelers from the Polo Wicklow community.
On New Year's day,
team USA, traveling lighter than planned, participated in a traditional Irish fox hunt through the
rolling country-side to work up a good appetite and break in
'borrowed' britches for the weekend polo tournament, set to begin the
following
day
at Wicklow
Polo Club’s world-class arena, perched high atop Kilpool Hill
overlooking the Irish Sea.
The scores went as follows
Friday:
USA 3,1,4,3 Total: 11
Ire: 2,2,4,5 Total: 13 (team: Siobhan Herbst, Mickey Herbst,
Caroline Keeling)
Saturday:
USA: 1,1,7,1 Total: 10
Ire: 2,2,1,1 Total: 6 (team: Sean Reynolds, Nicola Foley, Keith
Robertson)
Sunday:
USA: 2,1,5,1 Total: 9
Ire: 2,3,2,0 Total: 7 (team: Micky Herbst, Sean Reynolds, Fiona Seagar)
In keeping with
Irish lore,
a trifecta of
victories is required to claim the prize
and therefore, the
silver cup rests in sanctity ~ dust in tact ~ in its place on the Wicklow
Polo Club's well-stocked trophy shelf.
The Irish team will visit Newport in July ’09 to
avenge
last season’s loss on American soil, in the Newport
International Polo Series.
Many thanks to the
Herbst Family, including Mickie, Wendy and Siobhan and friends
for their Irish hospitality, food, drink, horses, and polo.
(For post-season news from 2008, please follow this link:
News Archive
from 2008 Season)
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