The Cincinnati Polo Club is returning home after a summer of playing travel matches and they are doing so for a good cause.
Over the next month and a half, the club will host three matches against a pair of teams that in connection with the Eastgate Animal Hospital will benefit a trio of worthwhile causes.
The August 4 match against Indianapolis will benefit the Queen City Greyhound Rescue, the August 11 match against Darlington will benefit the Angels Rest Animal Sanctuary and the September 15 match will benefit the Cincinnati Labrador Rescue Group.
“We have a contact at the Eastgate Animal Hospital and she set us up with the rescue groups,” Torie Front, the secretary of the Cincinnati Polo Club said. “We will have some of the dogs at the matches and there will be information about how to rescue them.”
The Eastgate Animal Hospital will be present at all of the matches to help attendees understand the information necessary to rescue one of these dogs as well as let them know the commitment they are about to undertake.
Dr. Todd Phillips, a vet at the Hospital, said the main objective of the fund raisers is to get these dogs into good homes while making sure the new families of the pets know what they are getting themselves into.
“Basically, we’re there for public awareness,” Phillips said. “People come up and say that they want a greyhound, so we spend quite a bit of time explaining to people medically the kind of dog you have and what you can expect with them, the longevity you can expect. We try to help with that so people are making informed decisions.
“People a lot of the time make decisions based on emotions and we try to get them to take the emotions out of it and make a good decision for their family.”
While all these good deeds are taking place, the Cincinnati Polo Club will continue their efforts to build a strong polo community in the Cincinnati and Clermont County areas.
Reinvigorated in the last year and a half, the Cincinnati Polo Club is dedicated to growing a once-popular sport back to the prominence it enjoyed in the beginning to middle of the 20th century.
Hurt by the misconception that the sport is played by the über rich, the CPC is trying to get the word out that the game is not only for the upper class, but also for horse lovers and lovers of sport, alike.
The Club has been traveling across the Midwest over the last few months playing matches in Columbus, Lexington and Indianapolis against more established and well-known clubs.
“We’ve been traveling and playing for the last two months,” Front said. “We’ve played the team we will play (August 4) and they are friends, so it’s nice to have them down here.”
The Club has enjoyed some success on their road trips and hopes to bring more people into the fold as the next few months and events come around.
All three matches will be held at Miami Meadows at 1546 State Route 131 beginning at 2 p.m. the Club encourages anyone interested in polo to come out and enjoy the match while also helping a good cause.
More information on the polo club and their upcoming events can be found on their website at cincinnatipoloclub.com.