The Cincinnati Polo Club kicks off their regular season this weekend, July 5, with a match against the Columbus Polo Club at Wilshire Farms in Goshen.

The Cincinnati Polo Club kicks off their regular season this weekend, July 5, with a match against the Columbus Polo Club at Wilshire Farms in Goshen.
By Chris Chaney
Sun staff

A new season is underway for the Cincinnati Polo Club and while the team is entering their first full season on their new field in Goshen, more and more people are being exposed to an exciting new sport.

“Over the winter, we held our winter training and coaching program and had seven students who did the program all winter,” CPC Secretary Rev. Torie Front explained. “The program included riding lessons and polo lessons. Of the seven people who did the program, four of them have bought horses and our number of players has increased. We have 17 playing polo ponies that are owned by nine players.”

While the competing members of the team have grown, the CPC has also added another option for those interested in polo, but who do not wish to play or purchase a horse.

“Our numbers show the interest and the growth of the sport, but we have also started a new category of membership in the Cincinnati Polo Club that we’re calling a social member,” Front said. “I don’t know the exact numbers, but we have a number of people who have already signed up that want to be involved, but are not necessarily horseback riders. They want to be linked to the sport and a member of the club, so we’re growing our club in that way, too.”

The social membership gives those interested access to club functions, social events with the team members and free passes to all of the polo matches as well as, the club hopes, some more ambassadors for the game both during matches and at other times.

Speaking of matches, the CPC will get their 2014 season underway on July 5 versus the Columbus Polo Club. Playing a much fuller schedule this season, the club will play home matches on the first, third and fifth Saturdays of every month from July through October with away matches scheduled on the second and fourth weekends.

The CPC’s first match of the season had to be postponed due to rain, but with a favorable forecast for the end of the holiday weekend, the July 5 match against Columbus looks to be the CPC’s first match of 2014 on their new field at Wilshire Farms.

The club’s regulation-size field, which measures 300 yards by 200 yards, was planted in 2012 and has matured through a rainy 2013 summer to be ready for a full-scale schedule in 2014 that includes matches against clubs from Columbus, Cleveland and Indianapolis.

“The field is ready,” Front said. “And it’s in great shape.”

On the docket for this season are a number of charitable and fundraising outings that the polo club has become increasingly known for over the past few seasons. For instance, last year’s Galloping Pig, an event that teamed the CPC up with former Cincinnati Bengal Dhani Jones to benefit his Bow Tie Foundation, will take place this year on Aug. 16.

Also on the schedule, the club will be putting on a demonstration during the Clermont County Fair on July 20 as well as hosting a match that will benefit the new expo center on Aug. 30 against the Hickory Hall Polo Club out of Indianapolis. The club will also host an event benefitting the DragonFly Foundation on Aug. 2.

For more information about the club, directions to their upcoming events, what you can do to become a member or any other inquiries you may have, log on to the CPC’s website at cincinnatipoloclub.com.