Halligan’s Hits & Misses: Saratoga Polo a fun summer experience
GREENFIELD CENTER, N.Y. » As a Saratogian I’ve been to the horseracing track and the ballet, and I’ve tasted the waters plenty of times, but until last week I’d never experienced one major local tradition: Saratoga Polo.
Upon visiting the polo club for my first time earlier this year while reporting a story about new clubhouse caterer B-rads Catering, I was intrigued to learn about Saratoga Polo Association’s rich history.
Currently in its 120th anniversary year, Saratoga Polo started in the late 1800s and is one of the oldest polo clubs in the United States. In its early days the famous Whitney family played a big role in its foundation, which is why the playing area is now called Whitney Field.
If the local history doesn’t excite you, ponder this: the sport of polo dates back more than 2,000 years.
A time-tested game, polo is a unique team sport played on horseback. With a field more than nine sizes the time of a football field, polo has one of the largest fields in sporting, and it is one of few sports where men and women play together.
Watching a polo match for the first time can be a little tricky, but the announcers talk you through it.
“This is like chess on horses,” announcer Bob Bullock said while explaining some of the different shots before that match started.
To make the evening all that much more enjoyable, the Saratoga Polo clubhouse offers food and drink for its guests.
During my visit I indulged in a Pimm’s Cup, a classic polo clubhouse refreshment, and a delicious braised short rib and gouda cheese wrap off of the “Elite Fare Menu,” created by chef Brad Stevens
of the Troy-based company B-rads Catering.
While my party and I were enjoying our meals, we watched as polo fans both young and old participating in the divet-stomping halftime ritual, one of the quirky traditions specific to this longtime sport.
Another polo activity I’d never witnessed before is sabrage: a technique for opening a champagne bottle with a saber. Yes, a saber. A heavy cav- alry sword with a curved blade and a single cutting edge. Though there were several throughout the match, I couldn’t help but watch each brave soul take the saber in hand and pop the bottle in this stunt-like manner.
If you’ve never attended a polo match before, there’s certainly plenty to learn, see and do. Whether you’re a clubhouse patron or more of the tailgating type, all are welcome at Saratoga Polo - and it’s a fun summer experience that’s a bit out of the norm.