4-Goal Jackalope Holiday Cup
Empire Polo Club | December 22-23, 2019

Empire polo club kicked off the 2019-2020 season with the Jackalope Holiday Cup. Four teams came to the field for a beautiful, sunny, but chilly weekend in the desert.

Cotterel, (Jenny Benardoni 0, Francisco Benardoni 2, Gaby Saccullo 1, and Pepe Rodriquez 0) came out ahead of Sayulita, (Nick Fernandez -1, Frederico Ceballos 2, Nicolas Maciel 3, and ­Eric Hammon 0).It was a close game, ending with a 7 to 6 final score.

Luna Polo, (Kirsten Ludwig 0, Karen Reese 1, Jennifer Alexy 0, and Diego Llaregli 3), went up against Columbia West  (David Barnett -.5, Igor Seraynov -1, Juan Jo Gonzalez 3, and Cameron Smith 1) in Saturday’s second match. At the end of the four chukker game, the teams were tied at 6 to 6. They went to a shoot-out and Luna won, 7 to 6.

In Sunday’s Final match Luna Polo came out running, and scored four unmatched points in the first chukker. The Cotterel team fired back in the second chukker, scoring four goals to Luna’s one. With Cotterel’s .5 point awarded on handicaps, the first half ended with Luna ahead of Cotterel, 5 to 4.5. The second half was all Cotterel, who racked up five more goals, ending the game with Cotterel winning 9.5 to 5.

The consolation match was a very close. Columbia West pulled ahead to win over Sayulita 7 to 6. Nick Fernandez was the high scorer with four goals.

Register your kids early for POLOCHELLA Junior  Tournament on Feb. 15-17th, 2020. The tournament will take place at Empire Polo Club.  See attached flyer for details.

Opening Day and Hat Day is Sunday, January 5th, 2020

Empire Polo Club is pleased to announce the 2020 Season schedule.   Our first day of Sunday Polo is Dec. 29th, which is our “soft opening.”  The official “Opening Day & Hat Day” at Empire Polo Club is scheduled for Sunday, January 5th, 2020.  There are two featured matches every Sunday and the first game starts at 12:00 noon.

Sunday Polo

Sunday Polo games are scheduled every week from December 29th through March 29th, 2020.  The Club will be closed on Sunday, January 19th and again on Sunday, March 8th.  Sunday Polo games are at 12 noon and 2 p.m. There is only one seating for VIP that starts at 12 noon until the final game ends.

General Admission is FREE with a $20 parking fee (cash only) for all Sunday afternoon polo games.  Tailgaters are welcome; space along the sidelines is available on a first come, first served basis.   Bleacher seating is also available in the General Admission area.  General Admission gates open at 10:00 AM.  Spectators are welcome to bring their own food and beverages into the General Admission area.  Food and beverage service is also available for purchase.

VIP Admission is $30 per person and includes parking, VIP seating and a complimentary Champagne Divot Stomp. Cash or credit is accepted for VIP admission.  The VIP seating area is located in front of the Olympic-peaked tents on the west side of the main polo field and offers field-side covered seating.

Spectators can also watch multiple televised sporting events while enjoying polo at the VIP Sports Lounge and Bar, located adjacent to the VIP seating area.  The Sports Lounge offers viewers three flat screens featuring Sunday football games and other popular sports.

Reservations for VIP seating are highly recommended. Food and beverage service is available onsite during Sunday matches. For VIP reservations or group rates please call Tony Schieffer at 760-393-7298 or email tonyschieffer@empirepolo.com. No outside food or beverages are allowed in the VIP area.

The entrance for Sunday games is on Ave. 50 between Monroe St. and Madison St.

Friday Night Polo

Empire Polo Club offers Friday night “Polo Under The Lights” on select dates in February and March.  Admission, tailgating and parking are free on Friday nights. Spectators are welcome to bring their own food and beverages to this event.

If you plan to tailgate, be sure to arrive early to get a good spot. Bleacher seating is also available. There is beverage service onsite during the Friday night games.

The entrance for Friday night games is on Ave. 50 between Monroe St. and Madison St.

Admission and parking are free on Friday nights.  VIP seating is not available on Fridays, so all parking and tailgating are on a first come, first served basis.

• Outside food and beverages are allowed (bring a picnic and tailgate)
• Beverage service is available on the east side of the field
• Bring chairs and blankets
• Tailgating spots are available on a first come, first served basis
• Permanent restrooms are available at the field
• Dogs are welcome on a leash

For more information about Friday night “Polo Under the Lights” dates and game times will be posted on this website in February.

General Information

What to Wear?  This is the one of the most frequently asked questions by spectators.  We suggest “hats and flats,” as heels sink in the grass and the sun is always shining here in the desert.  Polo is a casual affair at Empire Polo Club, so please wear whatever you feel comfortable in. You will see spectators wearing everything from shorts, jeans and flip-flops to sundresses, khakis and button-down shirts.  If you plan to attend a Friday night “Polo Under The Lights” game, dress warmly.

Why Watch Polo?

It’s a great way to spend your Sunday afternoon.  Imagine sitting field-side, overlooking a series of immaculate polo fields surrounded by majestic mountains in the distance, while watching one of the fastest team sports on earth.

Polo is never boring. Eight players travel at speeds up to 30 miles per hour while riding-off other players, hooking their opponent’s mallets and hitting the ball at full speed. It’s a great spectator sport and general admission is FREE. You can’t beat that!

Directions
The entrance for polo games is on Ave. 50 between Madison St. and Monroe St.

Polo Entrance
From Interstate 10 take the Monroe St. exit.  Head south on Monroe St.  Take a right on Ave. 50 and you will see the Empire entrance gates on the left side of the road.   Use the middle gate for tailgating access and General Admission parking.  If you are a cabana holder, have VIP reservations for a table or if you are part of a group with reservations, use the third gate to access the VIP parking area.

For Friday night games use the middle gate on Ave. 50 to access tailgating on both sides of Field 3.  There are no VIP seats for Friday night games.

Empire Polo Club is hosting “Polo Under the Lights” on Thursday, Oct. 17th at 6:30 PM.  Admission and parking are free.   This polo event is open to the public.  Spectators are welcome to bring a picnic and tailgate along the sidelines.

This is an exhibition polo match.  It is being held as one of the activities for USPA Members who are in town for the USPA meetings.  We have opened it up to the public, so come on out and enjoy a fun evening of polo.  The players have not yet been announced for this game.

This is the only night game we have scheduled for the public until 2020.