General Admission/Parking/Tailgating

Admission and parking are free on Friday nights.  NO VIP seating for Friday night games.

2020 Friday “Polo Under the Lights” Schedule

Feb. 21st – 5:30pm
March 13th – 6:30pm
March 27th – 6:30pm

• Outside food and beverages are allowed
• Beverage service is available for purchase
• Bring chairs and blankets
• Tailgating spots are available on a first come, first served basis
• Permanent restrooms are available at the field
• All dogs must be kept on a leash at all times.
• NO RVs
• No grilling or cooking
• No open flames
• No propane tanks
• No generators
• Tailgate spots are for non-business use only
• The sale of food, drink, merchandise, and/or services is strictly prohibited

Empire Polo Club is located at 81-800 Ave. 51, Indio, CA  92201. Click here for a map.

To access the Friday night games enter the Empire Polo Club from Ave. 50 or from Monroe St. between Ave. 50 and Ave. 51.  The Friday night game is held on field #3.  Click here for directions and a map. 

8-Goal USPA President’s Cup and
4-Goal USPA Amateur Cup at
Empire Polo Club | Feb. 2nd, 2020
Sunday Polo Presented by Tito’s Handmade Vodka

At the end of the first week of these two-week tournaments the team standings are as follows:

8-Goal Win-loss
2-0 Evergreen (Tom Sprung -1, Carlos Galindo 2, Carlitos Galindo 4, Juan Jo Gonzalez 3)
1-1 Santa Ynez (Gina Padilla -1, Mariano Gracida 4, Julio Gracida 4, Meghan Gracida 0)
1-1 Empire (Rob Scapa 0, Robert Payne II 3, Rob Payne III 3, Russell Stimmel 2)
0 -1 Ridgway Hemp (Beau Staley -1, Agustin Bottaro 0, Dayelle Fargey 1, Memo Gracida 5)
0-1 forfeit Spindrift (Torrey Ripinsky 0, John Bickford 1, Jason Crowder 6, Catlin Dix 0)

4-goal Win-loss
3-0 Zahedi Chogan (Sy Zahedi -1, Meghan Gracida 0, Dayelle Fargey 1.5, Francisco Guinazu 3)
2-0 Hanalei Bay (Krista Bonaguidi -1, Alejandro Gonzalez 3, Taylor Freeman 2, Ryan Kerley -.5)
1-2 Grand Prairie (Ross Adams 0, Cheryl Schindel -.5, Garret Smith 1.5, Joe Henderson 3)
0-2Granite Bay/Archangel (Eric Hammon 0,German Coppel 0, Ashton Wolf 3,Alonso Andrade 1)
0-2 Lockton ( Tim Kelly 0, Audrey Persano .5, Luis Saracco 3, Chino Payan .5)

On Sunday’s field 1, in the 8-Goal President’s Cup competition, it was Santa Ynez that overpowered the Empire team. Santa Ynez began the game with 1 point advantage by handicap. Julio Gracida scored all 4 points in the first half from the penalty line for Santa Ynez. The trend continued in the fourth chukker with Julio scoring 2 penalty shots and Russell Stimmel scoring a penalty 2 for Empire, ending the fourth time period 7 to 1. In the fifth chukker Julio scored 2 goals from the field and a successful penalty 3 shot. Stimmel scored another penalty shot and had a nice run to score another goal, followed by Robert Payne’s penalty shot conversion, putting 3 points on the board for Empire. Mariano Gracida put one through the posts for Santa Ynez, which increased the Santa Ynez team’s lead, 11 to 4 at the end of the fifth time period. In the last chukker, Meghan Gracida had two lovely carries through the goal that added 2 goals, and the last score was another penalty shot conversion by Mariano. The final score was 14 to 4.

Outcome of other 8 Goal President Cup competition this week:

• Empire out-scored Ridgway Hemp, 10 to 8.
• Evergreen won against Santa Ynez in overtime, final score was 12 to 11.
• Evergreen came out ahead of Spindrift with an 11 to 10 victory in overtime, but the game was technically a forfeit by Spindrift, due to non-payment of player’s 2020 USPA dues.

Sunday’s 4-goal Amateur Cup tournament on field 1 was between Hanalei Bay and Grand Prairie Buffaloes. Alejandro Gonzalez started the scoring with 2 points on the board for Hanalei Bay in the first chukker. In the second time period Taylor Freeman sent a penalty 2 shot through the posts for Hanalei Bay. Garrett Smith answered back for the Buffaloes with two successful penalty 2 shots. Joe Henderson fired away to score for also, and the second time period ended with a tie score of 3 to 3. Hanalei Bay controlled the third chukker, scoring four goals. Cheryl Schindel carried the ball through the goal to add one for the Grand Prairie Buffaloes and teams went to half time with Hanalei Bay leading 7 to 4. The Buffaloes were unable to score in the fourth chukker, while Hanalei Bay added three more goals. The fifth and last chukker started with a 10 to 4 score. Joe Henderson turned on the after burners for a big run and goal, which ended the game with a 10 to 5 win by Hanalei Bay.

In other 4 Goal, Amateur Cup competition this week:

Zahedi Chogan beat Granite Bay/Archangel, 8.5 to 5.

Grand Prairie Buffaloes were victorious over Granite Bay/Archangel 8 to 5.

Zahedi Chogan won against Granite Bay, 8.5 to 5.

Hanalei Bay outscored Lockton by one, 8 to 7.

Zahedi Chogan came out ahead of Grand Prairie Buffaloes, 9.5 to 6.

The Finals for both tournaments will be on Sunday, February 9^th. See you there!  

Friday Night “Polo Under the Lights” Games 2020

General Admission/Parking/Tailgating

Admission and parking are free on Friday nights.  NO VIP seating for Friday night games.

Friday Night Game dates (More dates will be posted soon).
Friday, Feb. 14th at 5:30 PM 

• Outside food and beverages are allowed
• Beverage service is available for purchase
• Bring chairs and blankets
• Tailgating spots are available on a first come, first serve basis
• Permanent restrooms are available at the field
• Dogs are welcome on a leash

Empire Polo Club is located at 81-800 Ave. 51, Indio, CA  92201. Click here for a map.

To access the Friday night games enter the Empire Polo Club from Ave. 50 or from Monroe St. between Ave. 50 and Ave. 51.  The Friday night game is held on field #3.  Click here for directions and a map. 

Empire Polo Club | January 26, 2020
4-Goal and 8-Goal USPA Sportsmanship Cup
The trophies were presented by Stella Artois

Empire’s two-week Sportsmanship Cups culminated with an amazing afternoon of polo. Teams were playing for Rich Roenisch Bronzes, “She Gave Her Best.”

The 8-Goal match pitted Empire, (Rob Scapa 0, Russell Stimmel 2, Robert Payne ll 3, Rob Payne lll 3) against BFBST Law, (Leigh Brecheen 0, Erin Brittin 0/Jemma Coutreras 0, Jimmy Wright 3, Tim Rudy 3).

The game started off with a 2 point advantage, by handicap, given to BFST Law. Empire came out smoking. Rob Payne and Russell Stimmel each scored a goal, and Robert Payne added 2 more, racking up a total of 4 points in chukker 1, and ending that period with the Empire team ahead, 4 to 2. BFBST Law shut Empire down in the second chukker and Tim Rudy added one goal for BFBST Law. The pace was full throttle  in the third chukker with Jimmy Wright scoring first. Rob Payne answered with a goal, which Jimmy followed with two back to back shots through the posts. Russell Stimmel converted a penalty 2 shot, and that sent the teams to half-time with a tied score of 6 to 6.  Leigh Brecheen carried the ball to goal for the first score of the second half for BFBST Law.

Wright’s successful penalty 3 shot put BFBST Law in the lead by 2 goals, but Russell Stimmel came back with a goal for Empire, ending the fourth time period with BFBST leading, 8 to 7. In the fifth chukker Rob Payne made two goals from the field, and Stimmel added a point from the penalty three line, putting Empire out front, 10 to 8. In the last chukker both teams gave it all they had. Rudy scored first making it 10 to 9. Empire’s Robert Payne shot one through the post, followed by Stimmel’s penalty 2 score. BFBST was still game and MVP Jimmy Wright made the last goal, his fifth of the day, which made the score at the final horn Empire 12 to BFBST LAW 10.  

The 4-Goal was also a game of big runs and long hits. Lockton, (Tim Kelly 0, Audrey Persano .5, Chino Payan .5, Luis Saracco 3), went up against Archangel/Granite Bay, (Eric Hammon 0, German Coppel 0, Ashton Wolf 3, Alonso Andrade 1). The game started very defensively, with Luis scoring a penalty 2, and Alonso scoring a penalty 4, ending chukker one tied at 1 to 1. Alonso’s goal for Archangel/Granite Bay in the second chukker was answered by Saracco’s penalty 2 point, keeping the score tied, 2 to 2. It was MVP Audrey Persano that put Lockton ahead by one with her goal. Saracco added a point and the third chukker ended in Lockton’s favor, 4 to 2. Louis Saracco scored three times in the fourth chukker for Lockton. Alonso Andrade hit a penalty 3 shot through the posts for Archangel/Granite Bay, ending the fourth chukker in Lockton’s favor, 7 to 3. Andrade began the fifth and last chukker converting a penalty 4 and penalty 3 for Archangel/Granite Bay, closing Lockton’s lead , 7 to 5. The Lockton team fired back with Luis scoring a penalty 2, Chino Payanrunning one in for a goal, and Audrey Persanoended the game with a beautiful shot through the goal. Lockton took home the bronzes, with the game’s final score 10 to 5.