United States Polo Association and Greenwich Polo Club Announce 2016 East Coast Open, August 28 - September 11
Greenwich, CT (PRWEB) August 12, 2016 -- The United States Polo Association® (USPA), the national governing body for the sport of polo, and Greenwich Polo Club, in partnership with Audi of America and its 29 Tri-State Audi Dealers, are proud to present the 2016 East Coast Open, which will take place August 28th – September 11th at Greenwich Polo Club. Considered to be one of the most prestigious polo competitions in the United States, the East Coast Open features eight of polo’s top teams competing in the 20-goal tournament.
Public games will take place over three consecutive Sundays. The USPA will live stream all tournament games on ChukkerTV.com, (check out USPOLO.ORG for tournament information, schedule and updates) and fans can relive the championship match by tuning in to NBC Sports Network on Saturday, September 17 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern. The 60-minute national broadcast will feature game action, behind-the-scenes commentary and interviews with polo players and notable figures from the global polo community. Last year’s tournament had one of the largest polo viewerships, with an audience of 183,000 on NBC Sports Network and 50,000 live streaming views.
“The East Coast Open is a fantastic event that exposes the sport of polo to the New York City Metropolitan Area – one of the greatest sports markets across the country,” said USPA Chairman, Joe Meyer. “Each year, the high level of competition continues to impress – building upon its reputation as one of our most distinguished tournaments.”
Since 1978, the Perry Trophy has symbolized the East Coast Open championship. Winners of this high-goal tournament have laid claim to this ornate symbol of excellence, tradition and sportsmanship. The East Coast Open continuously attracts national and international fanfare and the world’s leading polo players, who will soon descend on the town of Greenwich, in the hopes of etching their names on the tournament’s trophy.
“The East Coast Open offers competition at the top level of the sport featuring the best teams, players and horses,” said Peter M. Brant, founder of Greenwich Polo Club and Patron of the White Birch polo team. “With the USPA, we’ve ushered in a new era for this storied tournament with teams coming from around the country to compete at Greenwich Polo Club. We are delighted to host all the teams and expect a great tournament."
The East Coast Open is expected to draw more than 10,000 spectators and offers luxury brands high visibility in an elegant and social sports setting, and a unique opportunity to connect with one of the world’s oldest and most powerful sports. Audi and Town & Country will host beautifully outfitted VIP hospitality tents, under which guests will enjoy an unprecedented experience. Shreve, Crump & Low is the official trophy sponsor and will be providing trophies and gifts to players during the award presentation at the end of each match and fans are invited to participate in the Super Secret Mystery Box Giveaway Challenge. Saks Fifth Avenue will sponsor the stomping of the divots, in celebration of its first stand-alone 10022-SHOE shop opening in Greenwich on October 20th. Other luxury brand partners include Airstream, Argentina Tourism, Edmiston Yachts, Hospital for Special Surgery, Lancôme, Luxury Seekers, and Wheels Up.
While the primary focus is always on the game, Greenwich Polo Club continues to elevate the polo experience to make every match an event to remember. Geoffrey Zakarian's The National will have a pop-up bar on the polo grounds serving polo inspired cocktails made with ingredients including Indi Tonic and fine liquors such as Beluga Noble Russian Vodka – the official vodka of Greenwich Polo Club. Beluga Noble Russian Vodka will also be hosting tastings for polo fans through an exclusive pop-up bar. Each match will also feature delicacies from the best regional food trucks.
The East Coast Open was founded at Myopia Polo Club in South Hamilton, Massachusetts by Donald V. Little Sr., then Vice President of the USPA. The tournament was played exclusively at Myopia Polo Club until the early 2000s. At its height, 13 teams played in the tournament, including many 10-goal players who inspired a number of today’s players to pick up their mallets.
Tickets are now available for the East Coast Open at http://www.greenwichpoloclub.com/eco/tickets/. Gates open at 1:00 p.m. and matches start at 3:00 p.m. The field address is 1 Hurlingham Drive, Greenwich, CT 06831.
About the United States Polo Association®
The U.S. Polo Association was organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo, coordinating the activities of its Member Clubs and Registered Players, arranging and supervising polo tournaments, competitions and games, and providing rules, handicaps, and conditions for those tournaments, competitions, and games including the safety and welfare of participants and mounts.
Founded in 1890, the United States Polo Association (USPA) is the national governing body for the sport of polo. USPA is currently comprised of almost 300 member clubs with thousands of individual members, and oversees 40 national tournaments. For more information, please visit uspolo.org.
About Greenwich Polo Club
Established in 1981 by Peter Brant, Greenwich Polo Club is the venue for high-goal polo during the summer season in the U.S. Nestled in the beautiful backcountry of Greenwich, CT and internationally recognized for its rosters of legendary teams and players, Greenwich Polo Club hosts public USPA high-goal polo matches on Sundays throughout the summer. For more information, images, player information and team stats about Greenwich Polo Club, please visit greenwichpoloclub.com, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook and Instagram. #GreenwichPolo is the official hashtag.
About Audi
Audi of America, Inc., and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. The Audi Group delivered over 1,800,000 vehicles to customers globally in 2015, and broke all-time company sales records for the 6th straight year in the U.S. Through 2019, AUDI AG plans to invest about 24 billion euros - 70 percent of the investment will flow into the development of new models and technologies. Visit http://www.audiusa.com or http://www.audiusa.com/newsroom for more information regarding Audi vehicles and business topics.
About US Polo Assn.
U.S. Polo Assn. brand products are authentic and officially sanctioned by the United States Polo Association (USPA), the governing body for the sport of polo in the U.S. since 1890.
USPA Global Licensing Inc. manages its licensing program in over 135 countries through independent retail, department, online and U.S. Polo Assn. brand stores. Primarily featuring sportswear for men, women, and children, the product offering has expanded to include accessories, luggage, watches, shoes, home furnishings and more.
As the steward of the Association's marks, USPA Global Licensing's mission is to develop a long-term source of revenue to help underwrite numerous programs for education about and promotion of the sport of polo in the U.S., from memberships and handicaps, to clubs and tournaments; from interscholastic programs to Team USPA mentoring; with particular concern for equine welfare and player safety throughout. For more information, visit uspoloassn.com.
About Town & Country
Town & Country (http://www.townandcountrymag.com) has chronicled American life since 1846, always putting an emphasis on people of style and accomplishment who give something back to the world, whether in service, philanthropy or creative endeavor. Combining the highest level of reporting with the very best photography, Town & Country is an acute observer of the broader social landscape, documenting notable weddings and parties, chronicling the pastimes and passions of leading figures and families everywhere, and casting an anthropological eye on the lives of the rich and powerful. The magazine is a trusted source of privileged information, taste and unpretentious fun – in short, an irreplaceable guide to the very best that the world has to offer. Town & Country Weddings, established in 2003, and the newly revived Town & Country Travel, are published biannually. Town & Country is published by Hearst Magazines, a unit of Hearst, one of the nation’s largest diversified media and information companies. With 21 titles in the U.S., Hearst is the leading publisher of monthly magazines in terms of total paid circulation (AAM 2H 2014), reaching 78 million readers (Spring 2016 MRI/GfK at 79.5 million) and 54 million site visitors each month (comScore). Follow Town & Country on Twitter at @TandCMag.
Tisha Kresler, Rubenstein/Greenwich Polo Club, http://www.greenwichpoloclub.com, +1 212-843-8294, [email protected]
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