Last Sunday, August 21, about 2,500 polo fans gathered at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club (SBPRC) in Carpinteria for the second of three weekends of the Gulfstream Pacific Coast Open (PCO). Hosted by the U.S. Polo Association and the SBPRC, this is the premier polo event in Santa Barbara and one of the top polo events on the West Coast. The 16-goal tournament, which this year features six top teams, dates back to 1909, and has been held at the SBPRC since 1952.
Many notable figures in the polo world were in attendance, and the crowd was a sea of blazers, classic dresses, and fashionable hats. Ambassador Glen Holden, who played in the PCO for 30 years and many times both with and against Prince Charles, shared how he never misses a PCO match. Dr. Richard Caleel and his wife, Annette Caleel, watched from their box as did Pat and Ursula Nesbitt. The trophy, which Holden declares is the most beautiful in polo, is a five-foot-high silver-and-gold cup with panels depicting polo scenes, precious stone accents, and a crown of an eagle supporting a globe.
According to Bob Puetz, executive director of U.S. Polo Association Services, who flew in from Florida for the tournament, “the PCO has always been one of the most difficult tournaments to win, and this year is no exception. Many of these teams have established organizations that work all year long to ensure each player and each horse is properly prepared for the tournament. The horses are the key component, and it usually takes several years to get all the pieces to come together.”