Gold Cup: Polo in Cabo!
Los Cabos, Latin America’s trendiest and most glamorous destination, has world-class fishing, golf, water sports and land adventures.
Well under the radar is that fact that Cabo also has polo.
Seven miles north of downtown Cabo San Lucas, Club Polo Cabo will stage its annual Gold Cup event on Saturday, November 9 from noon to 4:00 p.m.; and again on Sunday, November 10 from noon to 4:00 p.m.
Club Polo Cabo was founded in 2006 by Tony Yahyai. His idea was to bring fun and pleasure to the polo experience for players who wanted to enjoy the sport at the low to medium goal level. Club Polo Cabo features a regulation-size polo field with a seating area for spectators. Polo ponies have spacious stables with tack rooms, grooming staff, and a trail and exercise track.
Polo is a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. It originated in ancient Persia (modern-day Iran), dating back more than 2,000 years. Initially played by Persian nobility as a training exercise for cavalry units and the royal guard, polo eventually spread to other parts of the world.
The game is played by two opposing teams who use long-handled wooden mallets to hit a small hard ball through the opposing team's goal to score a point. Each team has four mounted riders. The game, divided into periods called chukkas or chukkers, usually lasts one to two hours. Often called "the sport of kings," polo, long associated with high society, is an exciting spectator sport.
Aside from getting the ball past defenders and into the goal, riders face multiple challenges. Advanced horse riding skills, balance while swinging the mallet and teamwork are required to succeed. Polo is a fast, tactical sport. Protective gear is worn by players and ponies to prevent injury during contact with other horses, mallets and the fast-moving ball.
Following the final game on Sunday at Club Polo Cabo, the champion team of the Gold Cup competition will be awarded $45,000 pesos from the United States Polo Association (USPA). A 'Best Hat' completion (hats are fashionable at polo matches) will award $2,000 pesos for 1st place, $1,000 pesos for 2nd place, and $500 pesos for 3rd place. VIP balcony seating includes complimentary wine tasting and tequila tasting. In addition, patrons can purchase food and drinks at this festive sporting event.
To attend, RSVP to events@clubpolocabo.com. Tickets are $20 USD per person on Saturday, $30 USD per person on Sunday. For Google driving directions, visit clubpolocabo.com and click on the map in contact.
The progenitor of polo and its variants existed from the 6th century BC to the 1st century AD, as an equestrian game played by the Iranian.[4] In Persia, where the sport evolved and developed, it was at first a training game for cavalry units,.[5]
The dining options and spa experiences available within the Corridor linking San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas are exceptional.
It is played professionally in 16 countries and was an Olympic sport from 1900 to 1936.
Polo is popular around the world (including Mexico), with well over 100 member countries in the Federation of International Polo.