Posted April 1, 2006

Florida Horse Park Hosting Its 1st Polo Event

By Shaneen Kohler

Ocala, FL - March 28, 2006 — Polo will soon be added to the list of events you can see at the Florida Horse Park. On April 8, the horse park will host its first polo tournament.

Following a day of competition in driving and show jumping, the CAI-B Sunshine State Combined Driving Event presented by GreenSouth Equipment and the $100,000 Ocala Jumping Classic, polo players will take to the all-weather arena at the park. Being held at 6 p.m. under the lights, the tournament, called the First Annual Founders' Cup, is being organized jointly by staff at the Florida Horse Park and Lord Lyall, polo manager at The Villages Polo Club.

Lyall is supplying not only his expertise, but is also ensuring enough players are there to form four teams. The Villages Polo Club, which is based just outside of Ocala, is holding International Polo Week, April 2-9, and some of the players who are participating will be playing at the Florida Horse Park, April 8. The players hail from Barbados, Mexico and the United States, making the first polo event at the horse park an international one.

The club's attendance levels are proof that this game is growing, especially in this area. Its games attract about 26,000 people a year.

This number is "probably double the average attendance seen at other polo sites," said the club's marketing director Ron Allen. About 1,000 people attend each Sunday game during spring season (March-May) and fall season (September-November).

One of the goals at Polo at the Park will be to introduce polo to new people. According to Lyall, "We intend to be interactive with the spectators. It will not just be people watching from a distance. They will get to touch and pet the horses and we'll bring out the mallets for people to test. In addition, if anyone is interested, we'll supply them with leads on getting involved in polo," said Lyall.

New Names at Park

The action at the Florida Horse Park is being co-organized by Lyall, though he is not officially on the staff. "I am just personally interested in seeing polo flourish in the area and the Florida Horse Park's major goal is to see equestrian activity in this area flourish, including polo," explained Lyall. "I got involved with Tom Warriner to see if our club could work symbiotically with the Florida Horse Park to see both our goals accomplished. This event is the first step of our clubs working together."

The fours teams will be sponsored by Lemieux Diamond Co., Sag Harbor, Palm Chevy and the Florida Horse Park. The admission is $10, though for $25 you can upgrade to VIP. With VIP admission, you receive dinner catered by Bella Luna, beer provided by Bernie Little Distributing, and wine. Corporate tables are available, as well. The action starts at 6 p.m. and continues under the lights.

Local polo celebrity Brad Limehouse of Ocala will be playing and will also be available for questions before and after the games. He is the new Resident Polo Instructor at the Florida Horse Park, and is in the process of scheduling the first polo clinic ever held at the Florida Horse Park. A tentative date in May is being discussed.

For details on "Polo at the Park," which is being held April 8 and April 22 at the Florida Horse Park, contact Margaret Rowell at margaret@flhorsepark.com or (352) 307-6699 or visit www.flhorsepark.com.

PHOTO CREDITS:

Double Trouble—Wayne Archer of Barbados and Brad Limehouse of Ocala, Fla. test their polo skills on the fields at The Villages Polo Club. Limehouse is the new resident polo instructor at the Florida Horse Park. Photo by Chuck Booher, www.boohers.com

Arena Polo—The Florida Horse Park will host its first arena polo tournament on April 8. Testing the footing and getting a feel for a polo mallet are Florida Horse Park's Event Organizer Shelley Lambert (center) and Director of Development Margaret Rowell (right). They are getting instruction from the park's new Resident Polo Instructor Brad Limehouse. Photo by Shaneen Kohler