By Sonja Haller | The Republic
This isn’t your queen’s polo party.
While British polo players who have competed with members of Britain’s royal family will be at the Scottsdale Ferrari-Maserati Polo Championships, in the words of organizer and publicist Jason Rose, this polo gathering is “a little unhinged, a little loose.”
People can watch from king-size Sleep America beds, obtain fieldside manicures, or watch the match billed as the Riggs vs. King “Battle of the Sexes,” a nod to the 1973 televised tennis event that featured Billie Jean King whipping Bobby Riggs.
Organizers hope to transform this “sport of kings” into polo for the masses, similar to the way the “gentleman’s sport” of golf at the TPC Scottsdale has become synonymous with etiquette breaches and a rockin’ good time.
This marriage between spectacle and sport starts today and continues through Saturday at WestWorld of Scottsdale. Featured matches include the Work to Ride vs. the University of Virginia, the U.S. Women’s All-Star Team vs. men from the Arizona Polo Club and the Clogau Wales Polo Team vs. the United States Military Polo Team.
Related: Scottsdale Ferrari-Maserati Polo Championships offers free admission to nation’s military
