Ponying up at the 2007 Veuve Clicquot Cup in Greenwich, CT.
Photo: Veuve Clicquot

All it took was an afternoon to get me hooked. I headed up to Connecticut last weekend for the Final Match of the 2007 Veuve Clicquot Cup. Puffy cumulus clouds floated over the Greenwich Polo Club and the field was greener than a stack of benjamins. Why had I never checked this out before?

Players with polo-tastic names like Naco, Challo and Gaston were introduced and art collector (and husband of model Stephanie Seymour) Peter Brant's White Birch team hoofed it out against the Heathcote Farm team. At halftime, I marched across the field with hundreds of spectators in the traditional divot-stomp. And with that, I was no longer a polo neophyte.

If you have a budding passion for polo like me, read on for some upcoming events worth traveling for:

For schedules of polo tournaments worldwide go to World Polo Tour or the Federation of International Polo. The Web Site PoloZONE has some great blogs on all the major polo clubs and you'll find detailed descriptions of the rules on the United States Polo Association's webpage. (The polo played in Greenwich, I learned, is so-called high-goal, or the big leagues, and the seven-minute periods are called chukkers--who knew?)

First, you'll need the gear: Those hunky Argentine players are called polistas and if you want to look like one, shop at Polistas stores in Buenos Aires and London's Mayfair, or purchase gear and clothing online.

The Argentine season runs from October through December, with the Argentine Polo Open Championship scheduled from November 18th to December 9th. You can stop by the Hurlingham Club--founded in 1888, it's one of the world's oldest--but how about actually heading down to south for lessons from the masters? Last year, Wendy Perrin's Fabulous Fifty report included a Polo Master Class trip outside Buenos Aires.

In the United States, the International Polo Palm Beach starts its season next January 13th. In Europe, Polo on ice will be played in Megeve in the French Alps from January 17th to 21st. Likewise, the famous Cartier Polo World Cup on Snow takes place January 24th to the 27th in St. Moritz. For lodging there, have a look at Beata Loyfman's Room With a View page on the Badrutt Palace Hotel.

Next summer celebrities will flock as usual to the Bridgehampton Polo Club on Long Island for the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge Cup. But here's the good news: Polo can actually make for a very affordable day of fun. The entry fee at the Greenwich Polo Club is only $30 per car, and most spectators picnic during the match (entry is at 1 pm, matches begin at 3 pm).

Oh, the outcome of the Cup? White Birch took home the trophy, 12 goals to 9.

Polo aficionados, feel free to school me on where else I can catch my new hobby.

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