Hailing from the faraway land of pharoahs and pyramids, the Egyptian team plays for the Polo Clubs of Cairo and Alexandria.

             "Polo is an international sport, played in over 80 countries around the globe, and we are honored to have teams traveling such great distances to play in Newport," stated Dan Keating, captain of the USA squad. 

             The two-hour match will be followed by a trophy presentation of the perpetual USA vs. Egypt cup, inaugurated in '93,  and naming of the Best Playing Pony.  A sumpuous field-side Lobsterbake will be offered to conclude the day's festivities.  For more info: Lobsterbake Following Match! 

              Polo first came to Egypt in the 12^th century with the Mamluks who introduced polo to Egypt as a form of military exercise and sport.   The British re-invigorated polo in Egypt with a modern version of the sport in the 1890s.  Between the World Wars, the sport reached a golden era of prominence, played by the Egyptian Royal Guard, the Egyptian Royal Army, the Waheed Pasha Yousri Team and three crack British cavalry regiments.

              In that era, sights such as 150 ponies impeccably turned out with their elegant Nubian grooms festooned in green, yellow or red turbans, added to the magical atmosphere of polo by the Nile in pre-Revolutionary Egypt. The ponies were mostly of South African, English, Irish and later, Argentine stock. They were purchased on a grand scale, sometimes up to 300 head at a time. Polo-playing Princes and Kings were constantly on hand from France, England, Italy, India, and Jordan. They came to play on what were known to be some of the best fields in the world at that time, including the famed Upper Egypt estate, Naga Hamadi, of Prince Youssef Kamal.

             Its present day resurgence began in 1980 with the Egyptian Mounted Police who created a new field, ironically, quite close to the original spot where the Mamluks played, in view of the Salah El Din Citadel.  After that, the first private field was established, in the shadow of the 4,200 year old Abu Seir pyramids.  Presently, new fields are being created in Alexandria and Cairo as the sport is receiving renewed growth.  There are presently 5 polo clubs in the Egyptian Polo Federation.  

          The Newport International Polo Series take place every Saturday through June, July, August and September.  This is the 17^th season of the Newport International Polo Series, which is proud to announce its sponsors including the Carnegie Abbey Club, WCRB Classical Radio, NBC Channel 10, the Newport Daily News,  Lufthansa, Continental Airlines, the Polo Lounge, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, Shreve Crump and Low Jewelers, Jake Kaplans Ltd, and Bose.  For more information about partnering with the Polo Series, click here.  “Our sponsors have been with us since the beginning.  Without their help the Series would not be as extensive as it is,” explained Dan Keating, Polo Series founder.

          Tickets to the matches are sold at the gate on the day of the match.  Tailgate picnics on the lawn are welcome with field-side admission of $10.00 for adults, and children 15 & under are free.  Box seating in the Subscribers Enclosure is also available.  The Polo Series takes place on the polo grounds of historic Glen Farm, 715 East Main Road (Route 138) in Portsmouth , RI , just 6 miles north of downtown Newport .  

           Glen Farm is the remaining 100 acres of  a 700-acre manorial farm whose history dates back to the 1600's.  Its classical stone barns from the Gilded Age and its park-like grounds were rescued from ruins and rehabilitated by the Newport Polo Club's founder in the early 90's and, as a result, it thrives today as a vital equestrian and community recreational property and the jewel of Portsmouth.  Read about its fascinating history! 

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