May 2007

 Dear Friends of Polo,

             It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 2007 season of the Newport International Polo Series at Glen Farm.  We are proud to carry on the popular tradition of summertime polo which began in Newport over 130 years ago, when the sport first took root on American soil.  

We are very pleased to announce a long-term lease with the Town of Portsmouth for the polo fields at Glen Farm, where the Newport International Polo Series has made its home for 16 years and where it can continue to flourish.  We will celebrate our longevity with festive events and exciting international teams throughout the summer for our supporters and polo enthusiasts to share in this bright future.  Part of our celebration will include commemorating polo’s history in Spain, when the Spanish Polo Team will be the guests of honor at the International Polo Ball and featured in the tribute match against USA on Aug 3^rd & 4^th.

            Polo is living history.  Its 2000-year evolution has spanned the globe, and today polo is played in over 80 countries.  Some of our visiting teams have become crowd favorites, returning year after year, while each season we expand our horizons to include new teams making their first appearance in the Polo Series.  This season, the Polo Series has expanded it’s international lineup, and announces Mexico's debut just weeks before they host polo's World Championships. 

            By its international links, polo is a unique and culturally-significant sporting activity that has enriched the social fabric and created goodwill here and in the nations where it is played worldwide.  Winston Churchill once said that a polo handicap is a passport to the world.

Through our growth and, with hard work and dedicated individuals, we are able to extend our contributions to the community in various ways, most notably with the help of volunteers from the Newport Rotary Club.  I salute Jack Leavitt of the Newport Rotary Club and Bob Cross of the Newport Daily News for their tremendous effort in producing this publication, whose advertising dollars support the Rotary’s charitable programs.  I would also like to thank Dave Schultz of WCRB Radio and Ed Mastrioni of NBC-10 for helping bring the world to us and hosting charitable efforts of their own, and last but not least the dedicated staff of the Newport International Polo Series with whom it is an honor to work.

                                                                                                                    Very Truly Yours,

                                                                                                                   

 

                                                                                                                                    Dan Keating

  President