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By Patrick Holleron
Cronkite News
SCOTTSDALE – At the center of WestWorld, thumping hooves against the ground couldn’t be heard over the cauldron of nonstop activities. There was blaring live music, lavish fashion and dog shows, unique concession stands and a fleet of motor vehicles – all colliding for a single extravagant festival.
The 13th annual Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships attracted a record-breaking turnout, with spectators from all corners of Arizona gathering to partake in the day’s lineup and watch the 10 best polo teams across the U.S. compete for the right to hoist the Molina Cup.
Though the sport has been around for centuries, polo moved to a new level in Arizona in 2011, when the championship matches started at WestWorld of Scottsdale with 2,500 people in attendance. Since then, popularity surrounding the event has grown tremendously, with 12,469 attendees present Friday for the first day of competition.
“The growth of the sport is really important,” Wine Country Polo club rider Steve Baumhoff said. “It’s awesome to see a large audience of people here that have never witnessed polo and are getting a sense of the game. Polo, like other professional sports, requires consistent turnout. Events like this provide increased exposure to keep sport alive long term.”
Polo, originating in Persia and known as the oldest equestrian sport, requires teams of four people mounted on horses and with a wooden mallet in hand.
The goal of the game is to have the small white ball travel down the field and hit into the opposing team’s goalposts to score points. The team that has the most points at the end of four periods of play is declared the winner.
Over the years, the event has increased efforts to draw in non-polo fans with the additional festivities.
“This is our Kentucky Derby event,” said Ed Babtkis, the president of Ross Diversified Insurance Services. “You have every high-end car brand here, ladies dressed up and wearing magical hats and guys smoking cigars. We’re not in Kentucky, but today we feel like we are.
“This is Scottsdale’s time to shine.”
The organic connection between fashion and polo is glued together by Phoenix Fashion Week, which has partnered with the event since 2014 to host the World’s “Longest” Catwalk Fashion show. The Phoenix Fashion Week provides popular and trending clothing brands for emerging models to display to the paparazzi.
“I think this event shines and hones in on the culture that we have both in the Scottsdale and Phoenix area,” said Bri Lloyd, a fashion model. “The various communities that we have around come together and we get to experience different cultures.”
Part of the increased audience correlates to more businesses and sponsors making yearly appearances, increasing the sport’s visibility. Among the avid supporters of the polo championship is Sandra Mitchell, an equine specialist.
Mitchell founded Therapy Mini, a business that utilizes miniature horses to provide mental and physical support for people in need. Invited to the event for the last four years, Mitchell values sharing her passion for horses and promoting polo.
“I live in Scottsdale and I probably would still come without my horses,” Mitchell said. “This event is unique in the sense that you have a lot of different things going on. They are trying to build a holistic approach to handling horses and bring in more people to support the industry. I love being able to contribute and do some pro bono work.”
Fan-favorite athletes from other sports have made appearances over the years to display their support for polo. Former Phoenix Suns player and coach Dan Majerle performed the honor of dropping the ball to start the inaugural match in 2011.
Friday’s annual event saw the likes of Arizona State football coach Kenny Dillingham and running back Cam Skattebo and former Suns center Mark West in attendance.
“I love the growth of the event,” West said. “I was never a big polo guy like my friends right here, but I enjoyed being here to show support. It’s really a social event.”
Now the anticipation for next year’s championship is stronger than ever.
“Our family is competitive and enjoys watching any kind of sport,” said Nikki Madden, Bri Lloyd’s mother. “I don’t care if I don’t know anything about polo. It’s our first time and we will definitely be coming back to watch more matches behind the fence.”
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