Every blade of grass glowed like straws of golden wheat—on a sunny day in Santa Barbara, the polo fields illuminated like green oceans on a bay of smiling onlookers. A ray of sunshine, Montecito moms and Kentucky Derby outfits filled the stands to experience Santa Barbara’s Pacific Coast Open Final. As blue skies filled out a wonderful landscape, I finally understood what the sport of polo hype was all about.

Unlike Hugh Grant in Notting Hill, I don’t pretend to know the first thing about horses or hounds. I don’t know how the scoring system goes, how the sport of polo players align or how the strategy evolves throughout a match, but I do know there are few events as atmospheric as the professional sport of polo. I was greeted with a smile by the events coordinator, who walked me past the white-picket buildings and perfectly manicured grounds to my seat, where women dressed in flowy dresses and bright colours. Men wore suits to match their white pants; colourful smiles to match their wives’ vivid outfits. The match hadn’t even started, and I was already invigorated.

Long considered an old money game, it wouldn’t be a polo match without a glass of champagne. That being said, the CEO of U.S. Polo Assn. has made gallops in turning this haughty-taughty event into a nationally recognised sport. Now broadcast on ESPN, this ancient game is finally recognised for what it is: a riveting, rollicking battleground.

I was shocked to find how electrifying the sport of polo is. Imagine trying to play hockey on horses across a field the size of nine football fields. In between sips of wine, my head darted back and forth as horses galloped at the speed of light, chasing a ball rolling at the speed of a bullet. across a field the size of nine football fields

I was fortunate enough to watch the U.S. Polo Assn. Pacific Coast Open Final in Santa Barbara, but there are over 300 affiliated polo clubs across the world where you can watch high-level games. If you haven’t considered checking out the sport of polo, now’s the perfect moment—you can throw on a summery U.S. Polo Assn. shirt, horse around, get bougie with it, and watch an electrifying game take place under the cool shade of luxury.

Somehow classier and more accessible than ever, the sport of polo has taken stride with the new Old Money trend on Instagram, where people dress in their Sunday best for aesthetic pics in aesthetic places, which is perfectly tailored to U.S. Polo Assn’s. brand and sport. There are few spaces that scream luxury like Santa Barbara polo fields. The grass is greener in Santa Barbara—at these polo fields, the sun shines brighter, the ocean breeze cools off designer clothes, and the local wines are rich, all of whom stood cheering for a national anthem that saw a white mustang darting across white-picket stands, carrying a beautiful blonde girl waving a red, white and blue flag. It’s a truly unique experience: The sport of polo, an old horse that continues to learn new tricks as the brand continues to grow and the vibe remains an old-money aesthetic.

Photo credit to Luca St George

Written by Asher Luberto for Luxuria Lifestyle International