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Sport, setting and style: polo matches in Connecticut are affordable and accessible

GREENWICH – Awesome athletes, fierce competition, a beautiful setting, delicious treats and — oh yes — the fashion. It’s all available a...
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GREENWICH - Awesome athletes, fierce competition, a beautiful setting, delicious treats and -- oh yes -- the fashion. It's all available at Greenwich polo matches.

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In the last few years, there's been a push to make these weekend equestrian events more accessible to the public. Now, a group can attend a match for $40 per carload. Folks can bring a picnic, and even a leashed canine companion, to enjoy while they soak in the unique atmosphere.

Recently, Airstream played Postage Stamp Farm, a team led by women.

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There are four players and their mounts per team. The grassy playing space is massive and can hold nine football fields. A match is divided into six periods called "chukkers" -- each seven minutes long.

"They are 1,200-pound animals galloping down the field and they’re as much into the game, as they players themselves," says Gundlach.

You’ve probably seen it all play out in the movie "Pretty Woman," but one notable, time-honored tradition happens at half time: The Stomping of the Divots. The public is invited onto the field to fix it with their feet.

Airstream won this match but there's more polo ahead this summer.

"It’s not as elitist as people would think," says Gundlach.

Managing Director Leighton Jordan wants to expose as many people as possible to polo. "You will be shocked at the quality of the players and horses you’ll see, because you’re not going to go anywhere in the country and see better than you’re seeing here."

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Lawn tickets are $40 per car when purchased online and can include four people. Click here for more information and options. Matches last about two hours. The East Coast Open is coming-up in August and September.

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