The annual Pacers and Polo event, which marks the third leg of Aiken’s Triple Crown, was held on the historic Whitney Polo Field, and hosted for the first time by Aiken’s Polo Club on Saturday, March 30.
In collaboration with the University South Carolina Aiken, which previously held the event at Powderhouse Field, the Polo Club wanted to honor the Triple Crown’s 19th year by hosting the event on the nation’s oldest polo field.
To support the local university, event organizer and the Aiken Polo Club’s Marketing Director Susie Kneece said a portion of the event’s proceeds would go towards USC Aiken’s Athletic Department and equestrian programs.
“We moved the event here to make it a little more exclusive and personal. We thought it was important for the community,” Kneece said.
For Kneece, the yearly match held historical and social significance for Aiken locals, as many are heavily involved in equestrian-themed events and programs all year long.
“Polo has been going on here for over 100 years … and it’s a big part of the equestrian community,” she said.
Racing across the field in a head-to-held game, eight players represented AB Beverage’s Stella Artois and OSLA Agency, otherwise previously known as Alison South, and battled it out to win this year’s competition.
During a 20-minute intermission, attendees excitedly entered the field to participate in a longtime tradition that invites them to stomp dirt divots back into the ground, otherwise known as “stomping the grounds.”
According to organizers, the tradition was first implemented to help prevent horses from injuring an ankle by slipping in the uneven dirt.
Once participants finished stomping, two wooden horses and polo mallets were brought onto the field to give children a fun photo-op while practicing their skills.
Aiken native and mother Megan Mebane even said her family enjoyed regularly attending the Pacers and Polo competition, as she and her husband had a long history with the sporting event.
“We’ve been coming since they started it, I think,” she said. “We actually used to help wave the flags at the end of the field when [players] scored a goal.”
Over the years, Mebane said she and her family have come to enjoy the Pacers and Polo event more than the Aiken Steeplechase Race because it feels more family-oriented and less crowded.
“It’s a little calmer. Steeplechase is more of a party,” she said. “With polo, there’s also more fan interaction too, whereas in racing you just watch them pass by … and you get to see a lot of different horses too because [players] change out their horses a lot.”
Mebane also said anyone can enjoy polo since the rules are simple and similar to other sports, such as soccer.
After the conclusion of intermission, following six 7-minute rounds, or “chukkers,” the OSLA Agency team won the close match 7-5.
However, win or lose, many polo players said they left the field in high spirits and were looking forward to the rest of the polo season.
“There’s a lot of great players here today, and it’s a great way to get started for the season,” said Lucas Arellano, a polo player on the AB Beverage team. “It was a lot of fun being out there, and some of these guys I’ve known forever. They’re good friends, so it was fun to participate in.”
Born into a family with several legacy polo players, Arellano said polo was “in his blood” and he fell in love with it at a very young age.
“I just knew,” he said. “The speed in polo is different from most sports, not including cars. It’s very intense and physical – there’s a lot of speed.”
After the match, an awards ceremony was held to announce the event’s Most Valuable Player and the Best Playing Pony – the latter being a highly coveted honor, according to announcer and polo manager for the Aiken Polo Club Tiger Kneece.
“This is an amazing event,” said Ruben Coscia, a OSLA Agency team polo player. “I work a lot with horses – they are my favorite part of all this.”
With teammate Pedro Laura securing this year’s best playing pony award, Coscia said he was honored to be announced this year’s most valuable player.
“I was really happy and it’s amazing that people think I am the MVP,” he said.
As attendees ventured home and others stayed to enjoy more cocktails, Tiger Kneece said the Pacers and Polo event only marked the beginning of the sport’s season, as many more matches will be held until the end mid-June.
For those interested in attending future polo matches, visit: https://aikenpolo.org/spring-2023-schedule/
