US Open Polo Championship Match

Charter a Private Jet to the US Open Polo Championship Match

Since the dawn of time, mankind seems to have had a penchant for swinging sticks and clubs at round objects for sport.

Hundreds and hundreds of years before Christ and recorded history, Asian nomads brought horses into the sport and the game of polo was born.

Every spring, the 16-week winter polo season is capped off with the U.S. Open Polo Championship just outside Palm Beach, FL. Tens of thousands of fans descend on the International Polo Club to watch the Super Bowl of polo. It’s a tournament that’s been in existence since 1904.

We Can Get You There

The prestigious polo championship is as much about the polo lifestyle – haute couture chic – as it is about the game itself. If you would like to be in the crowd to watch the sport of kings, Paramount Business Jets can arrange a charter flight for you that will make you feel as regal as the game itself. Flights can be arranged into any nearby Florida airport, including:

• Wellington Aero Club Airport, FD38, FD38, West Palm Beach, United States (4 miles)
• Palm Beach International Airport, KPBI, PBI, West Palm Beach, United States (10 miles)
• Palm Beach County Park Airport, KLNA, LNA, West Palm Beach, United States (10 miles)
• Antiquers Aerodrome Airport, FD08, FD08, Delray Beach, United States (13 miles)
• N County/General Aviation Airport, KF45, F45, West Palm Beach, United States (15 miles)
• Boca Raton Airport, KBCT, BCT, Boca Raton, United States (19 miles)
• William P Gwinn Airport, 06FA, 06FA, Jupiter, United States (20 miles)
• Belle Glade State Municip Airport, KX10, X10, Belle Glade, United States (26 miles)
• Pompano Beach Airpark Airport, KPMP, PMP, Pompano Beach, United States (28 miles)
• Palm Beach Co Glades Airport, KPHK, PHK, Pahokee, United States (30 miles)

About The Tournament

The U.S. Open Polo Championship culminates a 16-week tournament that starts with 250 teams from some 20 countries. The top two four-man teams play for the title in the spring – usually April – at the International Polo Club in Palm Beach.

Interest in the sport is growing, according to the International Polo Club whose revenue has almost doubled in recent years.

Why?

It’s not a major sport, so there isn’t much coverage on television or elsewhere. To watch the sport, you have to see it in person. Add to that, the glitz and glamour associated with the sport, and you have the reason more and more people are becoming fans.

Polo Q&As?

How many players on a team?

Four, each position is numbered and comes with its own responsibilities on offense and defense.

How big is the field?

300 yards by 160 yards (nine football fields)

What meal is associated with polo matches?

Brunch, with lots of champagne

How much does it cost to field a team for winter polo season?

Between $1 million and $3 million (includes things such as salaries, living expenses, groomers, trainers, and veterinarians)

What’s the average cost of a polo horse?

$45,000

How Big Are The Horses?

While commonly called ponies, they are actually full-size horses, 14.2 to 16 hands and 900 to 1,100 pounds. Each rider has two or three horses to allow them to rest.

How many countries play polo?

About 80

How popular is polo in the U.S.?

There are more than 275 clubs with about 4,500 members.

What’s a chukker?

It’s a period of play – 7.5 minutes – in a two-hour match. They are also called chukkas.

What to See and Do in Palm Beach

The U.S. Open Polo Championship is played in Wellington, a town of 55,000 about 30 miles west of Palm Beach. You can play golf, go shopping or visit the Panther Ridge Conservation Center in Wellington or you can make a short trip to Palm Beach, the 16-mile-long island dripping with all things rich and extravagant, and:

• Go to the beach. Of course.
• Visit the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum. See displays that show how the Standard Oil tycoon Henry Flagler and his railroad that turned steamy Florida jungle-swamp into a tropical paradise at the turn of the 20th century.
• Check out the Norton Museum of Art. This collection of more than 7,000 works of art was amassed by Acme Steel magnate Ralph Hubbard Norton and his first wife, Elizabeth.
• Visit the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens. A large collection of rare palms and native plants can be seen at these West Palm Beach gardens named after the Chicago steel baron’s second wife.
• Go shopping. There are many places to get swanky designer goods but the most famous might be Worth Avenue where, in 1926, the first Saks outside New York was opened.

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