Looking for something fun to do on a weekend in Northern Virginia? Look no further, because the Great Meadow Foundation in The Plains, Virginia, hosts Saturday night polo matches open to the public.
On every Saturday evening covering the end of spring, all of summertime, and looking into a bit of the fall, Great Meadow (also the home of the Virginia Gold Cup) hosts at least two exciting polo matches. The only required fee is per vehicle for parking. At $30 per carload, this event is fun for all walks of life. The average turn out for these matches are 2,000+ attendees, so hurry in when the gates open at 6:30 pm. For the 2015 season, games are scheduled for Saturday nights from May 9-September 19.
Photo via Great Meadow Foundation
The environment is pleasant. Involvement level at the event varies: some patrons bring blankets to sit on and watch, some bring beach or lawn chairs, and even tables and games are set up at the green. For an extra fee, box seats for six on the very edge of the excitement can be purchased. It is not uncommon to see a family or a business that owns the box. The third viewing option is from a reserved tailgate spot. Purchased tailgate spots are marked by the company name who supports Great Meadow. Places like Middleburg Bank, the Virginia Realtor's Association, and many other local businesses' plaques can be found on the tailgate spots.
Photo via Great Meadow Foundation
Many nights are themed. This July featured Girls Night Out, Superheroes, and August 1st is Roaring 20s themed. Children and some adults dress up according to the theme, and much of the crowd is either casual or dressy casual. Think sundresses, jeans, oxford shirts... and even some Polo shirts are spotted.
The Twilight Polo events are presented by Greenhill Winery & Vineyard, who is the official vendor of wine at the polo arena. On some nights, the owner of Greenhill can be seen as a player, in action! He sometimes plays in the 7:00 pm game, and can be seen scoring goals and giving away a few glasses of wine according to how many goals he scored.
Rules of the game are simple, but seeing it in execution is thrilling. In the game of polo, three or four riders on horseback comprise each team. Traditionally, players numbered one and two have offensive positions, while players three and four are more defensive in positioning.
Photo via Ask About Sports
All players must wield their mallets in their right hand, for safety reasons. The reigns of the horse are held in the left hand at all times. The division of play is not in quarters, but in units of six, six-minute chukkers."
Photo via Polo Scoreboard
While the polo players do not substitute out of the game, their horses do! Sprinting and coming to a halt over and over makes them glisten with sweat and often tire before the end of a match. If asking the right people at the right time, those taking care of horses who are done for the evening will let you pet the beautiful animals out back of the sporting area.
Additional fun for kids happens before the 8:00 pm game: boys versus girls tug of war, retrieving out-of-bounds balls for lollipop rewards, and a race around the field. After the games and ceremonies have ended, children are free to roam the field with kid-sized mallets and balls (polo without the ponies, like croquet).
Don't miss out on Great Meadow's Twilight Polo; the hidden gem of Fauquier County located at 5089 Old Tavern Road, The Plains, VA 20198.
Photo via Great Meadow Foundation
