Prince Harry and Polo Return to Governors Island
Jun 23, 2010 7:54 pm
[caption id=“attachment_3455” align=“aligncenter” width=“300” caption=“Last year thousands of visitors watched polo on the South Island fields”]
[/caption] HRH Prince Henry of Wales returns to Governors Island this Sunday to play in the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic. Visitors are invited to come out to the South Island fields to see Prince Harry’s team Sentebale play world-class polo champion Nacho Figueras’ Black Watch Team. The polo grounds will feature an area that is free and open to the public, as well as ticketed areas. While there is a ticketed portion of the event featuring a picnic and luncheon, there is bleacher and lawn seating available for the public. Bleacher and lawn seating is free. Tickets to the reserved portion of the event are sold out. Ticket proceeds benefit Prince Harry’s charity Sentebale. Polo is an historic use of Governors Island and was often played between the First and Second World Wars. This Sunday’s match will take place on the historic polo grounds, located on the southern part of the Island. Polo is played on a field called a pitch. The Governors Island pitch is 750 feet long or more than twice the length of a football field. Each team consists of four players each. More than two dozen horses will be used for play during the match. There are four chukkas (quarters), which are several minutes each, as well as a half time. During half time, in the tradition of polo, all spectators are invited out onto the field for the divot stomp. Some of our visitors have asked us for some helpful hints about polo on Governors Island. We have put them below for you: Enjoying Polo on Governors Island Gates to the polo field open at 11 AM and the match begins at 2:45 PM. Seating Bleacher seating as well as lawn seating is available for the public. The public seating area is located on the western side of the polo pitch. The public section may close if capacity is reached. It will re-open once space becomes available. Food and Drink Visitors are welcome to bring blankets for picnicking and can bring their own food and drinks. Visitors can also purchase food from a variety of vendors on Governors Island and at the event. Visitors are not permitted to bring alcohol to the Island. So put on your hat and come out to the South Island fields to see polo in an incredible setting.