Morven Park Announces Inaugural Season of Polo in the Park
LEESBURG, VA – Morven Park will launch its inaugural season of Polo in the Park this summer at the Morven Park International Equestrian Center. Starting on July 1, arena polo matches, picnicking and dancing will take place every Saturday evening for nine consecutive weeks.
The festive atmosphere of arena polo will bring a new family-friendly nighttime activity to Loudoun County. Spectators will be able to bring picnic baskets and blankets onto the terraced viewing area next to the riding arena, and a DJ will provide dance music in the pavilion tent immediately following the final polo matches throughout the summer. Stone Tower Winery – the Official Wine Sponsor of Polo in the Park – will offer wine for sale by the glass or by the bottle. Guests may also bring their own wine to enjoy at the polo matches.
“I’m thrilled to be working with Juan Salinas-Bentley and Doug Barnes, both internationally acclaimed polo professionals,” says Stephanie Kenyon, Morven Park’s executive director. “Arena polo is a unique and exciting sport, and we’re looking forward to welcoming the entire community to Morven Park to enjoy polo under the stars.”
Each night of the season will feature two matches, with one starting at 7 p.m. and the other starting at 8:30 p.m. The gates will open for spectators at 6 p.m.
Morven Park expects to host approximately 800 – 1,000 attendees each night of Season 1. General parking car passes can be purchased for $35 in advance at www.MorvenParkPolo.org, or for $40 at the gate. Purchasing car passes in advance is strongly advised.
Box seating along the arena rail will provide an up-close view of the matches, and is available to Gold-level sponsors. Limited tailgate spots are also available for Silver-level sponsors, and VIP Lawn seating is available to Bronze sponsors. Current Gold sponsors supporting Polo in the Park include Climatic Heating and Cooling, and K2M. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available by visiting www.MorvenParkPolo.org.
“We are extremely excited that this community event is coming to Loudoun County, and we are honored to help make it happen,” says Sonny Swann, vice president of Climatic Heating and Cooling, Inc., and a member of Morven Park’s Board of Trustees. “We are proud of our family’s ties to Morven Park, and know that polo will provide the opportunity for more residents to experience the amazing property.” The Swann family owned Morven Park for 100 years during the 1800s.
“Our team at Stone Tower Winery is thrilled to partner with Morven Park on their inaugural polo season,” says Lacey Huber, Vice President of Stone Tower Winery. “As a premium estate vineyard and winery with strong Loudoun County roots, it’s a joy for us to bring our wines to such an exciting event series at an institution that shares our passion for both land preservation and service to our local community.”
Eric Major, CEO at K2M, says, “Morven Park’s arena polo will be a fabulous way for K2M to get involved with what we see as a new community tradition.”
For those interested in sponsorship, contact Morven Park at (703) 777-2414 or strategicpartnerships@morvenpark.org.
About Juan A. Salinas-Bentley, S-B Polo, Inc. Originally from Eagle Pass, Texas, Juan makes his home in Wellington, Florida, the winter polo capital of the world, and Middleburg, Va., in the heart of Loudoun County’s horse country. He has been playing professionally for 30 years, along with training polo ponies and teaching the sport to new players. His career has afforded him the opportunities to play throughout the United States, England, Scotland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Argentina and Guatemala. Juan’s grandfather also played polo for Mexico in the 1930s and 1940s alongside General Quiñones. Juan and his wife, Tammy, have a 15-year-old son who is a high school baseball player. Juan holds a 4-goal indoor/arena handicap.
About Doug Barnes, Destination Polo Doug is a native of Dallas, Texas, and a graduate of Texas A&M with an economics degree. He has called Northern Virginia and the East Coast home for the last 20 years. He runs Destination Polo which is a premiere polo school and polo services business based in Virginia and Florida. From playing, coaching, selling/training horses to introducing new players to the sport of polo, he’s the go to guy to maximize your experience in polo. When he’s not involved with polo you can find him fishing, hunting or somewhere in the outdoors with his two labs. He currently holds a 3-goal rating in the arena.
About Morven Park Morven Park is a 1,000-acre historic estate and horse park in Leesburg, Virginia. Known as the “Central Park” of Loudoun County, Morven Park welcomes 250,000 visitors each year who come to enjoy exquisite scenery, formal boxwood gardens, the Morven Park International Equestrian Center, the athletic fields, the iconic Greek Revival mansion, museums and hiking trails. Morven Park was once the home of Thomas Swann, Jr., governor of Maryland during the Civil War, as well as the home of Westmoreland Davis, governor of Virginia during WWI.
Morven Park is a nonprofit that relies on donations to fund its work in historic preservation; a world-renowned equestrian center; youth sports and athletics; and a unique civics education program that partners with Loudoun County Public Schools. To learn more or to donate to Morven Park, visit www.MorvenPark.org.
