Nic Roldan, Sessa von Richthofen, Ali Rosenfeld, Haley Binn and Mikey Matz

WITH POLO ALREADY A MAINSTAY of Hamptons summers, I decided to meet up with the man who brought the sport to the East End 21 years ago, Frank MacNamara. We sat together in Team Captain chairs overlooking his 120-acre Southampton Hunt and Polo Club and started talking shop. In 1989, when MacNamara and his friends had nowhere to play, they decided to create their own club in Quogue; a few years later it moved to Bridgehampton. Southampton Township shut them down for seven years—their offense: “recreating on agricultural land.” Eventually, the polo players won the legal battle, and what grew out of that decision is now one of the biggest polo clubs in America (70 members pay initiation fees and yearly dues).

The club’s goal, aside from having fun, is to make polo accessible and enjoyable to all, novices and pros alike. I was surprised to learn that the largest growth in polo is among women. So I grabbed some friends, a mallet and a brimmed helmet and went to the field to give it a try. “It’s addicting; one lesson and you’re hooked,” warned MacNamara. Let’s see about that!

Southampton Hunt and Polo Club is open Tuesday to Sunday through October 15. 206 Millstone Road, Water Mill; southamptonpolo.com


FROM LEFT: Sessa learns the ropes; Mikey shows me how to swing

THE LOCAL LIST
A look at the handicaps of several local players

Nicolas Roldan ...........................8
Nacho Figueras ..........................6
Michael Matz ..............................3
Peter Brant ..................................2
(at one time the highest ranked amateur)
Michael Borrico ..........................1
Alessandro Bazzoni ..................1
Frank MacNamara .....................0
Neil Hirsch ..................................0
Alan Lieberman ......................... -1

A player’s handicap is an overall rating of his horsemanship, team play and knowledge of the game, strategy and horses. (At one time, polo was the only sport that considered sportsmanship when rating a player.) Three and above is considered professional, but 90 percent of players are rated at 2 goals or less. Less than a dozen polo players in the world are currently rated 10.


FROM LEFT: Nic Roldan; Nic shows us how it’s really done