WORLD RECORD POLO GAME

On Saturday September 29, 2012 at the South Point Equestrian Center in Las Vegas, history was made. The Ford Trucks World Record Polo Game featuring the Noh Foods polo team and the Trione Vineyards and Winery polo team competing against each other, successfully set a world record for the longest arena polo game. As you can imagine, it was a monumental task for Polo America to take on, to create the world record for longest arena polo game in a city that did not have a polo club, or a single polo pony. The Ford Trucks World Record Polo Game was part of Polo America Expo being held at the South Point Casino and Equestrian Center. South Point Equestrian Center was the perfect place to hold such a contest. Adjacent to the casino, there is a 4400-seat state of the art enclosed arena with climate controlled stabling for 1200 horses underground. The facilities could not have been better. With the venue in place, next came the sponsor commitment from long time polo supporters: Ford Trucks, Raymond Noh at Noh Foods and Henry Trione from Trione Vineyards and Winery. Each was very excited to be a part of history. Once location and sponsors were set in place, the search for horses and players began in earnest. Over a ve-month period, players and horses were lined up. Rodney Fragodt and the California Polo Club were the largest suppliers of horses and players. They brought 4 trailers, 36 horses and nine players. The second largest supplier of players and horses was Billy Sheldon, from Poway polo club. Many other players came to play from California, Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. It was nally becoming a reality. It would be a long and exiting game. At 9:00 AM Raeann Magill was escorted into the arena to sing the National Anthem and the chukkers began. Raymond Noh of the Noh Foods team played in the rst few chukkers and came back to nish out the day in the last four chukkers. Due to the length of the polo game, several announcers were used including Tony Gregg, Raymond Noh, and Timm McIntyre. To help the crowd keep with up with the mounting chukkers, Stefanie Lindahl, our chukker girl was driven around the arena between each chukker, in the back of a Ford Super Duty Truck carrying a sign indicating the chukker number. In the stable area Susan Stovall and Vicky Owens did a monumental job organizing the players and horses for the marathon game. After all was said and done 37 players played 26 chukkers in eight hours and ten minutes with a nal score of 75 to 74, with the winner being Trione Vineyards and Winery. The Ford Trucks World Record Polo Game proved to everyone that we all love this sport - and a ne time was had by one and all.

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POLO AMERICA YEARBOOK 2013