Oak Brook Polo: a Sunday Equestrian Getaway

Due to my recent interest in polo and the fun I’m having taking lessons from Go Polo, I went to Oak Brook Polo Club with some horsey friends to drink in the inspiration. The ponies galloping, players walloping the ball, setting it aflight, and the fashionable polo fans made for a delightful afternoon.

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If you’re not from the area, Oak Brook is a Western suburb of Chicago with a rich equestrian history and fabulous outdoor mall (shoppers rejoice). During the summer, polo ponies and players thunder across the field almost every Sunday. Multiple ticketing options exist, so there’s something for every budget from lavishly luxe to “horse poor” amateur equestrians (like myself and my pals lol).

Like equestrian getaways? Read about fox hunting in Virginia here.

Our group of six purchased general admission seats with the ticket price at $20 a pop. Unlike a baseball or football stadium, all the general admission bleacher seats are quite close to the field. We didn’t miss any of the action and actually had a birds eye view of not just the game, but excellent people watching. (Next time we want to tailgate and bring our own fabulous food and drink spread.)

Oak Brook Polo Club: What to Wear

The weather forecast was 90 degrees and humid so I selected a white dress and black hat. I doused myself with sunscreen because I had a hunch there would be no shade cloaking our seats in the stands. As the afternoon wore on, a nearby tree sent shade our direction.

For shoes I opted for my comfortable Ecco loafers–because I wasn’t sure how much walking would be required to get from the parking lot to the polo field venue and due to a lingering foot injury, I’ve not attempted heels in a while. (The distance from the my Jeep parking to the shuttle at The Drake hotel–heels would have been fine.)

Polo Festivities

I strongly recommend wearing a hat, not just because it’s the fashionable thing to do at polo, but for sun protection. Kiran Life, a local med spa, sponsored a hat contest and dozens of spectators lined up along the field to show off their headwear.

Two winners, a gentleman sporting a pink elephant hat and a woman with a wide-brimmed black hat with a cherry print ribbon captured the top honors. Apparently the ribbon was actually the belt from her cherry print dress. Both winners received gift baskets. The hat contest happens every week.

As our group sauntered to our seats we noticed a long line of Land Rovers and Range Rovers flanking the field. I didn’t think much of it at the time because I was there to see polo ponies, not vehicles. Over time I realized it was like a car show. Fans were walking around, poking their heads in the different models. They later paraded around the field.

My favorite festivity was the halftime divot stomp. If watching polo in person is new to you, I’ll explain. The field gets thrashed from hoof imprints, the turf torn. During halftime, polo spectators are invited to come out onto the field and help repair the turf by stomping divots back into place. A polo field is enormous, about nine times the size of a football field, so people spread out and it was a fun, socially distanced outdoor activity.

I view coffee in all forms as festive and took a detour to the Sandhill Crane Coffee Roasters truck. An iced vanilla latte was just the thing to keep me alert for the game and whet my whistle.

All the Winners at Oak Brook Polo Club

Oak Brook Polo Club defeated Beaver Creek 12 to 11 the Sunday we attended, and more awards were given in the following categories: Most Valuable Player, Best Polo Pony, and Best Tailgate Presentation.

On our way back to the parking shuttle the sentiment exchanged in our friend group was, “We need to come back and do this again!” And we vowed we would wear more elaborate hats and dominate the hat contest. Pink elephant and cherry ribbon hats, watch out!

Thanks for reading and tally ho!

Question: Have you ever watched polo in real life? What were your impressions and did it inspire you to try the sport?

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