The heat was on this past Saturday evening as the Bentley vs Rolls Royce ProAm took place at the Newport International Polo Series, presented by Turkish Airlines.  The annual ProAm match between these two competitors proved to be one of the fastest and most exhilarating games to date this season, with a number of the top players in the area returning to the field. Spectators assembled stunning racing-themed tailgates, reved up for the chance to win the Stella Artois Best in Show Contest.  Bentley Boston and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars New England arrived in style, showing off some of the most exciting new models in our vendor village, including the Rolls-Royce Cullian, Rolls-Royce Ghost Sedan and Bentley Continental GT Convertible. The stage was set perfectly for the battle that was about to ensue. 

Game commentator William Crisp called the players and officials to the field for the coin toss. Team Rolls-Royce was introduced, beginning with our favorite player-in-pink, Minnie Keating, at position #1. Standing strong at #2 was Oskar Monzon, followed by longtime Newport player Rory Torrey, and anchoring the team in the #4 postition was our president and founder, Dan Keating. Team Bentley took the field with a fierce line-up, beginning with Keith Hart in the #1 position, followed by up-and-comer Ari Dogani at #2. The force that is Federico Wulff filled the #3 position and the impressive Esteban Scott rounded out the team at #4. All players were mounted with extraordinary ponies, eager to compete.

The game was close, right from the first throw-in, as a sleek goal from Bentley within the first 30 seconds was answered quickly by Rolls-Royce. The first chukker went point-for-point, while the second expired without a single goal from either team, proving that these players and ponies were, indeed, perfectly matched competitors. Spectators cheered from the sidelines while sipping classic Pimm's Cups, the featured beverage of the day. In the third chukker, Bentley pulled ahead, leading 4-1 and leaving Rolls-Royce with a need for halftime strategizing.

Fans flooded the field at halftime for the divot stomp and a bubbly flute of Veuve Cliquot on a balmy September evening. The Patio Bar was buzzing with excitement; patrons flooded the Newport Polo Pro Shop, eager to check out the colorful variety of new merchandise. Vendor Village hosted a spectacular display of Rolls-Royce and Bentley automobiles where fans took photos and admired the style and craftsmenship of the exotic vehicles. 

In the game's second half, Rolls-Royce roared back with a vengence with Monzon and Torrey both scoring goals in the fourth chukker to bring the game back to an even score. Early in the fifth chukker, Bentley slid back into the lead when Wulff successfully scored a penalty shot. But Rolls-Royce wasn't going down without a fight! Monzon managed to tie the game up yet again, leaving spectators on pins and needles for the start of the sixth chukker. So much can happen in seven minutes and thirty seconds, and the last chukker proved an electrifying example. While the two battled hard for the win, ultimately Bentley pulled ahead with Wulff scoring a penalty shot as well as a goal from the field.

The thrill of the crowd was palpable as the eight players cantered through the victory lap sharing high-fives and smiles as they greeted their enthusiastic fans. Just in tow behind the players and ponies was the line of magnificent vehicles in every color and model one could imagine. Rolls-Royce and Bentley displayed thier finest vehicles, cruising the perimeter of the field for all to see. Following the lap was the Veuve Clicquot Champagne Toast and Trophy Presentation where Christine Scott, marketing director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars New England and Bentley Boston presented the ProAm cup and trophies from Providence Diamond. Fans enjoyed complimentary Goslings Dark 'n Stormies, toasting the players in the Modern Luxury Lounge to top off a thrilling evening.

View the photo album.

Live audiences can enjoy the Newport International Polo Series polo matches every Saturday as they have for 31 years to witness the timeless sport unfold on the manicured, emerald green at Glen Farm, home of the Polo Series, in a classic exhibition of horsemanship and valor, with host, the Newport Polo Club, where the home team - Newport/USA - meets challengers each season from around the world as well as teams representing major US cities and regional rivals in one of Newport's unique traditions and renowned attractions.   

The Polo Series is scheduled to continue every Saturday through September, with 6 remaining international teams, 4 city challengers, a Pro-Am and more. The schedule of teams is subject to change without notice, as per RI State mandates and US travel bans which may impact travel and Adult Sports.  Stay current with the 2022 team lineup & stats, latest news, events, and more by e-scription to the Gameday Briefing (sign up) and weekly eMagazine (sign up). Both subscriptions are private and spam-free.

The Polo Grounds' favorable proximity to the shores of the island's Sakonnet east passage provides reliably cool coastal effects, moderating afternoon temperatures and providing a dependable breeze for the late afternoon polo matches all summer.  Minutes from the bustling Newport waterfront, the International Polo Grounds are located on the acreage of Glen Farm, 250 Linden Lane (off of Rte. 138) in Portsmouth, RI. This bucolic setting is the last 100 acres of a pre-colonial settlement from the 1600's that became the Town of Portsmouth's original gentlemen's farm, an 800-acre manorial estate established during a Gilded Age movement of retreat from the high life into pastoral country acres, to become the future home of polo in the next century. Its classical 19th-century stone barns and its park-like grounds were rehabilitated by Polo Series founder, Dan Keating in the early 1990’s and continue to thrive as an equestrian & community recreational property, and home of the Polo Series.  

The Newport International Polo Series is proud to roll out its 2022 sponsors including Brenton Hotel, BD, TD Bank, Turkish Airlines, Modern Luxury Boston, Herb Chambers Exotics, Vanderbilt International Properties, Hotel Viking, Santa Margherita Wines, Providence Diamond, Veuve Clicquot, Clarke Cooke House, Atria Senior Living, US Polo Association, Stella Artois, Visit Jamaica, Goslings, ROCKSTAR Limo, and Classical 95.9 WCRI; and promotional partners including Newport Helicopter Tours, The Cocktail Guru, Newport Jaguar Tours, International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport Mansions, Newport Classical, Island Surf and Sport, Newport Picnic Co., Northeast Equestrian Life, Newport Vineyards and Audrain Automobile Museum.

“Our sponsors have been with us since the beginning. Without their support, the Series would not be as extensive as it is,” explains Dan Keating, Polo Series founder.

This is the 31st season of the Newport International Polo Series, which has hosted teams from 36 nations including, Colombia, Ireland, Germany, Spain, England, Argentina, France, Egypt, India, Australia, Costa Rica, Ghana, Canada, Chile, Jamaica, Nigeria, Portugal, New Zealand, Barbados, Scotland, South Africa, Hungary, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Kenya, Brazil, China, Italy, Mexico, Sweden, Singapore, Monaco, Morocco, Peru, Poland, Switzerland and Colombia.

Gilded Age Legacy.  Polo is, without a doubt, the oldest ball game in the world today. First recorded in the 6th-century B.C. when the Turkomans beat the Persians in a diplomatic tournament, the alluring game caught on with equestrian royalty and cavalry, and took off with globalization, withstanding the tests of time. Arriving on Newport’s shores during the Gilded Age, the sport had evolved for nearly 2500 years, steeped in tradition, captivating newcomers like Newport's summer sporting set who embraced the new pastime, establishing America's first polo club in 1876.  A charter member of the United States Polo Association, the club today is still a trailblazing model polo club, hosting the Newport International Polo Series public exhibition matches, supporting philanthropic causes, organizing tournaments, polo club member services, and polo instruction year-round. Experience the king of games in its American landing at Newport Polo.