Newport, RI (August 19, 2021) …. Team Jamaica makes its triumphant return to Newport, as the players arrive to challenge Team USA in the continuation of the Newport International Polo Series’ 30th Anniversary Season this Saturday, August 21st at 5pm.
The British Army brought Polo with them to Jamaica in the late 1800s, and the sport has remained a cultural mainstay in the Caribbean nation ever since. Jamaica’s rich Polo history first intertwined with Newport’s in 1994, and the renowned teams have become great friends and even greater rivals.
“Team Jamaica’s stamina on the dance floor is only outdone by their intensity on the field,” explains Dan Keating, Polo Series Founder, “and even though it’s a heated match, the vibe is always fun and friendly.”
For Jamaican and American players alike, Polo is often a family sport. A love for the fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping sport gets passed down the generations.
Shane Chin, Jamaica’s Team Captain since 2005, was introduced to the sport by his father, Junior. Junior Chin was one of the inaugural Jamaican players when the team debuted at the Newport International Polo Ground in 1994.
27 years later, Shane Chin will bring an all-star roster of Caribbean players with him to face team USA in Newport. Doug Henderson, Adam Laing, Charlie Chambers round out the talented Jamaican team.
At the match, local Caribbean eatery, Hummingbird Newport, will be serving up Jamaican culinary mainstays including Jerk Chicken, Oxtail, and rice and peas. Meals can be reserved online.
Lawn tickets are available online and at the gates. Pavilion upgrades will be available after the first chukker, with an admission purchase for Lawn seating. Standby seating options including Tailgates & Chalets are available at Gametime, 5PM at the Main Gate, first come first serve.
The International Polo Grounds are located on the acreage of Glen Farm, 250 Linden Lane (off Route 138) in Portsmouth, RI, only minutes from Newport’s bustling harbor. This bucolic setting along the East passage of Aquidneck Island, enjoys a moderating coastal effect in summer for pleasurable afternoon polo spectating throughout the summer. The property 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.
Its classical 19th century stone barns and its park-like grounds were rehabilitated by Polo Series founder, Dan Keating in the early ‘90’s and continue to thrive as an equestrian & community recreational property, and home of the Polo Series. Read about its restoration.
The Newport International Polo Series is proud to roll out its 2021 sponsors including Brenton Hotel, Davitt Inc., TD Bank, Turkish Airlines, Modern Luxury Boston, Herb Chambers Exotics, Vanderbilt International Properties, Hotel Viking, Veuve Clicquot, Polo House Privé, Clarke Cooke House, Stella Artois, US Polo Association, Goslings, ROCKSTAR Limo, McGrath Clambakes and Catering, Classical 95.9 WCRI, and promotional partners including Newport Helicopter Tours, The Cocktail Guru, Hannoush Jewelers, Newport Jaguar Tours, International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport Mansions, Newport Music Festival, Island Surf and Sport, Northeast Equestrian Life 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.
About Newport Polo: Newport Polo, home of America’s First Polo Club, celebrates the 30th Anniversary season of the Newport International Polo Series, featuring public exhibition polo matches every Saturday, June – September. Founded in 1876, charter member of the United States Polo Association, Newport Polo offers year-round polo club membership and polo instruction.
