The Santa Barbara Polo Club - Another Fantastic Part of Life in Santa Barbara

There is something quite special watching and hearing eight magnificent horses churning down the field under the masterful guidance of enthusiastic riders. The game is polo, and we are so fortunate to have one of the best fields in the country right here in The Santa Barbara Polo Club.

Below is a short video Joe Parker of the Santa Barbara Group has put together to give you a little background and info on the Sport of Kings. Below the video, we’d all a bit more info such as attire, some rules of the game and some bits of info that will help you look like a seasoned spectator of the game.

Watch Joe’s Video About The Santa Barbara Polo Club

Santa Barbara Polo Club – A bit of history

Since 1894, Santa Barbara has been fielding polo matches with a sharp rise in popularity in the late 1920’s and early 30^’s. News accounts talk about Sunday’s being a grand social event where people dressed in their finest and picnicked while riveted to the polo matches.

During WW2, Santa Barbara polo play was suspended, yet bounced back in the 1960’s, and 70’s when several “polo families” moved to the area and attracted notable foreign teams to play along the coastal waters.

Today, the Santa Barbara Polo Club is home to more than polo. Tennis, swimming and beautiful parties make the place a year-round attraction.

Santa Barbara Polo Club – The basic rules of the game.

The objective of the game is to strike a small wooden ball through the goal. The challenge is it played on horseback, and the player has to hit the ball with a long flexible mallet while controlling 1200 pound of athletic animal and avoiding the other seven players and their ponies.

The matches last about 2 ½ hours divided into six periods called chukkers. A chukker lasts 7 ½ minutes, after which there is a break in play. During that time, the players exchange their mounts for fresh ones.

There is half-time during the match where spectators are invited onto the field to participate in an old tradition called “divot stomping.” The guests help even out the holes in the ground created by the pony’s hooves digging into the grass while twisting and moving to help get their riders to the ball or avoid dangerous collisions with other players. Yes, there is a danger to this sport.

The rules, in general, are to provide safety to both the riders and ponies. Some fouls result in penalty shots while others merely change ball control.

Two mounted umpires and a mid-field referee officiate the game and naturally, the team with the most points win.

Santa Barbara Polo Club – A Few Common Terms You’ll Want to Know

Bump is the term used to describe when a player collides with another in an attempt to spoil their shot. There are lots of factors that determine a legal bump. You’ll get the idea and certainly, some around you will complain if they think their team was fouled.

Chukka is the term used to describe the periods of play. Generally, there are six chukkas and sometimes a seventh if the game goes into overtime.

Goals are scored any time a ball crosses the line between the goal posts. BTW, the teams change ends after every goal scored.

Hook is the term used when a player spoils another’s shot by putting his mallet in the way of the player’s shot. There is also a cross-hook where the player reaches over his opponent’s mount in an attempt to hook; this is considered a foul.

Knock-ins occurs when an offensive team hits the ball across the defender’s backline. The ball changes hands and the defenders get a free hit from the backline.

Mallets or sticks are what the players use to hit the ball. The shaft is made from bamboo making them very flexible.

Near Side is the left-hand of the horse, while Off Side is the right.

There are a lot more terms used in this ancient game. If you are interested, check out this glossary of polo terms.

Santa Barbara Polo Club – Game Attire

Dressing for a polo match is half the fun of attending. Women often wear colorful sundresses with wide-brimmed hats often referred to as Derby attire.  Frilly flats or wedges are the optimal footwear since guests will be walking on grass. Don’t even think about wearing heals or you’ll be hating yourself. Men generally wear summer style khakis, shirt, and blazer. This article from Town & Country will give you some ideas.

Santa Barbara Polo Club – A Few Final Notes

Polo is often referred to as the game of kings due to the high cost of fielding a team; It is wickedly expensive. However, to attend a polo match is quite affordable, certainly nowhere near the price of an NFL game.

General admission tickets are available for $12.00 – $22.00, and if you want to splurge for VIP seats, they are less than $300.00. You can use this link to find a match and order your tickets for the 2018 Summer season.

The Santa Barbara Polo Club is located at 3375 Foothill Rd in Carpinteria, just down the coast from Santa Barbara proper.

We hope this video and article excites your senses and inspires you to spend a sunny Sunday enjoying a polo match. It is just another of the many things that make Santa Barbara so unique.

Naturally, if you hear someone talking about moving to the area, let them know the Santa Barbara Group’s Joe Parker, and Garrett McCaw are here for them and ready to give an unmatched real estate experience.

Joe Parker & Garrett McCaw
The Santa Barbara Group at Berkshire Hathaway HSCP
Santa Barbara, CA