Bendabout Farm in McDonald, Tenn., will continue its tradition of hosting polo matches in September with matches the next two weekends.
Matches will feature local, national and international players from the professional and amateur ranks playing as the Bendabout Team and the Aiken Team. Spokeswoman Amy Moore says these are the highest-rated matches in the Southeast during this time and are a preface to major polo competitions in Aiken, S.C., beginning the following week.
Tournaments played in Aiken, she says, include the prestigious Silver Cup Tournament, designated by the U.S. Polo Association as the highest-rated competition in polo’s fall season.
This year, players of local interest include Gillian Johnston, the highest-rated woman player/sponsor in USA high-goal polo and captain of the Coca-Cola Team. She will lead the Bendabout Team in these weekend matches.
Also returning is her teammate on the Coca-Cola Polo Team, Julio Arellano, the highest-rated American player. Leading the Aiken Team will be Owen Rinehart, former 10 goaler and Hall of Fame inductee.