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Events: A Field Guide to Bridgehampton Polo 2009

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[In a nutshell; Photos courtesy Sport Polo]
This Saturday, the annual Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge starts up once again at the Bridgehampton Polo Club. The six matches in six weeks are filled with random celebrity appearances, corporate sponsorship shitshows and a healthy amount of tailgating by those who don't make it under the tents. Welcome to your guide to all things polo...

Nacho & Co.: Four players comprise a team, this year's teams include Nacho Figueras's Black Watch, Certified, Cinque Terre/Heathcote, Equueleus, W.B.F, Great Oaks.
Ponies, and lots of 'em: Polo ponies, always fast and a little insane, are usually Thoroughbred horses bred with Quarter horses, or Thoroughbred horses with bred with Criollo horses from Argentina, the polo capital of the world.
Terms of endearment: Sound like you have at least a vague understanding of what's going on...a chukker: a period within the match; every match consists of 6 chukkers over about 2 hours...a mallet: a large stick swung at the ball traveling 110 mph towards you divot stomping: half-time activity for spectators, in which grass is stomped back into the field for fun.
Stats: Matches run each Saturday from 4-6pm at the Blue Star Jets Field at 849 Hayground Road in Water Mill. The tents are reserved for guests of sponsors, but anyone can watch from the bleachers or tailgate by paying a $20 parking fee.
· Sport Polo: Bridgehampton Polo Club [Official Site]
· Bridgehampton Polo Club [TheHamptons.com]