Public Invited to Watch Polo at Will Rogers State Historic Park

In the 1930s there were more than 25 outdoor polo fields in the Los Angeles area, but now there is only one, just off Sunset Boulevard at Will Rogers State Historic Park.

The field has not really changed since Will Rogers had it built in 1926, and the Will Rogers Polo Club encourages the public to experience the colorful, fast-paced polo games that take place on weekends April through October at the park.

“It’s a great spectator sport and the park is one of the most special places in Los Angeles. You can come up here with a picnic and watch the polo while enjoying the nice breeze off the ocean,” said Andrew Bossom, president of the Will Rogers Polo Club. “People who live in Pacific Palisades know what a treasure this place is, and that’s why our club works together with the park to help preserve it.”

The Polo Club is a nonprofit organization and all proceeds go to the Will Rogers Ranch Foundation to help preserve, not just the polo field, but also the ranch house, visitors center, grounds and hiking trails.

Back in the day, Rogers and his friends including Spencer Tracy, Walt Disney and Clark Gable would play polo at the field on weekends. In fact, the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel got its name because the movie stars would stop at the hotel restaurant after their polo games at the ranch.

Today visitors to the park can still watch players in their white jodhpurs and team shirts riding horses up and down the field swinging their mallets as they try to score a goal.

The rules of polo are actually quite simple, according to Bossom.

“There are four players on each side and an umpire, all on horseback. You have a goal post at each end of the field and the idea is to get the ball from one end into the other goal,” he said. “It’s not unlike field hockey or any other sport with two goals and one ball.”

Bossom compares the club to the United Nations because of all the different countries and nationalities represented. New members are always welcome; in fact, the early game on Sunday mornings is a teaching game and riders of all ages and skill levels are invited to come learn how to play the sport.

“The only requirement, obviously, is that you have to play polo and you have to have a horse,” Bossom said.

The Polo Club is also a unique fundraising venue, combining the outdoors with a buffet lunch and an exciting sports presentation.

“We provide the venue, we provide the teams, we provide the knowledge of how to put the event on, but it’s up to the charity how big they want it to be and how they want to do it,” Bossom said. “They can have it catered or they can have a small barbecue or even boxed lunches—whatever they want to do.”

Although the games are sometimes attended by a tour bus full of tourists, most of the spectators live near by, Bossom said.

“I think most people are locals from the area who want to come and have a picnic and sit down and just enjoy the entertainment,” he said. “People who have friends in town will bring them here, especially if they’re equestrian in nature.”

The games take place from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free, but there is a $12 fee for parking. For information about the club including a schedule of events, click here.