Countess of Culture: Polo in the Hamptons
'Day to Day' Reporter Jessica Seigel Takes to the Pitch
View Gallery
Jessica Seigel riding hard in the Hamptons.
Polo champion and instructor Naco Taverna of the White Birch team.
Day to Day, August 28, 2003 · Day to Day's Jessica Seigel -- our own Countess of Culture -- recently spent some time in the Hamptons, the tony summer retreat for the rich, to learn how to play the classic blueblood sport of polo.
Seigel took to the pitch on the same venue where the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge is held. It's a glamorous event -- captains of industry, Hollywood stars and society types gather there every year to see and be seen.
There is, of course, a strong connection between polo and fashion -- the so-called polo shirt, for example. Ironically, Ralph Lauren is suing the U.S. Polo Association to prevent the sports group from merchandising clothing displaying the logo of two polo players similar to the famed fashion retailer's famous polo horseman's mark.
The way you look has little to do with how you play on the field, however. Galloping at 30 mph on a moving horse, hitting a little white ball with a long-handled mallet... A difficult sport, for sure, but we're sure our Countess of Culture makes it look good.
