MERCEDES BENZ POLO CHALLENGE OPENING
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CHACE CRAWFORD WILL HOST
MERCEDES BENZ POLO CHALLENGE
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Chace CrawfordThe highly anticipated event of the summer, the 2008 Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge opens on Saturday July 19, 2008 in Bridgehampton and Times Square Gossip will be there holding court in the VIP tent. Hosting opening day this year, is none other than celebrity heartthrob Chace Crawford of “Gossip Girl”. After the opening day smash, the games will continue for six consecutive weeks until August 23rd. Teams that will compete this year include; White Birch, Black Watch, Pony Express, Equuleus, Jumeirah Culu Culu and Mansour. Year after year the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge has attracted a-list celebrities, socialites and many of the Hamptons elite. Past attendees and presenters of the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge include Donald Trump, Kim Cattrall, The Hilton Family, Aretha Franklin, Prince Albert of Monaco, Mischa Barton and Natalie Portman, just to name a few. This year Polo Ralph Lauren will be present as the exclusive apparel retailer with an onsite shop at the Bridgehampton Polo matches. Reminiscent of the spirit and heritage of Polo, the shop will feature Ralph Lauren's Black Watch collection including knits and hats all emblazoned with the Black Watch emblem, as well as an array of classic iconic knit polo shirts and accessories including sunglasses and handbags. Spectators visiting the Ralph Lauren shop will have a great view of the polo matches and will be able to enter a contest to win an afternoon of playing Polo with Black Watch team member Nacho Figueras. Polo Ralph Lauren became an official sponsor of the Black Watch Polo team in 2007, providing apparel created exclusively for the polo players to wear for both practice and tournament play. In addition to shopping and celebrity sightings, those attending can look forward to an exciting fast paced game played by some of the most influential (and most handsome) athletes of the world at an event encompassing the fabulousness of the summer scene in the Hampton's. During half time the audience is welcomed to walk the field and participate in the polo games traditional networking act of divot stomping. This is when members of the audience approach the field to replace the soil that has been kicked up by horses during the first half of the game. The exciting half time event also gives attendees an opportunity to mingle with the high status guests and the players whom are treated like royalty in the Hamptons. For those unfamiliar with the regal sport also known as, “the Sport of Kings”, polo games are played on a field the size of ten football fields, making the playing ground the largest of any sport. Two teams of four players go head to head while attempting to hit a ball through a goal post while being positioned on a horseback using a mallet. Once a goal is scored the teams switch directions and repeat the process. To ensure the game is fair the players are assigned a handicap based on the skill level of the player. As such, if a player receives a rating of ten, the highest score possible, the player has reached perfection in their performance. The game is played in six chukkas. A chukka is a seven minute period timed by the two empires located on the field. The horses play two chukkas per match before being replaced by another horse. All proceeds from the 2008 Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge will go to the South Fork Breast Health Coalition. The V.I.P. tent will host an invitation-only cocktail reception for exclusive guests each Saturday afternoon during the tournament. Matches will take place from 4pm – 6pm and catering will be provided by R. Cano. Season partners include, Tag Heuer Eyewear and Gruen Eyes, stride rite, Piaget, St. Regis, Catherine M. Zadeh Fine Jewelry, Champagne Perrier-Jouët and Stolichnaya Vodka, Capricho Luxury Resort, FIJI Water, T-Mobile Sidekick, Coca-Cola, Hpnotiq, Peroni Beer and Zino Platinum Cigars. MVP Player Award will be presented by Jaci Reid of Westin Rinehart.
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