World’s Best Polo Players in SB For Pacific Coast Open

It’s the last mounted war game.Polo being played at the highest level at the Santa Barbara Polo Club.The world’s best players in town for Sunday’s 103rd Pacific Coast Open.”It’s huge, to the players it means everything and it means a lot to their careers,” Bob Putz, General Manager at the Santa Barbara Polo Club said.Played since 1909, the Pacific Coast Open is the second oldest tournament in the United States and is the highest goal (highest ranked players) polo on the west coast.”You’ll see some of the best players in the world. The best players in the world come here this time of year,” polo player, Andy Bush said. “The best way to describe polo is hockey on a horse. With the checking, it’s full speed, and a lot of contact.”Polo is played on a field nine-times larger than a football field. Teams play six periods called chuckers. And the horses run at speeds topping 35 mph.The Pacific Coast Open is one of the most prestigious polo tournaments in the world.”It’s kind of like having Wimbledon in your backyard,” Putz said. “That’s how big this tournament is in polo.”The Santa Barbara Polo Club is expecting over 4,000 people for the Pacific Coast Open final on Sunday, September 2.The club is open to the public. Admission is $10. Gates open at 11 a.m. and the match starts at 2 p.m.