By Albert Vuoso | Arts & Entertainment Editor
The weekend of Newport’s annual Boat Show can only mean one thing: tourists. Just as the abundance of summer goers left for the year, a new group have invaded. The narrow city roads now lined with cars and people, as well as the one-way trap known as Thames Street, offer no better excuse to sneak away to the lush countryside of Portsmouth for an afternoon of Polo.
Jane Hazer, a Newport resident and former Salve Regina student says, “to experience polo is to experience Newport.” A bold statement, but one backed with validity.
To ensure being prepared for an evening of relaxation a few friends and I loaded a L.L Bean tote bag with a bottle of wine, cheese, bread, and a plaid picnic blanket. We embarked on the unique ocean- and country-side roads that make up Aquidneck Island with excitement and curiosity about the match. As a third year student in Newport, it came as surprise to me that I had only heard of the polo matches once in conversation. As we arrived to the polo field we were ushered down a one lane road which revealed a densely populated parking lot.
An assortment of liscesence plates revealed that spectators traveled from states like Massachusetts and Connecticut to see Team USA beat Team Mexico. Paying a modest entrance fee at the opening of the lot, granted us the right of way to park and find an open area around the field to lay the contents of our bags and to join in the mingling of the spectators. As the sun shone on Glen Farm field, cheese was sliced, photographs were snapped, and wine was poured while eager fans indulged in the chance to capture the postcard scene they were living.
With the promise of colder weather to come, spectators kept the optimism of summer alive through their fashion. Men wore 5 inch chinos with an oxford on top and women wore dresses and sunglasses. Contrary to popular stigmas, there were very few sun hats at the event. With the direction of the whity commentator, the crowd gathered to welcome the two teams and to join in on our countries song.
After the names of the players were announced, the polo match began. Although team Mexico beat the home team, the event proved to be a captivating time and a chance to abandon oneself during these last few weeks of fine weather.
