Oak Brook Polo Club Gets Approval for 2020 Summer Season

Oak Brook Polo Club is pleased to announce recent approvals by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (IDCEO) and the Village of Oak Brook to move forward with playing the sport of polo but without spectators. Polo matches have been deemed a “permitted outdoor activity” under the Governor’s Executive Order and Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois Plan.

In following Governor Pritzker’s Restore Illinois Plan which was announced mid-May, Oak Brook Polo Club Managing Director Daniel O’Leary noticed that the sport of polo fell into a gray area between activities permitted and not permitted. In response, he outlined a detailed two-option plan that included a season with and without spectators in addition to how the sport can easily comply with social distancing guidelines.

“Unlike other team sports, polo is unique in that we play on a nine acre field with eight players plus the additional space to accommodate horse trailers and other essential game staff,” explains O’Leary. “With that amount of area, we have the ability to enforce the state’s social distancing guidelines with ease so that all participants can play safely.”

While Oak Brook Polo Club’s plan to host spectators is still under review, the submitted proposal outlined an “all-tailgate” environment with strict social distancing parameters between vehicles and the enforcement of PPE for all staff and attendees. The Club is in constant coordination with the IDCEO and hopes to have spectators by July or earlier.

“We had a banner year planned for this summer’s season both on and off the field,” explains Oak Brook Polo Club President, James Drury. “From beer and wine festivals to the nation’s largest youth polo tournament being awarded to the club. But despite these uncertain times, we course-corrected and have developed ways to keep our fans, partners and global polo community engaged.”

Oak Brook Polo Club will kick off its first match of the season on Sunday June 14th at 3:00 p.m. against G-Squared at a private field location. Oak Brook Polo leadership has decided to postpone play at the Prince of Wales Field in Oak Brook until July 12th, or at the earliest, June 28th. Aside from the pandemic, heavy rains from mid-May flooded the polo field for more than a week. By temporarily moving locations, it enables the field to heal and regrow so conditions are safe for competitive play.

The Oak Brook Polo’s team is led by Jim Drury with returning players Horacio Onetto (position #3, handicap-4), Tomas “Toto” Obregon (position #2, handicap-4) and Mariano Gutierrez (position #4, handicap-4). G-Squared is patroned by Larry Aschebrook (position #1, handicap-0) with teammates Juan Martin Gutierrez (position #2, handicap-3), Matias Obregon (position #3, handicap-4), and Juan Martin Obregon (position #4, handicap-5).

“Oak Brook Polo is undeniably the best kept secret of Chicago’s western suburbs,” explains Drury. “We have put so much into reviving this club into becoming a global destination for our sport again. Even though this season’s plans have shifted due to the coronavirus, our main focus is to keep everyone safe while providing an entertaining display of high-goal polo.”

Founded in 1922, the Polo Club’s long and storied history has nicknamed the Village of Oak Brook “Polo Town” by many in the global polo community. Its founder, Paul Butler, has been coined as the “Patron Saint of Polo” for resurrecting the sport following World War II and making a home for elite professional polo in a community soon-to-be-called Oak Brook - but referred often as “the town that polo built”.

Oak Brook Polo was privatized from the Village of Oak Brook 2016 and is now in its 5th season under Drury, a Chicago businessman. It is through his passion and commitment to the sport that’s kept it alive for so many years.

Despite the weather, the 2019 season proved be an exciting one, with an increase in the number of teams participating and the return of tournament competition to Oak Brook. Spectators witnessed some of the best and most competitive matches, with attention glued to the face-paced action on the field.

For 2020, fans can expect more adrenaline-fueled matches between some of the world’s best players from neighboring teams and abroad. This summer marks Oak Brook Polo’s 98th season as one of the nation's oldest polo clubs in operation today and the fourth oldest sports property in Chicago.

Oak Brook Polo’s 2020 summer schedule includes the following matches with pending special events:

• June 14th, Oak Brook Polo Season Opener
• June 28th, Col. R.R. McCormick Cup – Stars, Stripes and Stirrups
• July 12th, Butler Challenge Cup – Chukkers for Charity
• July 26th, Oak Brook Polo Open – Village Appareciation
• August 2nd, Cecil Smith Cup – Horses & Harleys
• August 16th, Chicago Polo Open – Horses & Hops
• August 30th, Illinois Players Cup – Team Up For Tony
• September 13th, USPA NYTS National Championships – Chukkers for Charity
• September 20th, Drake Challenge Cup – Horses & Horsepower
• September 27th, USPA Butler International Cup

Oak Brook Polo has grateful to have the continued support of sponsors especially during this trying name for everyone, including companies and brands. New and returning sponsors include: U.S. Polo Assn., CS Magazine, Merrill Lynch, Celebrity Cruises, Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse, Jet Linx, Beyond Shades, Exit 7C, Casablanca Polo, Continental AutoSports, Perillo Bently & Lambroghini, Heineken and J Vineyard & Winery.

For additional information, please visit www.oakbrookpoloclub.com

About Oak Brook Polo Club

Founded in 1922 by legendary businessman, Paul Butler, the Oak Brook Polo Club is an American Polo treasure and one of the oldest polo clubs in the United States. It was once the sport's epicenter for elite professional polo in the United States and served as home to the U.S. Open Polo Championship for twenty-four straight seasons and other prestigious international and national polo tournaments. For decades, the Club has been a popular Sunday tradition and social scene known for entertaining Hollywood celebrities, dignitaries, royalty and Chicago's distinguished. Today, Oak Brook Polo Club hosts several Sunday matches and continues to attract thousands of fascinated spectators who marvel at the athleticism and majesty of this timeless sport.