Oak Brook Polo Club Hosts Butler International Cup

The Oak Brook Polo Club will end its 98th Season with the prestigious Butler International Cup, presented by Merrill Lynch. A preliminary match is scheduled for Sunday, September 20th at 3:00 p.m. at Oak Brook, in place of the Cecil Smith Cup, and the final match will take place on Sunday, September 27th at 3:00 p.m. This famous trophy was first played in 1986 between Oak Brook and HRH Prince Charles’s Wales Polo Team in front of a crowd of more than 20,000 people. The trophy was re-established in 2015 and has since hosted teams from India, Jamaica and Great Britain.

In response to the enormous interest from international teams wanting to visit Oak Brook as well as the demand for tournament level competition, the Butler International Cup has transformed into a 12-Goal United States Polo Association (USPA) Nationally Sanctioned tournament. Prior to the 2020 Season, the tournament had commitments from teams representing six countries from the United States, Canada, Jamaica, Wales, Switzerland and Argentina. However, due to COVID-19, travel restrictions and quarantine mandates, players traveling from multiple countries overseas were forced to cancel their participation.

This year’s tournament will feature four teams representing four countries:

United States

Mariano Gutierrez (Hcap 4)

Tomas “Toto” Obregon (Hcap 4)

Horacio Onetto (Hcap 4)

Jim Drury (Hcap 0)

Germany

Frauke Lueders (Hcap 0)

Jan Lueders (Hcap 0)

Anthony Garcia (Hcap 5)

Mariano Obregon (Hcap 7)

Argentina

Larry Aschebrook (Hcap 0)

Juan Martin Gutierrez (Hcap 3)

Juan Martin Obregon (Hcap 5)

Matias Obregon (Hcap 4)

Switzerland

Richard Harris (Hcap 0)

Pedro Manion (Hcap 3)

Facundo Obregon (Hcap 6)

Miguel Gutierrez (Hcap 3)

Participating teams will play each other once in preliminary matches and then those with the greatest number of wins determine which two teams play in the finals. In a tie situation, a one man per team shootout will occur to determine the final two teams. The schedule is as follows:

• Friday, September 18th @ 11:00 AM - Argentina vs. United States
• Friday, September 18th @ 5:00 PM - Germany vs. Switzerland
• Sunday, September 20th @ 10:00 AM - Argentina vs. Germany
• Sunday, September 20th @ 3:00 PM - United States vs. Switzerland
• Wednesday, September 23rd @ 5:00 PM - Germany vs. Winner of Game on 9/18
• Wednesday, September 23rd @ 5:00 PM - Argentina vs. Loser of Game on 9/18
• Friday, September 25th @ TBA - Consolation Final
• Sunday, September 27th @ 3:00 PM - Championship Match or Consolation

Oak Brook Polo Club has a long history of hosting teams from other countries. Since the Club’s establishment in 1922, Oak Brook has hosted over 30 countries from all corners of the globe, representing teams from: Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Chile, Ireland, Italy, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Manila, Australia and New Zealand, to name a few.

Oak Brook Polo Club is located at 2606 York Road, seventeen miles from downtown Chicago. Tailgate-only ticket options are available at www.oakbrookpoloclub.com. For general information, event scheduling, and parking directions, please call 630.368.5095.