The United States Polo Association has purchased the core assets of the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Fla., including 161 acres comprised of Fields 1 through 5, the grandstand, the pavilion, the Mallet Grille, the Seventh Chukker, the USPA Clubhouse shop, the Outback Field, the Outback facility, and the IPC social club and its facilities, including a swimming pool, gym, and tennis courts.
The IPC property will be called The USPA National Polo Center-Wellington, realizing the vision of a USPA-owned “Sunday Field” that will serve as the permanent center of polo in America and set the standard for excellence in polo. That vision was first articulated by USPA Chairman Stewart Armstrong in an essay called The Sunday Field that appeared in the Spring 2020 issue of Hurlingham Polo Magazine.
The polo field at IPC. (Photo ©White Fence Photography Company)
Mark Bellissimo, managing partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners, the former owner of the facility, and Wellington’s largest private landowner, said, “The sale of IPC to the USPA is part of our ‘Wellington 3.0’ strategy which is focused on strengthening both the equestrian venues and the core lifestyle elements that are critical for Wellington’s long-term success.
“We chose the USPA over competing offers and real estate development strategies to ensure that this fundamental pillar of the Wellington equestrian domain will be here for the next 100 years. I was inspired by Stewart Armstrong’s vision and believe the USPA has the commitment and resources to take this venue and the sport of polo to the next level which is a win for all involved.”
Originally, there was talk that WEP intended that IPC would host a new dressage facility, but that never came to fruition. Previously, WEP sold the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center to a group headed by dressage competitor and horse dealer Andreas Helgstrand of Denmark. This spring, the home of the Winter Equestrian Festival was renamed Wellington International. Andreas is also looking to buy the Global Equestrian Center, a dressage venue and show jumping site down the street from the facility where WEF is held.
The USPA will continue to host the Gauntlet of Polo® at its property, but it will also use the facility to support polo played at the medium- and low-goal levels. The USPA intends to keep substantially all the current IPC staff in place. Tim Gannon, co-founder of Outback Steakhouse and three-time winner of the U.S. Open Polo Championship®, will serve as Chairman of the Board of a newly-formed USPA subsidiary created to revitalize the social club and hospitality facilities.
With its ownership of the National Polo Center, the USPA has secured a perpetual home for polo in America. The facility will enable the USPA to showcase its tournaments, develop American players, and sustain an environment that will retain and attract new players and sponsors at every level. It will also secure the future of winter and spring polo in South Florida, which many of the sport’s key participants from throughout the country rely on as a major source of the annual income that allows them to participate in polo at their summer and fall club locations.
The USPA plans to open the annual Wellington polo season beginning with the Federation of International Polo World Championship, from October 26 through November 6.
“The investment in a high-profile Sunday Field will enable the sport and brand to control our destiny for future generations,” said J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global Licensing, which manages the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Association brand.
“With a global footprint across 190 countries, we view the Sunday Field as a unique opportunity to highlight U.S. Polo Assn.’s authentic connection to the sport and build additional global brand awareness. Additionally, this opportunity will create an epicenter of polo to promote not only high-goal events such as the Gauntlet of Polo®, but also other best-in-class opportunities at all levels supporting key polo competitions and demographics, such as international, low-goal, medium-goal, women’s, intercollegiate, interscholastic, youth and many others.”
Wellington Village Manager Jim Barnes said the village welcomes the USPA’s purchase of the former IPC facility and the establishment of the National Polo Center, which will ensure polo’s permanent and important presence in the village for the mutual benefit of the polo community and village residents.”
Tim Gannon, co-founder of Outback Steakhouse and three-time winner of the U.S. Open Polo Championship, will serve as chairman of the board of a newly formed USPA subsidiary created to revitalize the social club and hospitality facilities.
Until recentlhy, Wellington Equestrian Partners owned more than 1,000 acres in Wellington and has been the key driver of Wellington’s emergence as the premiere equestrian lifestyle destination in the world. WEP owned both the venues and the operating companies of the three primary pillars of the Wellington Equestrian scene: show jumping, dressage, and polo, which represented over 90 percent of the Wellington equestrian economy.
Wellington’s equestrian festivals host more than 10,000 participants and 250,000 spectators from 50 states and 43 countries. Its events contribute close to $200 million of annual economic impact for Palm Beach County.