One of polo’s oldest traditions becomes a spectacle in white—with paradise hidden underfoot
Careful Where You Tread…
This Saturday at halftime, keep your eyes on the turf.
Hidden somewhere on BD Field will be the key to a luxury five-day, four-night Barbados escape for two. Somewhere among all those divots, paradise is quite literally underfoot—and one eagle-eyed spectator will find it.
So stomp carefully, search strategically and don’t be too quick to put your foot down. While thousands of spectators help restore the field for the second half, one lucky guest will walk away Barbados-bound.
See It in White
And what a sight the search promises to be.
For Newport vs. Palm Beach, the entire audience is invited to dress head-to-toe in white for Stella Artois Best in Show: Worth Avenue Whites. At halftime, the sidelines will suddenly empty as a sea of white spills onto the emerald green of BD Field.
White linen. White sundresses. White hats. White trousers. Thousands of spectators crisscrossing the field beneath the late-August sky, Champagne in hand and eyes to the turf.
For a few glorious minutes, the spectators become part of the spectacle—and this Saturday, one becomes the winner.
A Timeless Polo Tradition
Of course, the Divot Stomp has a purpose far older than the party.
Known traditionally as treading-in, the ritual has been part of polo for generations, its exact beginnings lost to history but likely rooted in the rain-softened playing fields of England before becoming a familiar halftime sight at polo grounds around the world.
Eight galloping ponies can lift hundreds of pieces of turf during the first half. Spectators lend their heels to replacing those divots, helping smooth the playing surface so the ball travels cleanly and horses and players can return safely to full speed.
It remains one of polo’s most charming peculiarities: the audience actually helps put the playing field back together. Princes and patrons, children and first-timers have all joined generations of polo fans in lending a foot to the cause.
Then comes the whistle. The field clears. The ponies return.
The second half is ready to fly—and one lucky guest‘s flight will be all the way to Barbados!
