The American Polo Classic brought an all-star showcase to BD Field on Saturday, September 12, as two Newport squads faced off in six chukkers of fast-paced competition. Presented by Turkish Airlines and held in partnership with Aston Martin Boston, the match paired seasoned professionals with ambitious amateurs for one of the final contests of Newport Polo’s 150th Diamond Jubilee season.
The afternoon’s Yacht Rock theme brought breezy coastal style to the polo grounds, with spectators arriving in nautical blues, tropical prints and relaxed resort attire. Tailgates embraced the sounds and spirit of the era with creative displays for the Stella Artois Best in Show competition.
Official Match Sponsor BMW of Newport brought another kind of horsepower to BD Field. A Grieco Family Company and longtime Newport Polo partner, BMW of Newport showcased the 2027 BMW X7 and 2025 BMW M5 Touring along the sidelines. Peter Mayers, Director for the USA at Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., opened the match with the ceremonial coin toss.
The Navy Team took the field with Chris Fragomeni, Stuart O’Dell, Rory Torrey and Dave Bullis. Their opponents wore red, represented by Roger Souto, Tommy Garzera, Dan Keating and Oscar Monzon.
Bullis opened the scoring for Navy in the first chukker before Torrey followed with another goal, establishing an early 2–0 advantage.
O’Dell extended Navy’s lead in the second, but Red quickly responded. Monzon put his team on the board before Souto narrowed the deficit to one. O’Dell then struck again, sending Navy into the third chukker with a 4–2 lead.
Garzera opened the third-period scoring for Red, but O’Dell answered with his third goal of the afternoon to preserve Navy’s two-goal advantage. Navy carried a 5–3 lead into halftime.
Following an injury to Monzon, the Red Team adjusted its lineup for the final three chukkers. Jair Zenteno entered the match at No. 3, while Keating moved to the No. 4 position.
Garzera immediately sparked a Red Team comeback when play resumed, scoring twice in the fourth chukker to erase the deficit and level the match at 5–5.
Navy regained control in the fifth. Bullis scored his second goal of the afternoon before O’Dell added his fourth and Torrey followed with his second. The three-goal run gave Navy an 8–5 advantage entering the final chukker.
Zenteno mounted one last charge for Red in the sixth, scoring twice to bring his team within one. Navy held firm through the closing moments, however, securing a hard-fought 8–7 victory in the American Polo Classic.
Barbados Tourism added a taste of the Caribbean to the afternoon as the Official Divot Stomp Sponsor. Pavilion guests sampled Bajan specialties prepared by renowned Chef Myles, including grilled baby lamb chops, macaroni pie, chicken wings, fish cakes and traditional sweet bread.
At halftime, spectators filled the field for the traditional divot stomp and Barbados cork hunt. One lucky participant uncovered a five-day, four-night escape for two to Colony Club, a Luxury Collection Resort on the island’s celebrated West Coast.
At Dillon’s Patio Bar, the “If You Like Peach-a-Coladas” served as the Drink of the Day alongside specialty cocktails, boutique wines, Stella Artois on draft and Veuve Clicquot Champagne.
Guests also shopped from Simply Chickie, Blue Light Boutique and the Newport Polo Pro Shop. The West Lawn featured Ben & Jerry’s, Brie & Honey Charcuterie, Amano Pizza & Gelato, La Costa Lobster & Tacos, Bad Bird and JavaJai Coffee Co.
Following the final bell, spectators gathered at center field for the Veuve Clicquot Trophy Presentation. Robert Grieco, Domenic Grieco and BMW of Newport General Manager James Costakos Jr. joined the players on the podium to present the American Polo Classic trophy to the Navy Team before the afternoon concluded with a celebratory champagne toast.
The Newport International Polo Series returns Saturday, September 19, when Team USA faces Switzerland in an international showdown sponsored by Forty 1 North. Guests are invited to embrace the Alpine Picnic theme for another afternoon of championship polo and fieldside festivities during the 150th Diamond Jubilee season.
Along with Aston Martin Boston, the Polo Series is proud to welcome partnerships with Brenton Hotel │ Turkish Airlines │ Foxwoods Resort Casino │ TD Bank │BD │ Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers │ Vanderbilt International Properties │ Hotel Viking │ Hammetts Hotel │ Newport Harbor Island Resort │ Forty 1° North │ Veuve Clicquot Champagne │Modern Luxury Boston │ Providence Business News │ Penelope Bourbon │ Clarke Cooke House │ RISE │The Macallan │ Brugal Rum │ Highclere Castle Gin │ Surfside │ Kadeema Rentals │ Spirit Water │ Absolut │ Codigo 1530 Tequila │ Gooseneck Vineyards Prosecco │ Chateau Sainte Marguerite Rosé │ Atria Senior Living │ Stella Artois │ A1 Roofing & Construction │ Grieco BMW │ Kinsella Building Co. │ ROCKSTAR Limo │ Classical 95.9 WCRI │ Cointreau │ Visit Jamaica │ Mt. Gay Silver Rum; and promotional partners including The Cocktail Guru │ Newport Jaguar Tours │ Sailing Yacht Tree of Life │ Island Adventure │ Cocoa & Co │ International Tennis Hall of Fame │ Newport Vineyards │ Elizabeth in Newport │ Newport Mansions │ Sea Newport │ Adventure Kiteboarding School │ Newport Kites │ Newport Classical | Discover Newport.