World Polo League Beach Polo 2019
CHUKKERS & CHAMPAGNE CHAMPION A CHILDREN’S CAUSE
World Polo League Beach Polo Benefits Give Back for Special Equestrians
Three days of chukkers and champagne championed an important children’s cause April 26-28 when polo, the sport of kings, kicked off a three-day-tournament on the pearl white sands of Miami Beach.
Polo ponies galloped across the sands while a bevy of beauties sipped champagne in the beachside VIP tent, but it was not all horse play - the glamorous World Polo League Beach Polo competition showcasing a dashing mix of international polo players, stylish celebrities and New York and Miami socialites served as an important fundraiser for Give Back for Special Equestrians a charity providing therapeutic horseback riding scholarships for disabled children and veterans in Florida, New York and Colorado.
Give Back for Special Equestrians, an all-volunteer non-profit, was founded in 2013, by Sissy DeMaria-Koehne, Dr. Heather Kuhl and Isabel Ernst and aims to share the joy of horses and horsemanship with children and veterans facing some of life’s most difficult challenges like Autism, Paralysis, Spina Bifida and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder by raising funds and awarding scholarships for deserving special needs riders.
The competitive Neiman Marcus Celebrity Charity polo match, held on the final day of the competition pitted the Give Back for Special Equestrians team consisting of supermodel Ines Rivero, former NFL player Jeremy Shockey, and Swiss professional player Tito Gaudenzi, against the Museum of Polo Hall of Fame team made up of actor Sterling Jones, TV news anchor Louis Aguirre, and professional player Grant Ganzi.
A number of goals were scored throughout the tournament, but the real winners were the disabled children who benefit from the important mission of Give Back for Special Equestrians. Equine therapy also known as hippo therapy dates back to the Ancient Greeks. The transformative benefits of equine therapy help people with disabilities by improving balance, posture, and hand-eye coordination, as well as self-esteem, self-confidence and self-control.
“Give Back for Special Equestrians aims to become a national fundraising vehicle for thousands of PATH-certified stables nationwide who have children in need of this special therapy and the partnership with World Polo League Beach Polo furthered our central mission by increasing awareness to this cause,’ said Sissy DeMaria-Koehne, “ We want to thank Tito Gaudenzi, founder of Beach Polo and president of, Lifestyle Companies, the event organizer, as well as our supporting partners, Fisher Island Club, Lalique and Canarias, presenting sponsor, World Polo League, team sponsors, U.S. Polo Assn., Speedärt Motorsports, Peroni, FlexJet, Fiji, Setai, Italkraft, hospitality sponsors, The Setai, Miami Beach, SLS South Beach, Menin Hospitality, W Hotel South Beach, supporting sponsors, Barbados, YachtLife, Mandrake, PE Fitness, Bodega, Cartier Eyewear, Miami Cocktail, Château d'Esclans, Whispering Angel, Casa Noble Tequila, Harmless Harvest, Halo Sport, the Bungalow Bazaar, Sonder & Holliday, Vale Cuarto, Hido, Vitasquad, Casa Tua, Chukker TV, and Grand Champions Polo Club.”
