As Argentine stars Ignacio Novillo Astrada and Santiago Bottaro sat at the end of the field and talked Saturday morning at the Polo Reserve Development, guests were starting to file in. They were about to eat, drink, bid on silent auction items — and, most certainly, watch the upcoming games in the 22nd annual Schomp BMW Denver Polo Classic.
It was a polo-oriented scene right out of the movie “Pretty Woman.” It was the sport mentioned in “Evita,” unsurprising given the musical’s Argentine setting. It was the pastime that came up, to great comic effect, in a classic scene from “The Honeymooners.” And it’s the sport so enthusiastically played by Prince Charles and his sons.
Polo is on display this weekend at the huge field — nine times the size of a football field — in the exclusive Littleton development. The Denver Polo Classic, which concludes today with the final two matches, is expected to again raise at least $360,000 for children’s charities. Denver businessman Robert Jornayvaz, a polo enthusiast and patron for the sport’s Team Valiente, is serving as the event’s host sponsor in addition to playing on one of the four-person teams.
“This is a great event for Denver, first to help charities and second to promote the sport,” Bottaro said. “For people who might not know a lot about the sport, it’s a good time for everybody to see what’s going on.”
Under the sport’s handicapping system that is designed to balance out teams, nonprofessionals and pros can be on the same teams in these sorts of tournaments. Unlike golf, the highest handicap numbers go to the best players. The Denver Polo Classic’s parameters are that the combined handicaps of the four players on each team are from 14 to 16. If one team has a combined 14 handicap and the other 16, the team with the lower number starts the game with two goals on the scoreboard.
Astrada, whose “handicap” of 9 makes him roughly the 10th-best player in the world, and Bottaro, at 6, are two of the elite players divided among the four teams in the Classic. Each team competes under the name of one of the Classic’s main sponsors.
“This sport is so fun because you have to have a good relationship with the horses and with nature,” said Astrada, 31. “The danger isn’t so much, but it still gives you the adrenaline to make it more fun. It’s like extreme skiing. Once you get to a certain level, it gets more dangerous, and that can make it more fun.”
Astrada’s father, Eduardo, is a wealthy Argentinian businessman with interests in film and theaters, among other areas, who played polo for fun. Several of his sons are polo pros. Both Miguel and Eduardo Jr. have 10 handicaps, and Ignacio reached that level three years ago but dropped down a notch.
“What you need to get to 10 is the organization,” Ignacio said. “You need at least six really good horses and to try and keep them safe and sound. Once you get that, you can get quite high in the rankings.”
Bottaro, 34, didn’t get started in the sport until he was 17 — a stunningly late beginning for a world-class player, especially one from Argentina. He was raised on his family’s cattle ranch. “I was on a horse soon after I was born,” he said. “For me, riding a horse is like walking or breathing. But I always loved horses, and for me, this has been a good way to be around horses and travel around the world.”
In Saturday’s matches, Team BKD defeated Team Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell 12-11, and Bottaro’s Team Ritz Carlton defeated Astrada’s Team Schomp BMW 10-9. The losers meet in the consolation match at 10:45 a.m. today, with the winners set to meet for the championship in the second game.
Team Valiente will leave Monday for Santa Barbara, Calif., and the upcoming Pacific Coast Open, which is considered a slight step up because of a 20-handicap maximum.
Terry Frei: 303-954-1895 or tfrei@denverpost.com
Schomp BMW Denver Polo Classic
What: Championship Day, today
Where: Polo Reserve Development, 4401 W. Mineral Ave.
Encouraged wardrobe: Derby hats and garden attire.
Tickets: Available at the gate. $225 all-inclusive, catered food, drinks and admission.
SCHEDULE
Gates open 10:30 a.m.
Consolation game, 10:45 a.m.: Team Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell vs. Team Schomp BMW
Championship game to follow: Team BKD vs. Team Ritz Carlton-Denver
