'Polo for Preservation' offers a glimpse into the Gold Coast's past

The grandeur of those Great Gatsby days of F. Scott Fitzgerald comes alive at SUNY College at Old Westbury, on the grounds of an historic Long Island treasure, the Clark Family Stables. This is where an afternoon of championship polo is being played. Guests can partake of a summer "lawn party" while watching a 2 1/2 hour polo match by members of the Meadowbrook Polo Club.It is part of Old Westbury Foundation's ongoing fundraising effort to raise monies to restore the renowned stables. The College at Old Westbury resides on 604 acres that were once the estate of F. Ambrose Clark (1881-1964), whose family led the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Mr. Clark was a leading figure in horse racing for more than sixty yearsThe stables, among the most famous on Long Island, have fallen into disrepair and not been in use for almost twenty years. "They are at risk of becoming permanently lost," said College spokesman Michael Kinane. "Since public financing is not available to assist in renovation the facility, a campaign has been launched to restore this historic treasure." Only three buildings remain of the original Clark estate built in 1912, including the historic stables, then called the F. Ambrose Clark Racing Stables. The stables contain 43 stalls. The main structure is an open-air brick facility with the stalls facing inward to a courtyard used for grooming and watering the horses. The building has two stories, with the upper level used for residential, business, and social purposes. The last time the stables were in use was in the mid-1980s. Since then they have been left idle and have fallen into neglect.The Old Westbury College Foundation has launched a campaign to raise $1 million to restore this magnificent facility to its original splendor. " The historic stable we seek to rehabilitate exists on a college campus where hundreds of acres of open space is available to people to ride their horses," said Foundation Chairman Brian Madden."The vision is to have a fully operational equestrian center accessible to the college and the public. In the future, we hope to construct a museum that celebrates the history of horsemanship on Long Island." As a means of introducing to the public to this regional treasure, 'polo for preservation' seems an ideal fit. This is the third year of the event, which draws 300 to 400 horse lovers, of all ages. "It is a family affair," said Kinane. "Children especially enjoy 'divet stomping' on the field after the match."For those that are new to the sport, the Meadowbrook Polo Club provides an excellent introduction. It is among the most historic polo clubs in the nation, with its roots dating back to 1877. The Meadowbrook Polo Club participated in the first-ever polo match on Long Island, setting the stage for the region's role as "polo capital of the world" during the 1920s. The club recaptured that title in 1994 when it served as host to the U.S. Open Polo Championship, the premier event in American polo.

3rd Annual Summer Polo Match and Lawn Party