Lighting Up Arena Nights Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club addressed the longstanding need for expanded teaching hours at the Polo Academy with six new arena lights. Leading the project was Westmont Alum and twotime Intercollegiate National Champion, Tony Uretz. The brilliantly illuminated arena nestled amongst the foothills of Carpinteria is now able to accommodate evening practices and games throughout the winter. In partnership with Polo Training Center Santa Barbara, a fundraising campaign facilitated the project. The University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) and Westmont College call the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club arena home. During project manager Tony Uretz’ tenure at Westmont, he and brother Patrick Uretz spent countless hours practicing. With daylight hours being a limiting factor during the winter, Uretz was intimately familiar with the need for new lighting. Fast forward several years, Tony completed an internship and accepted a full-time position with Justin Klentner at Western Built Construction. When the club approached Klentner, he knew Tony was the perfect person to lead 22
the project. “It feels like I have come full-circle with this light installation. This was my summer and college polo home. Installing arena lights will allow the club to host activities after business hours and introduce locals to the sport. I am excited to see the club continue to grow,” says Uretz. The arena’s expanded operating hours had an immediate impact on the Polo Academy’s activities. During the winter, the Interscholastic team practiced twice a week in the evening and all Intercollegiate players were able to practice 3 times a week. Polo Academy Director, Jeff Scheraga, hopes the flexible playing hours will also encourage people in the local community to come try polo after work hours. The polo arena is now in fine form to accommodate students and players throughout the year.
