Polo Club aims to open exclusive world

New owner of Old Westbury organization seeks to make niche sport more accessible

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Polo, one of the world’s oldest team sports played on the backs of horses, can be a niche and expensive sport, but the new owner of Meadow Brook Polo Club in Old Westbury is making the sport more accessible to introduce locals to the club in their own backyard.

Chetan Krishna, who took over ownership last year, is wrapping up his second season managing the club.

Krishna said the Meadow Brook Polo Club is one of the oldest clubs in the United States, formed in 1881 as a venue for golf, polo, fox hunting and other equestrian sports. The polo field was established just three years after the club’s opening in 1884.

In the 1920s, the U.S. Open Polo tournament was held at the club’s Bethpage, L.I., field.

But as time has progressed, Krishna said popular interest in the sport has died off.

Krishna said many people have only a slight awareness of the sport of polo and few have an idea about how to explore it further. He said the history of the sport has lent it an air of eliteness, which turns many people away.

But Krishna’s objective is to fight this preconceived notion and provide a completely accessible polo club to new and old fans alike.

“Anyone can come watch and everyone has a great time with it,” Krishna said.

Krishna started as a player at Meadow Brook but said he was not happy with how the club was being managed. He said that while he was improving after two seasons on the field, he began seeking out other clubs to play at.

This is when the previous owners approached Krishna and asked him to take over the club.

Now in this position, Krishna said he is on a mission to revitalize the polo club, sharing the exciting and unique sport with potentially new fans and bringing the club into a new golden era.

Krishna has three plans of action to invigorate the club

His first plan of action is to update the playing fields.

“Build it, then they come,” Krishna said.

Meadow Brook Polo Club has three fields: Meadow Brook Polo Fields in Old Westbury, Bethpage Polo Field in Bethpage and Caumsett Polo Fields in Lloyd Harbor.

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