POLO SCENE N E W S
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GETTING HITCHED
Player married in picturesque national park
POLO PLAYER BOB EDMUNDSON married Kathleen
Parke on September 3 at the Chapel of the Transfiguration in Grand Teton National Park in Moose, Wyoming. The bride and groom live in New Orleans but spend summers in Jackson Hole enjoying the cool mountain air and the spectacular polo at the Jackson Hole Polo Club. Bob plays strong defense while Kathleen cheers him on and prepares after-game libations. Many polo friends from around the country celebrated with Bob and Kathleen over five days of festivities, including a rehearsal dinner at the ranch home of Paul Von Gontard, 2014 recipient of the Polo Hall of Fame’s Iglehart Award and owner of the polo club. As Paul was out of the country, his daughter Oatsy Von Gontard made the welcoming toast and encouraged guests to get their pictures as the sun set over the lake and behind the Bob and Kathleen at the rehearsal dinner mountains. Ladies hosted at the Von Gontard’s home. received pashminas in the wedding colors of blush, coral and smoky blue to ward off the night chill, and the evening’s western theme was carried out with antler and birch bark decorations, hay bales, wooden signage, and of course cowboy boots! For the ceremony on Saturday, Kathleen’s son walked her down the aisle. The chapel is a small log cabin with handhewn aspen pews, its one picture window behind the altar framing the Grand Tetons. The couple consider it one of the most beautiful and spiritual places they know, and the guests seemed to agree. The groom forgot to bring the wedding rings to the ceremony, but that did not detract from the beauty of the day. The reception was at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, which overlooks the National Elk Refuge. When not enjoying
18 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Edmundson
the sites, guests danced to the tunes of an eight-piece band while wearing their party favors: light-up, sequined cowboy hats! The bravest of the lot, which naturally included members of the polo club, finished the night at the after-party at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar on the Jackson town square. One of the traditions of the Jackson Hole Polo Club is a Monday afternoon float trip down the Snake River, featuring stunning views and Bob’s famous frozen margaritas. With a touch of fall in the air and leaves beginning to turn, this polo club tradition made the perfect conclusion for a weekend to remember.