History of Polo at Roseland Farm
Established 1996
After David & Ellen King moved to Virginia from Houston, Texas in 1995, their search for a farm had one priority; 12 acres of relatively flat ground for a polo field. Vineyards and a winery were not even a dream at that point. David had played polo since 1980 and wanted a polo field and polo club to continue enjoying the sport. The farm that now contains both Roseland Polo and King Family Vineyards fit perfectly into the family’s vision: a country place where we could all live, work, and play.
Roseland Polo Today
The Roseland Polo Club now has grown from David and Ellen’s vision to strive to grow the sport of polo in the Charlottesville area. The Roseland Polo Club gives the public exposure to polo through free polo matches for watching every Sunday and offering fans a chance to learn to play through The Roseland Polo School.
Get Involved
Come out and watch one of our free Roseland Polo matches every Sunday during the summer or give polo a try yourself! Learn more about Polo lessons at King Family Vineyards by scrolling down to The Roseland Polo School.
Email us at roselandpolo@kingfamilyvineyards.com to sign up today!
About the sport of Polo
Polo Match Guidelines
- A polo team is comprised of four players. The object of the game is to move the polo ball down the field, hitting the ball through the goalposts to score. The teams then change direction after each goal to compensate for field and wind conditions.
- The field is 300 yards long and 160 yards wide–roughly ten football fields.
- The match lasts about one and a half to two hours long and is divided into timed periods called chukkers – each chukker is 7 ½ minutes long. Matches are either four or six chukkers divided by half time.
- During halftime, spectators are encouraged to walk the field to stomp divots.
- Play begins when the umpire throws the ball in at the opening of the first chukker. After each goal is scored, the umpire will resume play with another “bowl in” at the center of the field.
- Players change horses after each chukker due to the extreme demands placed on the polo pony.
- Most of the rules of polo are for the safety of the polo players and their ponies. The basic concept is the line of the ball, a right-of-way established by the path of the traveling ball. Much like the yellow lines on a two-lane road that keep cars in their right of way, the ball creates an invisible right of way for the polo player.
