Polo continues to flourish in south Florida, and the Port Mayaca Polo Club based in Martin County, just northwest of Palm Beach, remains a great example of that.
The Club was founded by the Orthwein family, who have been playing polo in the region for three generations since the 1950s. The Club is currently operated by Virginia Polo alum, Stevie Orthwein, Jr., and other Virginia Polo alumni including Robert Orthwein, Brad Scherer, Hutton Goodman, Felipe Viana, Nachi Viana, Kylie Sheehan, Nick Barry, and Carlos Arellano have all been out to play this year.
Port Mayaca began hosting games and practices in 2008 with the goal of bringing together great polo on great fields with the express purpose per its mission statement to, “strive to promote competition without animosity, quality without pretense, comfort without extravagance, and sportsmanship above all else.” The Port Mayaca Polo Club is a unique, family-oriented polo club focused on providing superior polo and equestrian facilities for polo players to enjoy and collaborate in all aspects of the polo lifestyle.
The Club features eight regulation Bermuda grass fields, two stick and ball fields, two exercise tracks, a Clubhouse with a full-service restaurant, and Club barns that stable 130 horses. From this strong core, the Club also comprises of 20, 20-acre polo farm parcels that have been purchased by polo enthusiasts from around the world. The farm owners include high-goal polo programs like Postage Stamp Farm, which has already built an additional field, Dutta Corp, the premier international horse transport specialists, Pite Merlos’ Infinit Polo, and Santiago Chavanne, to name a few that have all been busy breaking ground on new barns and facilities.
USPA Butler Handicap 18 Goal, Old Hickory Bourbon: (L to R) Stevie Orthwein, Santino Magrini, Matias Magrini, Keko Magrini
This dynamic group and many others have grown polo in the region impressively. The 2021 season at Port Mayaca hosted several prominent tournaments like the 18-goal USPA Butler Handicap, the 14-goal USPA Heritage Cup, 18-goal USPA Monty Waterbury, the 14-goal Live Oak Challenge, and the 8-goal USPA President’s Cup. Additionally, all the Women’s US Open preliminary games were held at Port Mayaca, which showcased the highest-rated women’s polo in the world. Beyond this impressive tournament roster, Port Mayaca offers the most prolific practice schedule in south Florida hosting three practices a week, which amounted to over 100 practices in the season welcoming all levels of polo. Finally, there have been limited capacity charity benefit games for local charities and the Polo Player’s Support Group underscoring the incredible versatility and capabilities of the Club and its excellent managers, staff, and fields.
For the polo players in the region and for the Club, 2021 remains a beginning. As the polo farms surrounding the Club continue to grow, “the Port Mayaca Polo Club looks for more collaboration and more exciting polo as it seeks to be the center of the best polo in the region and in the country,” said Orthwein. “All Virginia Polo Alumni should come down to Florida to see the exciting new developments!”