Inside Last Weekend’s District Cup Polo Match

Hundreds of polo enthusiasts from the greater DC area gathered at the National Mall last weekend for a premier match of polo, one of the oldest sports known to man. The District Cup, an annual polo match and beneficiary event, returned to the polo grounds at West Potomac Park, bringing some notable names in polo, including Nacho Figueras, the event’s headlining polo player from Argentina.

Every year, The District Cup supports a local cause to donate the event’s proceeds. The 2019 beneficiary was the Trust for the National Mall’s Campaign to Rebuild the U.S. Park Police Horse Stables. Built more than 40 years ago as a temporary facility, the stables on the National Mall are in disrepair. Construction of a new stable will include improved turn-out, proper drainage, secure police staff offices, and an interactive educational area for visitors.

District Cup guests, including Sheila Johnson (President & CEO of the Salamander Resort & Spa), Catherine Townsend  (President & CEO of The Trust for the National Mall), Chip and Sally Akridge (Founder and Chairman of the Trust for the National Mall), and Megan Eunpu  (Miss DC for America 2019) watched as four teams — with players from the United States and Mexico — participated in polo play.