AMERICA'S CUP OF POLO RECEPTION

May 11 • Morven Park Equestrian Center

PHOTOS BY NOEL RYAN

THE EVENT: The night before the big game, cup sponsors and organizers gathered for a country black-tie reception celebrating the culmination of three years of hard work. Representatives from Cartier, Ritz-Carlton, Booz Allen Hamilton, Suntrust, nearby Landsdowne Resorts and the Virginia Wine, Travel and Tourism Offi ce, among others took the spotlight with Journey band members and an energetic pack of Piedmont foxhounds.

David Ravandi and Otto W. Horning III	U.K. Polo team members Howard Hipwood, Debbie Nash, Max Secunda and Jeff Davis

Tareq and Michaele Salahi	Antoinette Wysocki and Brooke Falk

Jim and Margaret Fitzpatrick	Sheila Johnson conducting

Jennifer Burkhart and Jack Landon	Journey's Neil Schon and Jeff Soto

Sean Quarmby and Lani Miller	Celissa and Paul Kunder

Piedmont foxhounds with huntsman Richard Roberts

CARTIER RECEPTION FOR AMERICA'S CUP OF POLO

April 26 • Cartier Chevy Chase

PHOTOS BY EDGAR BECERRA

THE EVENT: America's Cup co-chairs Tareq and Michaele Shalahi along with America's Cup director of polo Charles Muldoon co-hosted a glittering kick-off for the event at the Chevy Chase home of renowned jeweler Cartier, the sponsor of the U.S. Team.

Cynthia Benitez McClory, Caroline Helmly and Jack Helmly	Dr. Fady Sharara, Raola Sharara, Iman Al- Thani and Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al-Thani

Michaele Salahi	Fariba Jahanbani, Charles Muldoon and Debbie Nash

Judie Cochiolo and Susan McFairlin

THE RIDE OF MY LIFE

BY DEBBIE NASH

Tareq and Michaele Salahi invited me to play on the British Polo team while we were at a Journey concert in Nottingham, England in February. They were promoting the Americas cup of Polo there. I had gone to visit my mother and was on my way to see a friend in Spain. Playing in the game seemed like the obvious thing to do, especially as I now live just outside Warrenton, Virginia.

I was born in Stratford upon Avon, England and started playing polo after going to an event similar to the America's Cup of Polo in 1995. After seeing the game I took polo lessons and was immediately hooked. Polo has since taken over my life. I now play in the summer in the Virginia area and spend my winter holidays in places such as Argentina, Chile, Dubai, Jamaica, Spain, Uruguay, Columbia and Florida playing in tournaments. I am on the board of both Great Meadow Polo club and former Redskin George Starke's Excel, a Washington based charity; and a social committee member of the British American Business Association.

The whole week of the America's Cup of Polo was a whirl for me. It started with HM Queen Elizabeth's Garden party, then cocktail evenings with sponsors such as Ritz-Carlton and Cartier. A Multiple Sclerosis Society Gala at Morven Park, plus doing interviews with several TV stations local newspapers and magazines. But the best part of it is the people I have met on the journey. It seemed like everyone knew about the polo match at Morvern Park – and if they didn't, they wanted a ticket. What a terrifi c day thanks to all the sponsors and supporters. What a game polo is and we won! Then, it was time to put my hat on and drink Champagne on the sidelines.

Polo convert Debbie Nash