Sep 06, 2017 5:18 PM
The Oak Brook Polo Club in Oak Brook, Illinois, recently announced the expansion of the 2017 season with a benefit match on Sunday, September 17, at 2:00pm ET in honor of friend and fellow teammate Tony Sekera.
On Friday, June 2, Sekera was badly injured during a solo stick -and-ball practice near Aiken, South Carolina. His favorite polo pony took a bad stumble resulting in Sekera somersaulting over the animal’s head fracturing his C4 and C5 vertebrae with devastating spinal cord damage. He was airlifted to Augusta University Medical Center for an emergency surgery to realign vertebrae and decompress his spinal cord. Sekera stayed in the Shock Trauma Unit for two weeks until he was stabilized enough to be flown to Chicago's world class Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly RIC).
Due to significant immobility below his shoulders. Sekera will have to rely on 24/7 nursing care. Anyone who knows him is aware of his determination, tenacity and positive attitude, however, this injury also presents insurmountable challenges. Oak Brook Polo Club would like to garner public support and help Sekera in his recovery.
“Team Up for Tony” will take place at the Prince of Wales Field as an all field-side tailgate ticketed event. Guests can bring their own picnic and beverages while enjoying a game of high-goal polo. All proceeds will be donated to the Sekera family to support Sekera’s long-term care and therapy.
“Tony has and will always be a dear friend and teammate to the entire Chicago polo community,” explains Danny O’Leary, managing director of Oak Brook Polo Club. “We are committed to helping the Sekera family raise donations for Tony’s long-term care and therapy. His profound love of the game and recollections of his time in the saddle go back decades, not just at Oak Brook, but across Chicagoland.”
Oak Brook Polo Club’s final match in the “International Polo Series” is Sunday, September 10, against Great Britain.
2017 marks Oak Brook Polo Club's 95th season as one of the nation's oldest polo clubs in operation today and fourth oldest sports property in Chicago. Once considered the “polo capital” of the world Oak Brook was the destination for American polo players and enthusiasts.
Gates open at 12:00pm ET and tailgate parking will be on a first come, first serve basis. Tickets are $30 per tailgate spot or $10 for general field parking and are available at www.oakbrookpoloclub.com. For general information and parking directions, please call 630.368.5095.
Effective Date: Saturday, May 16, 2020
The suspension of USPA Tournaments and Events will be lifted for USPA Member Clubs in locales where hosting polo matches and tournaments is permitted under applicable state and local laws, executive orders and similar decrees. The USPA Member Clubs in these locales are encouraged to follow all such requirements of their state and local authorities with respect to polo operations. In addition, we also encourage all USPA Member Clubs to take the precautions recommended by the CDC. We are preparing a detailed list of best practices for USPA Member Clubs as they return to hosting USPA Tournaments and Events and plan to circulate these guidelines within the next week. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely and will notify you if we determine a different course of action is necessary.
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