The Galloping Pig features a polo match between the Cincinnati and Columbus Polo Clubs, but also live music, food and fun for polo fans of all ages.

The Galloping Pig features a polo match between the Cincinnati and Columbus Polo Clubs, but also live music, food and fun for polo fans of all ages.
By Chris Chaney
Sun staff

The Cincinnati Polo Club, in conjunction with the BowTie Foundation, will put on the second annual Galloping Pig at Wilshire Farms in Goshen on Saturday, Aug. 16 with the festivities kicking off at 11:30 a.m.

The two worthwhile organizations joined forces last year for the first incarnation of the Galloping Pig and the success of the event spurred a repeat in 2014. The BowTie Foundation, the brainchild of former Cincinnati Bengal Dhani Jones, is a local community fund that supports underprivileged youth.

“Dhani Jones contacted us (last year) and told us he would like to put on a polo match (to benefit his foundation),” CPC President Keith Potter said of the event’s inception. “On his show, (‘Dhani Tackles the Globe’) he had seen some polo and liked it. (The BowTie Foundation) event planners contacted us and asked if we’d do it and we told them, ‘sure, that’s what we’re all about.’”

Last year, the event benefitted Breakthrough Cincinnati, an organization that partnered with the Cincinnati Art Museum to give motivated urban middle school students a new way to learn, create and experience art.

This year, the BowTie Foundation tapped SOTENI International and the University of Cincinnati Gen-1 Theme House & Program as the benefactors of the event.

The Gen-1 program is a nationally recognized cutting-edge University of Cincinnati initiative that promotes the academic success of first-generation Pell-eligible college students. SI is a Cincinnati-based 501(c)(3) corporation working to prevent the spread and mitigate the effects of HIV/AIDS in its four Villages of Hope in rural Kenya.

With the funds raised by the 2014 Galloping Pig, the Gen-1 Program will promote the academic success of its students by providing the opportunity for two qualified UC students to intern with SOTENI in Kenya.

Like last year, the event will feature more than just a polo match. Live music will be played before and after the match by Young Heirlooms, a pop folk band, and Lagniappe.

There are also a variety of ways to attend the event. General admission is $15 per person and provides onsite parking and standing/sitting room viewing.

Drive-ins are $75 per car and afford a larger group a 10’ by 15’ space in front of their vehicle where they can watch the match. Spaces along the field are assigned with priority to early purchasers. Busses and vehicles with a capacity more than 10 will be charged an additional $50.

Food, soft drinks and adult beverages will be available for purchase by cash only at the event. No glass, grills or outside alcohol may be brought in.

For those willing to go all out for the experience, VIP tickets are available for $100 per person. The VIP package offers a private tent and grandstand with prime views, all-you-can-eat Eli’s BBQ buffet and a hosted bar with top-shelf liquors.

For an additional $25, VIP ticket holders will receive round-trip transportation from downtown Cincinnati.

The linchpin of the event will be the polo match between the Cincinnati and Columbus Polo Clubs, which will begin at 1 p.m. Cincinnati beat Columbus 6-4 last year.

The CPC and BowTie Foundation had a nice turnout last year with more than 500 people in attendance, which not only helps the cause, but also makes for a more exciting match.

“It’s definitely more fun to play in front of a big crowd,” CPC member Torie Front said. “That’s a big thing for us. Plus, they’re expecting more people this year, so that should be fun.”

Adding to the fun atmosphere is the suggested apparel of bow ties and sundresses.

For more information about the event, log on to thegallopingpig.com. And for more information about the Cincinnati Polo Club, you can check out their website at cincinnatipoloclub.com.

Be sure to follow along with updates from the event by following @TheGallopingPig on Twitter and liking their Facebook page at facebook.com/TheGallopingPig.