newjerseynewsroom.com

BY TOM HESTER SR.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Polo anyone?

If you thought politics is the only spectator sport in Jersey City, you may want to be among the 5,000 people expected to attend the prestigious Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, which will be held at Liberty State Park on June 2.

The fifth annual event, displaced this year from Governor’s Island, is expected to draw a host of celebrity participants and guests with the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline serving as the background. The match will be held rain or shine.

Nacho Figueras and his Black Watch team will compete against some of the world’s best polo players.

Tickets for the event are $25 and include ferry transportation to and from Manhattan to Liberty State Park, or shuttle service from the Liberty State Park Station on NJ Transit’s Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line. All guests must arrive via ferry or Light Rail as no parking will be provided onsite for the event. The actual match is expected to last an hour.

“This event will showcase Liberty State Park, with its spectacular views and ideal location, as a fitting destination for all types of major events,” state Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin said. “It’s part of our effort to make this park more of a destination for New Jersey residents and persons from other states to come here and visit Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, New Jersey’s 9/11 Memorial, the Liberty Science Center, or just take in the incredible views of New York’s skyline and enjoy our park.’’

The Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic has been held at Governors Island since 2008, but a construction project on that island’s playing field required organizers to find a new venue close to Manhattan.

“With views of the New York City skyline, the iconic Statue of Liberty and historic Ellis Island, Liberty State Park truly reflects the spirit of the event,” said Vanessa Kay, president of Veuve Clicquot U.S. “We are thrilled to have found the ideal location to host the fifth-annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic.’’

The event will benefit a charity to be announced in the coming weeks by Veuve Clicquot and will include a donation to the nonprofit Friends of Liberty State Park. Veuve Clicquot also will pay a user fee to the state and will upgrade the playing field.

Liberty State Park will remain open during this event. All areas outside of the polo grounds will be available to the public, as usual.

Martin said bringing a variety of events and attractions, like the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, to Liberty State Park is part of the DEP’s overall strategy. Currently, the park is home to two travelling exhibits: Alcatraz: Life on the Rock and Gateway to Gold Mountain, The Asian Immigration Experience: Angel Island 1910-1940, which are on display for free through June 30.

“We want to give visitors to Liberty State Park a variety of interesting and entertaining opportunities that will draw them to this spectacular site,’’ said Lou Valente, chief project advisor for the state Division of Natural and Historic Resources.

For information on tickets for the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, visit: http://www.vcpoloclassic.com/