Fifteen years ago, Jason Rose had a field of grass, one white tent, a $50 VIP ticket and an idea audacious enough to work: bring the energy of the WM Phoenix Open and the horsepower of Barrett-Jackson to polo.
Today, the Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships is America’s most-attended polo event, complete with elite athletes, luxury tents, collectible cars, fashion shows, canine couture and a field-side DayClub that keeps going after the final match.
But behind the spectacle is Jason, an event producer who understands that the best ideas should sound just a little impossible. For the Polo Party’s 15th anniversary, we asked him 15 questions about the early days, the ideas that soared, the one that involved a zip line and how a quarter mile of tents becomes one of Scottsdale’s biggest afternoons of the year.
1. Fifteen years ago, what did you see missing in Scottsdale?
We have an amazing equestrian heritage here. With Barrett-Jackson and the WM Phoenix Open having such a mighty impact on the area, the original idea was to fuse elements of both into a “Horses & Horsepower” extravaganza. Even in year one, you could see that people found the idea intriguing and fun.
2. You originally set out to create the “Phoenix Open of polo.” When did you realize it could actually become that?
We grew tremendously in year two, particularly in attendance. The first year, it was just the Arizona Polo Club playing itself. But every great event needs athletic integrity, so we brought in Nic Roldan, the best American polo player, along with one of the sport’s biggest hitters. They allowed us to showcase the quality of play just as much as the scene we were creating.
3. What did the Polo Championships look like in year one?
We really had no idea what we were doing. The top ticket price was $50, and we didn’t even have tables available for purchase. People started calling and asking for them, and we were like, “Why?”
Little did we know.
We are pretty fast learners, so we quickly grew beyond that single tent and $50 VIP ticket. It also helped tremendously when M Culinary, which handled the 16th hole at the Phoenix Open, took over food and beverage at WestWorld. Their sophistication allowed us to do things for guests that we could never have accomplished otherwise.
4. Was there ever a year when you wondered if the event would survive?
No. We knew pretty quickly that we had created something very special in the marketplace and something unlike Arizona’s other signature events.
The Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships is one of one. There is nothing quite like sitting fieldside in a big white polo tent on a beautiful Saturday, looking toward the McDowell Mountains as horses and players race down the field, surrounded by luxury cars, fashion and the who’s who of Arizona.
5. Why do you think Scottsdale embraced polo?
The Valley knows how to do big events well, and WestWorld is the perfect venue. It is easily accessible, geographically central and set against the McDowell Mountains at a site already made famous by Barrett-Jackson and the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show.
It also happens at that magical time of year when everyone is finally ready to get back outside after months of living in the furnace.
6. You made an elite sport feel accessible without taking away its sophistication. How intentional was that?
Very. We didn’t want to create just another polo event attended by a few hundred people. The traditional polo circuit was already well established. We wanted to build something where everyone felt comfortable, welcomed and intrigued. It is unquestionably one of the things we are most proud of and a major reason for our success.
7. At this point, are you producing a sporting event, a luxury lifestyle experience or one giant Scottsdale party?
All of the above... and proudly.
One part of the experience people may not fully appreciate until they arrive is the collection of beautiful cars displayed throughout the event. Between our title sponsor, Bentley Scottsdale, and private collectors, it has become a sophisticated polo version of “Cars and Coffee.”
We prefer to call it “Cars and Cocktails.”
8. What test must a wild idea pass before it earns a place at the Polo Party?
It has to resonate with people and be executable by the right team.
The World’s Longest Catwalk Fashion Show, where models and polo players walk hundreds of yards across the field, has been a hit from the outset. So has Canine Couture, where owners dress their dogs outrageously. And everyone loves finishing the day at what we believe is the only DayClub in world polo, with people dancing fieldside during and after the matches.
But plenty of fun ideas haven’t worked. One was a zip line that would allow guests to enter from the parking lot, soar over the fence and land on the grass. Let’s just say women in dresses weren’t very keen on it.
We also pursued the idea of having a polo player parachute onto the field, land and mount a horse to begin the national anthem. He told us, “Really cool idea, but a really bad one. Just ask the horse.”
He was right.
9. Why were rugby, Arizona wine, and “How the West Was Worn” right for the 15th anniversary?
New additions need more than potential; they need great people who can execute them.
The Scottsdale Rugby Club is a terrific, nationally ranked organization, and I know the coach well. The Arizona wine experience is led by a respected event producer. Our new fashion show is being organized by a former model who owns Moo Country, with fashionable stores in Nashville and Bozeman.
We are always looking for elements that appeal to both men and women. That is ultimately one of the event’s greatest strengths: There truly is something for everyone.
10. How do you make sure polo remains the heart of the event?
Polo will always be the heartbeat. Everything pivots off it, both aesthetically and logistically. The fashion, cars, music, food and parties may expand the experience, but the horses, players and matches give it its soul.
11. What moment made you stop and realize what the event had become?
Seeing the caliber of players who have competed here has certainly created those moments. But one of my favorites happened around 2017.
I looked over and saw a group of people sitting in a boat that was being displayed on-site, all singing together. It was the epitome of unadulterated fun. That image captured exactly what we hoped this event could become.
12. What happens behind the scenes that guests would never imagine?
The level of negotiation involved in nearly every facet of the event. The importing of so many horses from Palm Springs, which is a polo mecca. And the massive amount of temporary infrastructure required.
We are given a field of grass. From there, we install nearly a quarter mile of tents and build an entire colorful campus around it. Guests see a polished event. They don’t see the rapids we hit while creating it.
13. You also produce theatrical productions. Do you approach polo like a show?
Yes, although polo came before my musical journeys. Maybe it helped influence my drive in that direction.
Our run of show is most unusual for a polo event. We have aggressively incorporated opera, skydivers, the Sun City Poms, songs from musicals, violinists, spoken word and hip-hop between periods and matches.
In some ways, you could call it Polo: The Musical.
14. After 15 years, what still makes you nervous on event morning?
Always the weather.
Beyond that, I compare producing this event to river rafting. Most people never see when we hit the rapids, but we do. Fortunately, our team has not fallen out of the raft yet.
15. When people leave WestWorld on November 7th, what do you hope they say?
“That was the best edition yet. That was unlike anything I have ever experienced. I can’t wait for next year.”
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