Meet Erica Gandomcar Sachs |
Owner of Denver Polo Club
Erica, can you tell us your backstory with polo and your family’s story with pioneering polo in Colorado and founding the Denver Polo Club in 1986?
Hi my name is Erica Gandomcar Sachs and my family and I started Cottonwood Riding Club in 1982. My mom and dad came from humble beginnings. My father worked at a print shop printing newspapers and magazines, while my mom worked at AETNA Life Insurance. They had a love for people and horses and fell in love with a property in south west Littleton.
They convinced the old farmer to sell them the property, then little by little and piece by piece the facility has grown into one of the largest family owned boarding and training facilities west of the Mississippi, now known as Cottonwood Riding Club, home of the Denver Polo Club.
With my fathers love of polo, he gentrified polo in Colorado. Each summer we would host multiple visiting teams from other countries and raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for various charities. WiMy mother and father were good hardworking business-minded parents, and the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Now my sister and I run the business, making one great superhuman.
I started playing polo when I was eight years old and had the honor of being on the field with people from all over the world and all different walks of life. I fell in love with the people, community, and especially the horses.
For college, I attended, Colorado State University and played on their polo team each of the four years I attended the university, winning regional championships, All American, and Colorado Sportsman of the Year. After college, I continue to play, traveling to play across the globe, and meeting some incredible people.
Over the years, I’ve played in several top tournaments, won multiple awards, but one of my fondest tournaments was representing my country at the Women’s World Cup in Argentina in 2022. I have been fortunate enough to make polo my life and it runs in my veins. I love every aspect of the sport, and I can’t imagine doing anything else.
You have been called the leading female polo player of your generation- how do you now give back to the next generation of polo players?
It is been an honor and pleasure to be part of the U.S. Polo Association. Through that, I have helped professionalize women’s polo. It was only a few short years ago that women were not allowed to play. The generation before me broke those barriers and we built upon that foundation bringing women’s polo to the fore of the sport and transforming it into what you see today.
Tell us about Sunday Funday polo tailgates and what they have to offer? How can people attend?
A few times a year, Denver Polo Club opens its gates to the public with its Sunday Funday series. Park and party right next to the action, watching polo from the sidelines while tailgating or mixing and mingling at the club’s field-side cocktail bar. Horses thunder by at 35 miles an hour while players battle for the ball with 1,000 pounds of horsepower behind each move.
At each of these events spectators can look forward to live polo matches, Bentley Divot Stomp with a complimentary sip of Provacci Prosecco, Wide Open Saloon outdoor cocktail bar, food trucks, parking shuttle to fields courtesy of Purple Wave, opportunities to mix and mingle with the players and ponies, and best tailgate and best dressed awards.
We have various ticket options with prices that range from $35 per person for general admission to $975 for a private polo cabana. Our ticketing options include, field-side tailgate parking, the UBS Sparkling VIP Tent, general admission, and private polo cabanas. We also offer discounted rates for groups.
TICKET SALES ARE NOT OVER! We will sell tickets to each of our events all the way up till the gates open.
Are you from Colorado? Why was Sedalia chosen for the location of Denver Polo Club?
Colorado is my home, and I absolutely love this state! I grew up in Douglas County and went to Douglas County High School. When we moved to Cottonwood, Highlands Ranch was still a ranch and Titan Road was a dirt road. Even though I’ve had the opportunity to travel the globe, I would never call anywhere else home- we have incredible weather year round and the best people! Bringing the international polo family here to our incredible state is a joy.
We chose Sedalia as the location of the Denver Polo Club because we were growing out of our main facility located next to Chatfield State Park. The second facility is where the polo fields are located. Just 30 minutes from downtown Denver on the Santa Fe corridor, Sedalia is the best of what the Denver area has to offer- we are in the country and with the have the conveniences of the city. With the new Sterling Ranch neighborhood next door, we are excited to introduce those families to the equestrian world.
Your opening day is June 2nd. How long does your season run?
Our season runs all the way into September!
Our first public event is June 2nd- Opening Day: Celebration of the Horse presented by Purple Wave.
Our other event dates this season are:
June 30th: Colorado Heroes Day and After Party with Double Wide presented by Wide Open Saloon
August 11th- Disco Sunday presented by Denver Polo Club
September 15th– Closing Day and End of Season Party presented by Denver Polo Club.
To purchase tickets to any of our Sunday Funday events, visit our website https://www.denverpoloclub.com/
People can host private polo parties with you and even book a wedding! How would one go about doing this?
Yes! People interested in hosting an event or wedding can go to our website and under the “Host and Event” tab. They can send us a message and we will connect.
You offer lessons and leagues. Can you tell us about those?
At Denver Polo Club, we offer private one-hour polo lessons for players of all levels and abilities, including newcomers. Choose from one-on-one sessions, or bring a friend or an entire group. No horseback riding experience is necessary.
For those new to the sport, you will learn horseback riding and polo basics. We include all the equipment you need, including a horse, helmet, and mallet. We suggest doing several private polo lessons before joining the group games.
If you’re looking for intense fun, a great workout, and a chance to meet other interesting, active people, join a league at Denver Polo Club. We play six days a week, June through September, in one of the most spectacular settings on earth. We take our polo seriously, but you don’t need any equestrian experience to start. We’ll train you at any level, supply you with first-rate polo ponies to ride, and make you feel at home right from the beginning. It is our goal to make polo accessible to everyone and we offer custom options for whatever your polo dreams may be.
If you’re interested in learning to play polo, you can send a message through our website.
We make polo accessible to everyone, all you have to do is show up and have fun, we take care of the rest.
How would you describe the personality or “Vibe” of Denver?
We’re all about family and community. There is such a rich fabric, of people in Denver, those who have grown up here or have come from all over and want to enjoy this beautiful state we call home.
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