Greater Niagara Polo Club

The Greater Niagara Polo Club is situated on the Van der Burgt’s property in Wainfleet, Ontario. The club boasts one outdoor grass field, two auxiliary off-site fields, an indoor arena equipped with a digital scoreboard and audio system, a well-appointed clubhouse with a viewing gallery, lockers, showers, change rooms and a moving ball hitting cage.

CLUB CULTURE

GNPC has a fun-loving, family-centric membership backed by strong community support. Polo is played four days a week, with a grass season that lasts seven to eight months and an arena season lasting five. Equipped with an online sign-up system and gameboard, members can sign up as late as

Phil Van der Burgt and Rob Campbell in Ottawa

Greater Niagara Polo Club

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The idea of starting a family-oriented polo club came about when the Van der Burgts had children of their own.

the night before, accommodating even the most hectic schedule.

All four members of the Van der Burgt family are experienced coaches and umpires. As a travelling club, pros and horses accompany members to venues including New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Florida. Visiting teams and guests will find everything they need—accommodations, amenities, and attractions, including Niagara Falls, wineries, and Lake Erie beaches and resorts—within a 10-minute drive of the club.

In addition to the interscholastic and intercollegiate programs it runs, GNPC has weekly club and coaching chukkers, and a monthly Ladies Night. Familycentered annual events like Canada Day Polo, a Halloween Polo party, the Boxing Day Birthday match, and New Year’s Day chukkers promote participation, inclusion and fun for all ages and abilities.

HISTORY

The idea of starting a family-oriented polo club came about when the Van der Burgts had children of their own. In 1992, Phil met Tammy while Tammy was riding with the Governor General’s Horse Guard. Two years later, Phil picked up a mallet himself at a Neill Shewan clinic. And with that, Phil and Tammy became a polo-playing couple who spent the next five years travelling and playing at as many American and Canadian clubs as they could. After their children, Hailey and Hunter, were born, the couple played closer to home. Then, when they kids were old enough to play themselves, the couple made the decision to start their own polo club, calling it “the only sustainable option” at the time.

In 2005, the Van der Burgts started Cedar Valley Polo Club, located north of Toronto, for polo-playing families like themselves looking for youth development opportunities in polo. The club’s membership and youth participation grew as Cedar Valley ran programs for all ages. However, the transportation and time required to train north of Toronto and travel to tournaments in the U.S. was a barrier even to the most dedicated members, but especially for students. Daily commutes and winter driving were difficult for members living or working in the GTA. Furthermore, coaching, club travel, and the demands of professional playing, often split the Van der Burgt family. A new polo facility, closer to the U.S. border, was the answer.

GNPC FACILITIES

The new facilities in the Niagara region were designed to run a full program, host local, national, and international tournaments, train and condition horses, and play polo all year long. The Greater Niagara Polo Club, the only polo club of its kind in the area, opened for business in January 2019. The new club promotes the sport beyond its

traditional membership and expands the field of competition for more experienced players.

The move from a zone five to a milder zone seven climate in Niagara diminished winter driving and extended the grass season by more than a month. Additionally, the move closer to the U.S. border increased the possibilities for player development and competition in the USPA Northeastern division, as well as the Women’s International series. Being 90 minutes from Toronto Pearson International Airport and 45 minutes from both the Hamilton and Buffalo airports, the club is ideally located for hosting national, and USPA Northeastern division tournaments. The location also facilitates international polo exchanges, where members host a visiting club at GNPC and, in turn, are hosted at the exchange club.

TOURNAMENTS & SPECIAL EVENTS

In its first two seasons, GNPC hosted national and international polo tournaments, including Women’s International, National

The Greater Niagara Polo Club, the only polo club of its kind in the area, opened for business in January 2019. The new club promotes the sport beyond its traditional membership and expands the field of competition for more experienced players.

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1 Phil Van der Burgt with son Hunter 2 Team Van der Burgt left to right: Tammy, Hailey, Hunter, Phil 3 Alex Suschinskij and Hunter Van der Burgt at ‘Polo For Health’

Greater Niagara Polo Club

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Youth Tournament Series, the Knox National Cup, USPA II and IC preliminary and regional tournaments. The club also hosts annual local and charity events, such as the popular Polo for Health event, which supports the Niagara Health Foundation. Sponsorship comes from members and local businesses. Events like these allow the Van der Burgt family to give back to the community, while helping to promote the sport of polo throughout the region.

YOUTH PROGRAMS

Youth programming at the Greater Niagara Polo Club starts young, with year-round lessons and school break polo day camps designed to introduce the sport to beginners aged four to 12. Developing players can then benefit from co-op placements and internships, team travel and team training activities, practices, coaching chukkers, USPA rule and umpire clinics—all offered right at the club. Middle school, high school, and university teams, as well as the National Youth Tournament Series and special events provide youth of all ages plenty of opportunity to develop in the sport of polo, and in life.

HORSES

The range of teams, tournaments, and events at GNPC provide more players more play time, but the development of players is completely dependent on quality horses. Horses that have been trained and conditioned at the club are available to all levels of riders, for all levels of play. These horses make it possible for novice, as well as experienced players, to develop and excel at the sport. The Van der Burgt family have both homebred horses and homemade horses that have made their mark at the club and around the globe. Hailey and Hunter, who apprenticed with their parents, now take on a greater responsibility for training and conditioning the horses. Many of the horses that play zero to 4-goal polo at GNPC also have experience playing professionally in South Carolina and Florida.

MEMBERS

The Greater Niagara Polo Club is fortunate to have a strong group of members, many of whom were completely new to the sport upon arrival to the club. By welcoming members of all levels, and providing the training needed to become a solid player, families are encouraged to play, and often members bring their parents or siblings out to learn the game.

The club is comprised of 70% female players and prides itself on the opportunities it can provide to women, through its ladies’ nights, interscholastic and intercollegiate teams, and participation in women’s international tournaments. The club has introduced many riders from other disciplines to the game of polo, and it works hard to promote and grow the sport within the community.

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The Greater Niagara Polo Club is fortunate to have a strong group of members, many of whom were completely new to the sport upon arrival to the club.

1 Alex Suschinskij, Chris Wright, and Hunter Van der Burgt at Polo For Health 2 Brona Mayne, Claire Gillies, Hailey Van der Burgt at Polo For Health 3 Tammy Van der Burgt on “Saphira” at Polo For Health 4 Hailey Van der Burgt playing snow polo 5 Sunday finals at Polo For Health