Mountain Weekly News CEO & founder Mike Hardaker learning the fundamentals of polo beneath the Tetons in Jackson WY. What started with horseback riding eventually evolved into years of stick-and-ball practice before ever stepping onto the field with a mallet. | Photo Sam Rubin Mountain Weekly News
Jackson Hole Polo Club: Wyoming’s Most Underrated Luxury Summer Tradition
In a valley now known for billionaires, private clubs, luxury compounds, ski resorts, and celebrity sightings, one of Jackson Hole’s most authentic high-country traditions still happens quietly beneath the Tetons every summer weekend: polo.
Not Aspen polo.
Not Palm Beach polo.
Not derby hats and champagne-only exclusivity.
Jackson Hole polo is different.
Here, you’re just as likely to find someone wearing dusty cowboy boots and Wranglers as designer sunglasses and European riding gear. Horses share space with pickup trucks. Ranchers mix with entrepreneurs. Locals sit alongside second-home owners and visitors flying into Jackson on private jets.
And somehow, it all works.
The Jackson Hole Polo Club may be one of the most unique western sports cultures left in America.
The Origins of Polo in Jackson Hole
The Jackson Hole Polo Club was officially registered with the United States Polo Association in 1966, but the roots of polo in Jackson stretch back much further.
After World War II, polo was being revived in St. Louis when Paul Von Gontard was invited to play in 1948. According to club history, it was love at first swing.
Paul brought that passion west to Melody Ranch, the Von Gontard family’s summer property near Jackson Hole.
At the time, Jackson already had:
- horses
- ranch culture
- skilled riders
- and a handful of people who had previous exposure to polo.
Soon, informal backyard games began appearing across the valley.
The first versions of Jackson polo were rough.
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Really rough.
Players rode:
- bareback
- on ranch horses
- using broomsticks with the bristles cut off
- hitting rubber balls across freshly cut hay fields.
Western saddles proved too dangerous for the sport, so many riders abandoned saddles entirely and rode “like wild Indians,” as early club members later described it.
There were few rules.
Mostly chaos.
And everyone loved it.
From Hay Fields to High-Country Polo
By the early 1960s, visiting California polo player Tony Veen helped transform the club into something more serious.
He brought:
- proper polo mallets
- saddles
- balls
- rules
- and training instruction.
The field eventually moved to an old dirt airstrip wide enough for play.
Soon after, Jackson Hole was invited to compete against the legendary Big Horn Polo Club in Sheridan, Wyoming — one of the oldest and most established polo clubs in the American West.
Jackson got humbled.
Badly.
But the experience pushed the club to evolve.
In 1967:
- a true grass polo field was built
- a clubhouse was added
- and Jackson Hole Polo Club officially entered a new era.
The club slowly developed its own identity:
competitive enough to earn respect,
but community-focused enough to remain unmistakably Wyoming.
Their unofficial motto became:
“We may not win every tournament, but we never lose a party.”
That spirit still defines the club today.
What Makes Jackson Hole Polo Different
Most people outside the horse world assume polo is:
- ultra-exclusive
- impossible to access
- and culturally disconnected from western riding traditions.
Jackson Hole flips that stereotype upside down.
This is not East Coast country club polo.
This is mountain-town polo.
You’ll find:
- ranch horses
- lifelong cowboys
- tech founders
- ski bums
- wealthy second-home owners
- and multi-generation Wyoming families
all gathering around the same field beneath the Tetons.
And unlike many elite sports environments, the Jackson Hole Polo Club still feels surprisingly welcoming to newcomers.
The club’s weekly practices are open to the public, and spectators regularly gather fieldside throughout the summer for matches, tailgating, drinks, and social events.
Weekly Jackson Hole Polo Schedule
During summer, the Jackson Hole Polo Club hosts matches throughout the week:
Weekly Match Schedule
- Wednesdays — Practice matches (free and open to the public)
- Thursdays & Saturdays — 4 Chukker matches
- Fridays & Sundays — 6 Chukker matches
Sunday matches are typically the biggest events of the week and often feature tournament play and larger crowds.
For visitors looking for an authentic western summer experience beyond the usual Jackson tourist checklist, polo offers something entirely different:
- horses
- western heritage
- mountain scenery
- social gatherings
- and one of the most visually striking sports in Wyoming.
The New Jackson Hole Wealth Culture
Jackson Hole has quietly evolved into one of the most concentrated wealth hubs in America.
Private aviation traffic has exploded.
Luxury real estate continues breaking records.
High-net-worth migration into Wyoming accelerated dramatically after 2020.
But Jackson remains unique because wealth here often intersects with:
- outdoor culture
- ranching
- conservation
- skiing
- fly fishing
- hunting
- horseback riding
- and western identity.
That’s partly why polo fits so naturally here.
Owning polo horses in Jackson Hole isn’t just a hobby.
For many participants, it becomes an entire lifestyle:
- horses
- trailers
- trainers
- grooms
- land
- riding lessons
- travel
- and deep involvement in the horse community.
And unlike more formal polo destinations, Jackson still allows room for individuality.
You can absolutely show up dressed traditionally if you want.
Or you can show up in dusty boots and denim after a morning horseback ride.
Both feel equally at home here.
Learn to Play Polo in Jackson Hole
One of the biggest misconceptions about polo is that it’s inaccessible unless you already own horses, equipment, and years of riding experience.
That’s not the case in Jackson Hole.
For visitors spending summer in the Tetons, the Jackson Hole Polo Club also offers opportunities to:
- learn the fundamentals of polo
- take lessons
- meet experienced players
- and even rent horses for practices and matches.
Whether you’re an experienced rider curious about the sport or someone completely new to polo, Jackson offers one of the most approachable environments in the country to experience the game firsthand.
Unlike more formal polo destinations, the atmosphere here remains relaxed, welcoming, and deeply tied to western horsemanship culture rather than rigid country club traditions.
For many people, simply attending a Sunday match quickly turns into:
- riding lessons
- practice sessions
- horse training
- and eventually full immersion into the polo lifestyle.
And yes — once you get hooked, things can escalate quickly:
horses, trailers, tack, trainers, grooms, and long summer weekends at the field become part of the equation.
If you’re visiting Jackson Hole and interested in learning to play polo, feel free to contact us directly and we can help connect you with local players, instructors, horse rentals, and professionals around the Jackson Hole Polo Club community.
Western Heritage Still Matters Here
Part of what makes Jackson Hole Polo Club compelling is that it still feels connected to Wyoming itself.
This isn’t manufactured luxury.
It evolved organically from:
- ranch life
- horsemanship
- postwar western migration
- and generations of horse culture in the Tetons.
That authenticity is increasingly rare.
Especially as many mountain towns across the American West become more commercialized and disconnected from their original identities.
The Jackson Hole Polo Club still carries traces of old Wyoming:
- community
- horses
- storytelling
- competition
- and long summer evenings beneath the mountains.
Why Jackson Hole Polo Matters in 2026
As Jackson Hole continues evolving into an international luxury destination, the Polo Club represents something increasingly valuable:
authenticity.
Not manufactured western aesthetics.
Not Instagram cowboy cosplay.
Real horse culture.
Real history.
Real community.
The Von Gontard Family & Jackson Hole Polo Legacy
The growth of polo in Jackson Hole is impossible to discuss without recognizing the role of Paul Von Gontard and his family’s long-standing connection to Melody Ranch and the valley itself.
The Von Gontard family name is historically connected to the Anheuser-Busch legacy, though in Jackson Hole the focus became less about corporate identity and more about preserving western lifestyle, horses, land stewardship, and community traditions.
Paul’s vision helped transform polo from informal ranch games played in hay fields into a lasting part of Jackson Hole summer culture.
What began with borrowed equipment, rough dirt fields, and backyard matches slowly evolved into one of the most unique polo communities in the American West.
Today, that original spirit still remains surprisingly intact:
less country-club exclusivity,
more mountain-town authenticity.
And in an era where much of the American West feels increasingly commercialized, that authenticity may be exactly what makes Jackson Hole Polo Club so compelling.
For visitors looking to experience the deeper social and cultural layers of Jackson Hole beyond ski resorts and luxury hotels, the polo grounds may quietly offer one of the valley’s most interesting summer experiences.
And for many people discovering Jackson today, polo has become part of the modern Jackson Hole identity itself: Where western heritage and modern wealth collide beneath the Tetons.
More Things To Do in Jackson Hole
If you’re looking for more summer adventures on two wheels instead of four legs, check out our guide to mountain biking in Jackson Hole and the Jackson Hole Bike Park.
For live music beneath the Tetons, don’t miss the Snow King Mountain Concert Series featuring one of the strongest summer concert lineups in Wyoming.
And if friends, family, or visiting guests need a quieter place to stay away from the crowds, the Inn on the Creek remains one of Jackson’s hidden gem lodging options within walking distance of Town Square.
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