600 attend Polo Classic fundraiser

The Catholic Academy of Sussex County, in partnership with Techflex, hosted its first Polo Classic on Aug. 23 at Grayfields Polo Club in Allamuchy.

Proceeds from the event benefited Reverend George A. Brown Memorial School as well as Pope John Middle and High School.

With catering, vendors, even a petting zoo, more than 600 people lined the field to tailgate and take in the action once the match began.

Polo - one of the world’s oldest known team sports - is played on horseback, and teams use wooden sticks to move the ball around the field.

The Grayfields Polo Club was founded in 2022 by professional polo player Brian Fairclough.

The Fairclough family is renowned in the Northeastern polo world and the creation of Grayfields continues that legacy.

While the club hosts tournaments regularly, 2025 marks the first year that charity matches have been held there.

The Catholic Academy’s Polo Classic was the second iteration of the charity events, with the first being held in June.

On Sept. 13, the club will host the third and final charity match of the year, benefiting Project Self-Sufficiency.

At the Catholic Academy, the idea of a polo match fundraising event had been discussed internally for years. Bill Dermody, a Pope John graduate, began participating in polo recreationally and believed that the match would be a great way to bring money into the school system.

“We were like, ‘Let’s see what happens.’ We will give it our best shot and see if the community enjoys it,” said Cole Farrand, director of alumni relations at the academy.

Ticket options included VIP tent and tailgate as well as general admission.

With the large turnout, Farrand expects polo to become an annual event for the academy.

“We are hoping to do this every single year. We’re hoping that the entire community can enjoy an event like this,” he said.

The Fairclough family as well as Dermody took the field on their horses for the match.

It was the first time that many of the attendees had seen the sport played live.

“They’re having a blast,” said Farrand. “I mean no one has watched polo before so they are having an awesome time learning.”

The total amount raised was not available, but Farrand called the day a success.

“It took a big group many months to put this together and I think people are seeing that and enjoying it today. Everybody’s put in a lot of hard work and effort.”