WELLINGTON, FL -- (Marketwire) -- 12/26/12 -- What a perfect way to get the ball rolling on a new polo season at the famed International Polo Club (IPC).

Get the "Perfect 10" herself, Bo Derek -- still gorgeously recognizable since her 1980s smash hit 10 -- to throw out the season's first polo ball for the opening cup matches and to launch a new season at the IPC.

And not just any season -- but the Club's highly anticipated 10th Anniversary Season. Perfect.

Ms. Derek will do the opening day honors with the coin toss at the International Polo Club on Sunday, January 6. The match begins at 3 p.m.

Opening day competition will feature the finals of the season-opening, 20-goal Herbie Pennell Cup. To the delight of polo fans, two high-goal polo teams will take the field in the sport's most beautiful polo stadium.

IPC club president, John Wash, expects the 2013 polo tournament season will be the best the Club has ever hosted.

During the upcoming season, all eight of the world's 10-goal polo players will compete in IPC tournaments. With 10 goals being the highest handicap that can be attained in polo, local fans are guaranteed to see the game's most elite players.

Along with the top seven players from Argentina, including Adolfo Cambiaso, and David "Pelon" Stirling from Uruguay, the highest rated American player, Julio Arellano, with 9 goals, will also bring his talents to IPC.

Some of polo's most prestigious tournaments are scheduled at IPC this season as well.

"It has taken a great deal of dedication and hard work to get to where we are today," said Wash. "We continue to attract not only the top players and teams from around the globe, but we have managed to attract and keep the top polo tournaments in North America with the C.V. Whitney Cup, the USPA PIAGET Gold Cup, and the prestigious USPA Maserati 109th U.S. Open Championship."

On opening day, additional horsepower will be on display as IPC also hosts a preview of SuperCar week, featuring dozens of high-end, high-performance Maseratis, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis.

"This 10th season, the Club is offering more than just polo," Wash added. "We feel that as the Club has developed and matured, it's become a Sunday afternoon destination for anyone looking for excitement and social interaction, along with some of the best polo in the world."

Count Ms. Derek as one of those fans of ponies and polo.

A consummate rider and breeder of horses, Ms. Derek has been known to visit the Santa Barbara Polo Club from her neighboring Santa Ynez ranch.

As a published author, Ms. Derek also wrote Riding Lessons: Everything That Matters in Life I Learned from Horses, a candid look at the life of a California beach girl, who at a young age was thrown into fame by becoming the epitome of California's desirable "It Girl."

"We're thrilled to have Bo on hand to help us celebrate the start of our 10th anniversary season," Wash says. "Being someone who loves horses and appreciates polo at a world-class level, she's a perfect choice."

Again.

Ticket prices for Sunday polo at the world-famous International Polo Club range from $10 general admission to $120 box seating. Tickets for Sunday brunch at The Pavilion and its reception start at $55, upward to $330 for the Veuve Clicquot brunch package for two.

For more information about the IPC, tournament information, sponsorship, and tickets, please call 561-204-5687 or visit InternationalPoloClub.com.

About International Polo Club Palm Beach
International Polo Club Palm Beach is located in Wellington, Florida, in the heart of South Florida's famed horse country. IPC is host to major, high-goal polo tournaments and the 20- and 26-goal series throughout the Palm Beach Polo Season, including the USPA C.V. Whitney Cup, the USPA PIAGET Gold Cup, and the USPA Maserati 109th U.S. Open Polo Championship™. The world's polo elite descends upon Wellington each season to enjoy their love of the sport -- and the lifestyle -- in the most prominent and well-equipped polo facility in the nation. IPC features nine manicured polo fields, The Pavilion, private boxes and viewing stands, tennis courts, a croquet court, a state-of-the-art spa, a lushly landscaped pool deck, après polo celebrations, and a fabled, gourmet Sunday brunch. The 2013 Palm Beach Polo Season begins on January 6 and concludes on April 21.

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