On Saturday, June 13, Philadelphia gets something genuinely rare: international arena polo, indoors, in Fairmount Park, for $10. The Buddy Combs International Arena Challenge brings the USA and Ecuador face to face at Work to Ride’s McCausland Arena at 3 p.m. — a fast-moving, all-ages afternoon of world-class competition in one of the most compelling sporting venues the city has built in years.

The Arena Behind the Buddy Combs International Arena Challenge

Work to Ride has been operating out of the Chamounix Equestrian Center in Fairmount Park since 1994, when founder Lezlie Hiner launched the nonprofit with a clear mission: connect under-resourced Philadelphia youth with horses, polo, and the discipline that comes with both. For most of those three decades, the program ran out of a converted police barn. That changed last fall.

The $15 million McCausland Arena opened in 2025 — 45,000 square feet of indoor equestrian space funded in part by a $1 million USPA grant and a $3 million McCausland family foundation contribution. It features a viewing platform, a second-story mezzanine, and louvered windows that can open the space near-air on a clear day. Hiner has called it one of the premier indoor polo arenas in the country, and the facility backs that up.

Work to Ride’s reach extends well past Fairmount Park. Kareem Rosser, the organization’s executive vice president, grew up in West Philadelphia and came up through the program before co-captaining the first all-Black team to win the National Interscholastic Polo Championship. He’s since become one of the more visible faces of American polo, and his story is inseparable from everything Work to Ride has built here.

USA vs. Ecuador — The Buddy Combs International Arena Challenge Returns for Its Third Edition

Now in its third edition and officially endorsed by the Federation of International Polo, the Buddy Combs International Arena Challenge is a legitimate international competition — not an exhibition, not a showcase. The USA faces Ecuador in arena polo: a compact, enclosed format where the action runs continuously and the proximity to horses and riders is unlike anything you’d encounter at an outdoor match.

The event honors the legacy of the late Dr. Clarence C. “Buddy” Combs Jr., widely regarded as one of polo’s most respected figures, with proceeds going directly to Work to Ride and its youth programming. This year the challenge carries added weight — as the birthplace of the nation, Philadelphia is hosting international competition during America’s 250th anniversary year, giving the afternoon significance well beyond the sport itself.

Get to the Buddy Combs International Arena Challenge on June 13

Tickets are $10 and available now through Ticketleap. McCausland Arena sits at 98 Chamounix Drive in Fairmount Park — ten to fifteen minutes from Center City — and the event is all-ages. The matchup is USA vs. Ecuador, the venue is world-class, and the ticket price leaves no good argument for staying home.

About Post Author

Allan Lane

Philadelphia born and bred, Allan Lane is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of digital magazines. He launched his first publication, SportBikes Inc Magazine in 2010, followed by dosage MAGAZINE in 2019. Recently, Allan launched his third online publication, Club For Man. As a journalist, Allan covers fashion, lifestyle, culture, art, and motorcycles.

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