Colorado Springs Brings the Sport of Kings to the Rodeo Ring
With Its Largest Winter Polo Tournament in 100 Years, Colorado Springs is Reimagining a Traditionally Exclusive Experience for a Widening Audience While Boosting the Region’s Economy
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (February 18, 2026)–Colorado Springs, the Rocky Mountain city with a rich history rooted in the outdoors, winter sports and equestrianism, will host one of the biggest winter polo championships in the country, since the sport’s heyday in the 1920s. The event, now in its fourth year, anticipates more than 1,200 spectators, up from 750 when the championship was first revived in 2023. Taking place on Saturday, February 21, The Broadmoor Winter Polo Classic will be played in the Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs is one of only two locations in the U.S. and three spots globally, including Switzerland, where winter polo is now played regularly.
“Polo was once a vibrant part of the Pikes Peak region’s equestrian heritage before the Great Depression brought the sport to a halt and shifted the spotlight to rodeo. Now, as we bring polo back, we’re not only celebrating our history, but we are also fueling economic growth. Events like The Broadmoor Winter Polo Classic attract visitors, drive local spending, and help strengthen Colorado Springs’ rapidly expanding sports economy,” said Megan Leatham, President and CEO of the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation (CSSC), a co-organizer of the event.
Equestrian sports have been a major part of Southern Colorado’s culture and identity for over a century, with rodeo drawing in massive crowds every year. But outside of the summer, when competitions like the Pikes Peak or Bust rodeo take place, the Penrose Event Center remains unused and audiences un-entertained. By reviving winter polo, Colorado Springs is supporting tourism and its local economy with a rare tournament, which tourists from across the U.S. travel hundreds of miles to see.
That’s because Colorado Springs’ winter polo has its own special flair. It’s played on dirt in a rodeo ring–instead of on a grass field or even on snow or ice–distinguishing Southern Colorado’s brand of winter polo from both the traditional summer game, and winter polo formats in Aspen or Switzerland . Colorado Springs’ Winter Classic otherwise follows the standard polo regulations, including games consisting of four seven-minute “chukkers,” or periods.
The competing teams this year will be comprised of three players each, including professional athletes Erica Gandomcar-Sachs, who is one of the top female polo players in the world and has competed in the 2023 US Open Women’s Polo and US Open Arena Polo Championships; Ata Alonso, an Argentinian player with over 15 years of polo experience across England, France, Spain, and Argentina; and Alex Kokesh, who played on the winning team of both the 2023 and 2025 Winter Polo Classics .
This year’s event has attracted sponsors including Porsche and 291 Colorado Whiskey. As a result of the growth in audience size and popularity of the Winter Classic, the Penrose Event Center has also undertaken a massive capital improvement project to increase capacity and weatherize the space.
“The surge from the winter polo attracts visitors from across the US that value Colorado Springs’ exceptional lifestyle and inspires the continued reinvention and revival of the traditions that make our region unique,” said Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, President and CEO of the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC.
The city’s extensive sports infrastructure goes well beyond equestrian sports, attracting 15,000 athletes and Olympics hopefuls every year, who come to Colorado Springs to train in its unparalleled facilities and environmental conditions.
“When business leaders and tourists visit Colorado Springs, they see a city with extensive investment opportunities and growth potential, all framed by our picturesque mountain range,” said Jack Damioli, President and CEO of The Broadmoor. “The incorporation of unique events like the Winter Polo Classic expands this vision even further, while opening up the possibilities for year-round entertainment.”
The 2026 Broadmoor Winter Polo Classic will begin at 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time on Saturday, February 21. You can find more details here.