Clive Owen, Nacho Figueras And Vanessa Kay Host Star-Studded Fifth-Annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic In Support Of Work To Ride

NEW YORK, June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Veuve Clicquot Champagne christened Liberty State Park on Saturday, June 2 with its first ever polo match at the stylish Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic.  Co-hosts Clive Owen, Nacho Figueras & Delfina Blaquier and Veuve Clicquot U.S. President Vanessa Kay welcomed over 6,000 guests to the fifth-annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic on more than 15 acres of gorgeous green land with stunning views of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.   

One of summer's most unique and highly-anticipated social events, the 2012 Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic showcased polo in the New York City area, a tradition that Veuve Clicquot brought back to Governors Island in 2008, the first time polo was played there in more than 70 years.  The current construction taking place on the Governors' Island playing field required Veuve Clicquot to find a new location—the brand was committed to finding a space accessible to city dwellers to host the event, which has become a staple of the summer season. After carefully surveying 27 locations in the Greater New York area, including parks, beaches, fields and islands, Veuve Clicquot was pleased to call Liberty State Park its new home and a donation was made to Friends of Liberty State Park in appreciation for the park welcoming the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic.

Co-hosts Golden Globe winning and Academy Award nominated actor Clive Owen, President of Veuve Clicquot U.S. Vanessa Kay and Nacho Figueras and Delfina Blaquier welcomed a fashionable crowd of over 6,000 people including Zoe Saldana, Minka Kelly, Rachel Zoe, Rodger Berman and their baby Syklar, Leslie Bibb, Padma Lakshmi and her daughter Krishna, Jennifer Morrison, Matthew Rhys, Hilary Rhoda, Jason Wu, Wes Gordon, Jessica Stam, Catherine Malandrino, Poppy Delevigne, Dree Hemingway, Charlotte Ronson, Genevieve Jones, Mia Moretti, Caitlin Moe, Coco Rocha, Alek Wek, Lauren Bosworth, Jason Pomeranc, Amy Sacco, Olivia Palermo, Amanda Righetti, Tiffani Amber Thiessen, Colin Egglesfield, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jessica Perez, Derek Blasberg, Arden Wohl, Gaby Basora, and the Veuve Clicquot  and Moet Hennessy executive teams including Jean Marc Lacave, Laurent Boidevezi, Jim Clerkin, Sabina Belli, Stephane Gerschel, Christine Kaculis and Bernadette Knight. 

The 2012 Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic is proud to benefit Work To Ride, a non-profit equestrian program providing disadvantaged urban youth with activities centered around horsemanship, equine sports and education. As the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic strives to promote the sport of polo, Work To Ride utilizes the special connection between youth and horses to teach strength, support and teamwork. Contact with animals, nature and the sport of polo instills discipline, responsibility and life skills to the program's adolescents while also developing confidence and self-esteem. One of Work To Ride's star players, Kareem Rosser, scored a clutch goal, and assisted Most Valuable Player Nacho Figueras in his seven goals.  After four fast-paced chukkers, team Black Watch beat team Nespresso nine to seven.  

Highlights of the event included Rachel Zoe throwing out the ceremonial ball to start the game, a performance by New Orleans-style jazz vocalist Ingrid Lucia, the national anthem sung by Broadway star and Sex in the City alum Sean Palmer, moving remarks from Kareem Rosser, one of the Work To Ride's best polo players, the traditional divot stomp where Leslie Bibb, Coco Rocha and Padma Lakshmi got on the field and strutted their stuff.  The VIP tent boasted an "urban garden" theme, which was inspired by the lush setting of Liberty State Park.  The ambience included touches such as living dynamic walls with plants and florals, a dramatic grass table, a bird "mansion" filled with Clicquot yellow canaries, a driftwood chandelier, a dramatic plant dome, a staghead plant wall treatment and much more.

Thousands of bottles of Veuve Clicquot Champagne were consumed, and in keeping with the garden theme, fresh farm-to-table bites (all locally sourced from New York and New Jersey) were prepared by Silkstone, New York's most creative culinary experts, Ben Towill and Phil Winser, hailing from the highly buzzed dining destinations, The Fat Radish in New York City and Ruschmeyer's in Montauk. In addition, guests in the VIP tent were treated to a royal tradition—Eton Mess—a classic British dessert with berries and meringue, created at Eton Collegue, the alma mater of Princes William and Harry. A farm stand filled with fresh seasonal vegetables was positioned in the VIP tent for guests to graze, which turned into a fresh strawberry stand after lunch was served.  In addition, cheese and sausage sandwiches were handed out at the end of the day, when delicious snacks were much appreciated by guests.

In addition to being a team sponsor, Nespresso, also delighted VIP guests with over 800 cappuccinos and lattes (700 of them iced, keeping guests cool) throughout the day, all served from a custom coffee bar that was created especially for the event. Nespresso has a long association with polo, sponsoring some of the most prestigious tournaments worldwide, including St. Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow in Switzerland, the Argentine Polo Open Championship, and recently the Nespresso 108th U.S. Open Polo Championship at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

Synonymous with flutes of champagne and top-notch fashion, guests of the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic sported classic polo style—dresses and hats for women and summer suits for the gentlemen.  To shade the ladies from the daytime sun, Veuve Clicquot provided the new custom, limited-edition Veuve Clicquot-yellow parasol, created in collaboration with celebrated parasol maker, Penelope Parasols, the perfect accessory for an afternoon of polo-watching and champagne-sipping. 

Additional event information, hi-res b-roll and images from the 2012 Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic are available at http://www.epklink.com/VCpoloclassic2012 or contact [email protected].

ABOUT VEUVE CLICQUOT
Veuve Clicquot has a long association with polo in England with the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup and now in the United States of America with the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, which kicks-off the Veuve Clicquot Season summer opening.  The champagne house was established in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot, and began to thrive when Madame Clicquot took the helm 1805.  For over 200 years, Veuve Clicquot has been inspiring the world to "Be Clicquot": modern, audacious and premium quality.  These values, set forth by the ground-breaking and extraordinary Madame Clicquot and maintained by generations of Clicquot drinkers, promise a remarkable experience with each sip of Veuve Clicquot.  Today its eponymous Yellow Label continues to be one of the world's most beloved champagnes.  The Veuve Clicquot Season is an essential guide to the most exclusive social events and parties of the year across the country.  For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/veuveclicquot or www.veuve-clicquot.com. Always sip responsibly.

ABOUT BLACK WATCH
Black Watch is a world-class polo team which has won numerous tournaments throughout the United States. In 2007, Black Watch was the champion of the Mercedes Benz Polo Challenge and the winter champion of the Palm Beach Hall of Fame Cup. The team is captained by Nacho Figueras, professional polo player, face of Ralph Lauren's Polo Fragrances and model for Ralph Lauren's Black Label Collection. For more information, please visit http://www.Facebook.com/NachoFigueras.

ABOUT WORK TO RIDE
Founded in 1994, Work to Ride is a non-profit community-based prevention program that aids disadvantaged urban youth through constructive activities centered on horsemanship, equine sports and education.  Work to Ride programs and activities are designed to explore new ways of engaging youth in significant educational, social and cultural experiences that are otherwise unavailable. Participants develop discipline, responsibility, and life skills through training, riding, and performing horse care and barn management chores. They develop confidence, self-esteem, and problem-solving skills through spirited teamwork and cooperation. Additionally, Work to Ride places a significant emphasis on the necessity of academic achievement. Staff and volunteers provide after school tutoring to help students maintain the passing grades required for program participation.  In 1999, the Cowton/Work to Ride polo team became the first African American polo team in the nation, and in 2011 the team (Kareem Rosser, Daymar Rosser, Brandon Rease) won the National Interscholastic Polo Championship to become the 1st all African American team to win this title.  The program is headquartered at Chamounix Stables, located in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. This setting provides a unique opportunity to bring urban youth in contact with animals and nature.

ABOUT NESPRESSO
Nespresso began more than 25 years ago with a simple but revolutionary idea to create the perfect cup of Espresso coffee. The unique combination of our premium quality Grand Cru coffees, stylish machines, and exceptional customer service all together provide the ultimate coffee experience.

Nestle Nespresso SA is the pioneer and reference for highest-quality portioned premium coffee. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, Nespresso operates in more than 50 countries and has more than 7,000 employees. In 2011, it operated a global retail network of 270 exclusive Boutiques. For more information, please visit www.nespresso.com.

SOURCE Veuve Clicquot