In Memory of Polo’s Patriarch

Polo patriarch and former U.S. ambassador to Jamaica, Glen Holden, who died in April at the age of 96, was honored with a memorial service at the Santa Barbara Polo Club on the eponymously named Holden Field with 600 guests flying or driving in to honor his memory led by his son Jeep Holden at the weekend.

Glen’s former fieldside box, which he shared with his late wife Gloria, a high school sweetheart who predeceased him in 2019 – and where I would often be invited to sit with my late friend Cat Pollon – was festooned with white roses for the occasion.

Among those eulogizing Glen were Chuck Lande, Jonathan Burrows, and Madison Richardson.

Glen, who quit playing polo late in life, competed with the late Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth, King Charles III – then Prince of Wales, and the Maharajah of Jaipur, the monarch’s godson.

He also played host to Prince William and his wife Kate soon after their marriage as part of the Club’s 100th anniversary celebrations, which I covered for NBC News.

Glen’s success on the field was only outdone by his contributions off the field, saving the club financially by personally guaranteeing its debts while serving on the board of trustees.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the sport, Glen was inducted into the museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in 2002.

Among the crowd turning out were Curtis Skene, John Muse, Richard and Annette Caleel, Chris and Mindy Denson, Paige Beard, Justin and Amanda Klentner, Ben Soleimani, Pat and Ursula Nesbitt, Mike Uretz, Si Jenkins, Robert and Robin Fell, Wes and Victoria Ru, and Nigel Gallimore.