Devereux Cup returns to Stout Ranch for 22nd year

From land once patrolled by Teddy Roosevelt to the highest-elevation polo event in the United States, Stout Ranch, located high above New Castle, has a rich history. 

The Devereux Polo Cup will return Sunday, June 14, to Barry Stout’s ranch for the event’s 22nd iteration. Team Land Rover will face off against Team Hotel Colorado once again, playing an exhibition polo match set against jaw-dropping views of the Colorado River Valley. 

“We’re looking for a big turnout, and we’ve got unbelievably great players coming and great livestock coming in for the weekend,” Stout said. 

The free event is hosted in collaboration with the New Castle Historical Museum, with all proceeds directed to the town that sits 3,000 feet below Stout Ranch’s museum, which used to work as a jail. 

“The road that went from New Castle to Glenwood Springs used to come up Blady Creek and came right in front of where I live, and where the event is now,” Stout said. “Teddy Roosevelt used to come in and hunt around this area when he would travel in between Glenwood and New Castle. The whole history of this area is super interesting because it’s really only 130 years old but so rich.”

Free food and beverages will be provided, along with a musical performance by the Feeding Giants. 

The event is named in honor of Walter Devereux and the Devereux family, among the largest contributors to the area in the late 1800s. The polo cup helps preserve the family’s Victorian-era legacy while bringing the community together on a rare piece of land overlooking the valley.

The event will kick off on Friday night at the Hotel Colorado from 4:30-7 p.m. John Chandler will play music during the Meet the Players reception on Friday night, as well as during Sunday’s main event. 

According to Stout, people from all over the country have already begun their odysseys to the area. 

“A lot of people are coming in from different places of the country, and the local participation is really cool,” Stout said. “It gives the ranch a cool way to give back to the community. There will be all kinds of stuff — food, drinks, and fun.”

Although Stout has offered his land for more than two decades, he knows that the event’s success depends on the players, sponsors, local support and spectators coming together.

“It’s not just the history and the charity; it’s making the polo happen and having the facility to do that,” he said. “Everything has to come together; the players have to be excited to come to the ranch. We need Land Rover, the Hotel Colorado, and all the sponsors; we need the local cities’ support, and we need the spectators to want to come and have a good time. In order to achieve that, you want to put on the best event possible, and you want to have everybody come out and have a lot of fun.”

For more information about the 22nd Devereux Polo Cup or directions to Stout Ranch, visit stoutranch.com/polo. 

Original reporting from postindependent.com