Our Story

The Story of Denver Polo Club

The Gandomcar Family

More than three decades ago, John and Chris Gandomcar built the 100-acre Cottonwood Riding Club in Littleton from the ground up. There, they helped to pioneer polo in Colorado. They founded Denver Polo Club in 1986 and have since hosted visiting polo teams from around the world, including from India, the U.K., Pakistan, Australia, and others from from across the United States.

Erica Gandomar Sachs follows in the tradition of John and Chris, keeping the history and traditions of polo vibrant in the region. Denver Polo Club is unique for its beautiful grounds, friendly atmosphere and cordial, wonderful members who help make this the best international club in the area. This gracious hospitality and warmth have created many traditions and fond memories through the years, for players and fans alike.

We invite you to become part of the Denver polo family, too.

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Meet Your Polo Sherpa, Erica Gandomcar Sachs

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Erica is one of polo's most passionate ambassadors. Arguably the leading female polo player of her generation, she started riding horses at age 2, playing polo at 8, and competing in USPA events at 10. Erica’s parents, John and Chris Gandomcar, founded the Denver Polo Club in 1986 and raised her in the sport, lifestyle, and business of polo. Erica embraces this family history and legacy with pride and travels the world, competing professionally. She also promotes polo as both a player and a manager of the Cottonwood Riding Club, home to the Denver Polo Club, which has become legendary within the Rocky Mountain region and is now under her leadership.

Erica studied and played intercollegiate polo at Colorado State University, earning Regional All-Star and All-American status each of the four years she played for the team. In her first year with the team, CSU won the Regional Championship and placed second in the National Championship.

During the last few years Erica has solidified her rise to the top tier of women’s professional polo in the U.S. with multiple wins and MVP awards in the premier women’s league in the United States – the Women’s Championship Tournament – including winning the WCT’s World Cup in 2007 and earning Best Playing Pony. Internationally, she earned back-to-back wins at the 2007 and 2008 Shanghai Tang International Women’s Tournament in Singapore, with an MVP award also at the tournament in 2008. Erica has twice won the International Ladies Polo Tournament – 2007 and 2008 – at the Kingston Polo Club in Kingston, Jamaica. She was also named Colorado Sports Women of the year. Her wins continue to this day with multiple WCT and mixed tournaments around the world but now she has a little girl who hopes to follow in her mom’s footsteps.

Polo and family are her passions, her life, her heart and soul.