OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Players will compete for the year’s largest trophy this Saturday as the Ocala Polo Club hosts the Julie Braswell Cup at Florida Horse Park, honoring a longtime local equine figure known for her support of women and her signature “Yippee!” cheers from the sidelines.
The match is set for 5 p.m. October 24, 2026, with gates opening at 4 p.m. at 11008 S. HWY. 475. The Florida Thorobred Fillies Club will be on site with a charity raffle, continuing a partnership built around Braswell, who was a decades-long member of the club before her unexpected death in spring 2020.
“She was just a character and a half,” said Dr. Lauren Proctor-Brown, director of operations for the Ocala Polo Club. Braswell, a resident involved in the equine industry who also ran a laboratory, helped Proctor-Brown start the club’s Women’s Polo League. “She was very pro-women and pro women getting along and being successful together… She was very supportive of other women, which is just the ethos that we really wanted to found the women’s league on.”
Proctor-Brown described Braswell as a fun spirit remembered for yelling “Yippee!” on the field and for an attitude that encouraged women to celebrate one another’s successes rather than compete in a divisive way. The club has carried that spirit into the annual memorial match, which often includes lighthearted elements like crowns and a purple theme.
“We always do something a little bit silly. We like to see the sideline dress up, and it’s usually a purple theme,” Proctor-Brown said. “We just really want women to feel empowered.”
Spectators are encouraged to join the “Color the Sideline Purple” theme with purple shirts, boas, jackets, hats or even tablecloths along the 90-yard sideline, where reserved tailgate spaces put fans right next to the action. Parking is at the tailgate spots. The field is grass but manageable for most attendees, with handicap-accessible bathrooms available.
This year’s competition is expected to feature up to three teams, a shift from last year’s doubleheader, depending on players in town. Proctor-Brown called the atmosphere approachable, with players often willing to chat with the crowd and many familiar faces returning week to week. The club offers a Polo 101 session before the match for newcomers.
The Florida Thorobred Fillies Club, a women’s friendship group in the local horse industry that has raised money for community causes for decades, has partnered with the club on the Braswell event and the Beth Rose Cup. Members typically include older women in the equine community; this year, they are hosting a raffle basket as their fundraiser.
Food will be available from Poppy’s Dogs. Halftime includes the charity raffle and a divot stomp. Matches are family-friendly, and well-behaved dogs on leash are welcome.
Tailgate reservations and tickets are available here. General admission is also available at the gate. In case of weather, the club typically cancels or postpones for lightning near game time but often continues if rain falls earlier in the day; updates go out via social media and email.
Proctor-Brown said one constant at the event is hard to miss.
“There’s always a lot of Champagne.”