Two pioneering polo programs built from the ground up by one Atlanta fashion designer will share a playing field for the first time ever on Saturday, September 19, when the 9th Annual Atlanta Fashion & Polo Classic returns to Bouckaert Farm in Fairburn. Players from the Morehouse College Polo Club and the Atlanta B.E.S.T. Academy Polo Team will compete side by side during the event's elite polo matches, alongside a visiting Nigerian polo team, marking a milestone nine years in the making.
The event runs from noon to 6 p.m. at the 10045 Cedar Grove Road estate and is expected to draw more than 2,000 guests, according to Atlanta Daily World. Designer Miguel Wilson founded the Classic and, through his Miguel Wilson Collection, is presenting the ninth edition alongside the Ride to the Olympics Foundation, the nonprofit he established in 2017 to give underrepresented youth access to polo, show jumping, and dressage, per the CFDA.
Wilson, a Washington, D.C. native who earned his bachelor's degree from Clark Atlanta University and an MBA from Campbell University before serving as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves Military Police Corps, built his fashion career around custom tuxedos and luxury formalwear, the CFDA notes. His retail stores at Phipps Plaza in Atlanta and National Harbor in Maryland have outfitted looks featured on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, the same profile states.
Two Teams, One Historic Field
The Morehouse College Polo Club holds the distinction of being the nation's first HBCU polo team, co-founded in 2019 by Wilson along with Morehouse students Rian Toussaint, Justin Wynn, and Caleb Cherry, a rider with a decade of dressage experience whose former riding coach suggested starting the team, according to Atlanta Magazine. The club made its debut at the 2nd Annual Atlanta Fashion & Polo Classic and earned official certification from the United States Polo Association in February 2020, granting it access to national collegiate competition, the outlet reports.
The Atlanta B.E.S.T. Academy Polo Team, meanwhile, is the nation's first all-Black high school polo team registered with the USPA, per Atlanta Daily World. The squad first introduced itself at the 2025 Atlanta Fashion & Polo Classic and made its competitive debut two years in the making at the 8th Annual Atlanta Polo Party, defeating the Starr Creek Polo Club 4-3, according to ENSPIRE Magazine. B.E.S.T. Academy is an all-male public high school within Atlanta Public Schools, the magazine notes.
The high school program came together through a partnership among the Ride to the Olympics Foundation, B.E.S.T. Academy leadership, and 100 Black Men of Atlanta, a civic organization supporting educational and youth development programs across metro Atlanta, according to The Seattle Medium. Wilson said the event's impact and excitement have grown over its nine years, and that young riders remain at the center of that impact, per Atlanta Daily World.
Tyrese Headlines a Star-Studded Weekend
Singer, songwriter, and actor Tyrese will headline the Classic with a featured live performance, Atlanta Daily World reports. The main event will also feature appearances from Frank Ski, Kenny Burns, Bryan-Michael Cox, Clifton Powell, Rob Riley, Pastor Troy, and Red Grant, alongside gourmet food, signature cocktails, live music, and three main party tents surrounding the polo matches, according to the same account.
The Classic has previously drawn a mix of Atlanta notables and national figures, including Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, and Young Jeezy, as well as Q Parker, RL, and Waka Flocka, per Atlanta Daily World's report. Past attendees have also included Nene Leakes, Cynthia Bailey, Sheree Whitfield, Egypt Sherrod, and Mike Jackson, the outlet notes. Wilson said guests have been flying in from across the country for the weekend.
A ticket-holder welcome party kicks off the festivities on Friday, September 18, at the Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel, sponsored by Ben Crump Law, according to the Atlanta Daily World account. The 9th Annual Classic also carries sponsorships from Bentley Atlanta and Indigo Road Realty, along with Crown Wealth Management, Envo Water, West End Gin, 16 Solutions, The Fly Lawyer, Sweety's Helping Hands, Tito's Handmade Vodka, and Don Henrique Tequila, the outlet reports.
Setting the Scene at Bouckaert Farm
Bouckaert Farm itself adds to the spectacle: the 8,000-acre property along 11 miles of the Chattahoochee River hosts roughly 30 equestrian competitions a year and has served as a filming location for major productions including Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame, according to SaportaReport. The Fulton County estate is owned by former Olympic equestrian Carl Bouckaert, the report notes. Local zoning in Chattahoochee Hills, incorporated in 2007, requires that 70 percent of the farm's acreage remain preserved as rural green space, balancing large gatherings like the Classic with regional land conservation, per the same report.
Over nine years, the Classic has served as the primary fundraising event for the Ride to the Olympics Foundation, with proceeds supporting the foundation's flagship programs for both the Morehouse Polo Club and the B.E.S.T. Academy team, according to Atlanta Daily World. The foundation, which reaches more than 100 youth annually with exposure to polo, show jumping, and dressage, accepts donations directly at ridetotheolympics.org, the outlet notes. Tickets for the Sept. 19 event are available at fashionandpoloclassic.com.
