Having fun makes horse sense at the Sarasota Polo Club

By Jay Heater
| 1:20 p.m. March 9, 2026

Rex Jensen welcomes Fabienne and Brett Hutchens to the party at the Sarasota Polo Club.

East County
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For Rex Jensen, president and CEO of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch of Lakewood Ranch, most days are all business.

That makes sense when you are building the nation’s No. 1-selling, multigenerational, master-planned community for eight consecutive years.

But on March 8, Jensen put everything else aside “just to have fun.”

SMR’s annual Polo Brunch party at the Sarasota Polo Club was approximately 250 strong — SMR employees, clients, and friends — enjoying a lavish buffet catered by Mattison’s, an open bar, and polo.

School District of Manatee County Board Member Cindy Spray visits with Country Club East’s Charlotte Madar during SMR’s party at the Sarasota Polo Club.

Scott Ginn, Karen Medford and Rex Jensen share a laugh during SMR’s party at the Sarasota Polo Club.

SMR Executive Vice President Laura Cole chats with Joy and Kohn Bennett of Homes by Towne.

Anyone for a mini-burger? SMR’s Grace Flowers, Nicole Hackle and Taylor Riffle enjoy little burgers during SMR’s party at the Sarasota Polo Fields.

Morgan Bettes Angell holds her baby, James Angell, along with her mom, Patti Peotter Bettes, during SMR’s party at the Sarasota Polo Club.

Lorna and John Clarke, the former SMR CEO and president, came to SMR’s party at the Sarasota Polo Club.

Guests of SMR’s party at the Sarasota Polo Club find their seats for the upcoming polo match.

Martin Eddy of Avalon Farms and Mason Wroe of Hillcroft/Investus watch Wroe's shot at the Sarasota Polo Club March 8.

Willie Jumer of Avalon Farms and Camille Ricaud of Hillcroft/Investus give chase during a match at the Sarasota Polo Club March 8.

Camille Ricaud of Hillcroft/Investus and Willie Jumet of Avalon Farms have their mallets at the ready during their match March 8 at the Sarasota Polo Club.

James Miller of Hillcroft/Investus gets ready to shoot and score during a match against Avalon Farms March 8 at the Sarasota Polo Club.

Hillcroft/Investus Trevor Niznik leads a calvary charge of players to the ball during a match against Avalon Farms March 8 at the Sarasota Polo Club.

David Ways, Olga Ways, Jaymie Klauber, Filic Chung, and Laura Burns enjoy the action and tailgating at the Sarasota Polo Club.

Willie Jumer twists his body while going full speed to make a pass March 8 at the Sarasota Polo Club.

Natalie Smith of the Music Compound belts out the National Anthem before the match at the Sarasota Polo Club March 8.

author

Jay Heater

Jay Heater is the managing editor of the East County Observer. Overall, he has been in the business more than 41 years, 26 spent at the Contra Costa Times in the San Francisco Bay area as a sportswriter covering college football and basketball, boxing and horse racing.