ATLANTA, Ga. — The ninth annual Atlanta Fashion & Polo Classic raised approximately $30,000 for programs that introduce young people from underrepresented communities to equestrian sports, organizers announced.
More than 3,000 people attended the Sept. 19 event at Bouckaert Farm in Fairburn, according to organizers.
The event combined polo matches, fashion, food and live entertainment with a fundraiser for the Ride to the Olympics Foundation. Fashion designer Miguel Wilson founded the nonprofit to expand access to equestrian sports.
“Even after nine years of doing this event, we honestly did not expect to receive as much support and excitement as we received this year,” Wilson said. “It means a lot that people took the time to come out and be with us. This means a lot not just for me, but also to the kids that we support.”
Wilson turned childhood access into a broader mission
Wilson’s relationship with horses began when he encountered them at a childhood camp.
His grandmother later paid for riding lessons. Wilson also worked in barns to help cover the cost of additional lessons.
Wilson previously told The Black Wall Street Times that the experience showed him how access and exposure could influence a young person’s direction.
“I wasn’t interested in doing other things. So I didn’t get into trouble; whereas kids who didn’t have the access and exposure were,” Wilson said in 2022.
He established the Ride to the Olympics Foundation in 2017 to offer similar opportunities to other young people.
In 2019, Wilson and several Morehouse students helped establish the Morehouse Polo Club. The club became the first HBCU polo team admitted to the U.S. Polo Association’s intercollegiate program the following year.
Through the foundation, Morehouse students received assistance with club membership, horses, riding lessons and equipment.
Black students take the polo field
Players representing the Morehouse Polo Club and Atlanta B.E.S.T. Academy Polo Team participated in this year’s Classic. A visiting Nigerian polo team also competed.
Wilson helped establish the B.E.S.T. Academy program with the school and 100 Black Men of Atlanta. Many of the students entered the program without previous riding or polo experience.
In 2025, the team won its competitive debut, defeating Starr Creek Polo Club 4-3.
The Ride to the Olympics Foundation has helped cover the students’ riding lessons, horse rentals, uniforms and equipment. Organizers describe the program as the nation’s first all-Black high school polo team registered with the U.S. Polo Association.
“Our mission is to expand our support for the youth polo teams we’ve established while building new teams across the nation,” Wilson said. “Over time, our goal is to create a national competitive circuit of youth teams competing against one another, opening doors to life-changing educational, athletic and career opportunities.”
The fundraising total appears to reflect growth from the event’s earlier efforts. In 2024, The Black Wall Street Times reported that the Classic’s auction raised nearly $9,000.
However, the figures are not directly comparable. The 2024 amount represented auction proceeds, while organizers did not specify what activities generated the approximately $30,000 reported this year.
Tyrese performs at Atlanta Fashion & Polo Classic
Singer and actor Tyrese delivered a live performance during the main event.
Organizers said attendees included former Atlanta Mayor and Georgia gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, entertainment executive Mona Scott-Young and television personality Toya Johnson-Rushing.
Producer Bryan-Michael Cox, actors Lamman Rucker and Terri J. Vaughn, and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church pastor Jamal Bryant also attended, according to organizers
The weekend began Sept. 18 with a welcome party sponsored by Ben Crump Law at The Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel. The main event followed on Saturday with polo matches, fashion presentations, food, and performances.
The Atlanta Fashion & Polo Classic serves as the Ride to the Olympics Foundation’s primary annual fundraiser. Wilson said the foundation eventually wants to establish a national network of youth polo teams.
Information about the foundation and its programs is available at ridetotheolympics.org.
