Polo

MEGHAN MARKLE IS INSPIRED BY GWYNETH PALTROW

We previously reported that Meghan Markle was launching her own oddly named brand, American Riviera Orchard, to sell products online that capture the essence of her new hometown of Montecito. Although Meghan has quickly adapted to the Montecito lifestyle since relocating there with her husband Prince Harry, she wasn’t born and raised in the ritzy oceanfront community. She grew up in the working class L.A. suburb of Canoga Park. However, Meghan isn’t content with just an online presence – our source says she’s working with a commercial realtor in the area to open a brick and mortar store. Meghan feels having an actual store (or a few) will strengthen her brand. She got the idea from Gwyneth Paltrow, whose successful online brand, Goop, has several stores, including one in Montecito. Meghan is looking to open her store in the EXACT same area where the Goop store is located.

Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA  Netflix filmed Meghan at Miami polo event where Harry played

PLAYING POLO WITH PRINCE WILLIAM CAN COST AN ARM AND A LEG

Prince William and Kate will only be spending three days in Southern California during their US visit in July, but some of William’s time will be on horseback. He’s a sucker for polo and when the Santa Barbara Polo Club invited him to their 100th anniversary weekend, he accepted. Our friend and royals watcher from London, Richard Mineards, who is now the society columnist for the Montecito Journal, had a hand in making this happen. Richard says that William and Kate will have a $4000 ticket fund raising event for charity as well as an exhibition polo game in which club members are invited to play with the future king for (estimated) $100,000. (Keep in mind some of the world’s wealthiest polo players have homes in Santa Barbara and they’ll be fighting for this opportunity.) William loves any excuse to play polo and all the money goes to William and Harry’s charities. We wonder if the royal pair will stay at Oprah’s house.

JOHN WALSH TELLS IT LIKE IT IS

Photo Credit: Pacific Coast News

We didn’t know “America’s Most Wanted” host John Walsh, 65, was a polo player. Above, he’s appearing at the Miami Beach Polo World Cup. Back in 1981 when Walsh’s son Adam was kidnapped in Sears and killed, he was a partner in a hotel management company in Florida. Walsh became an activist for missing and exploited children and started hosting “America’s Most Wanted” in 1988. It’s Fox’s longest running TV series and it has nabbed over a thousand criminals. Walsh has no patience with child predators. He was criticized when he advised women to never have a male babysitter. He said “It’s about minimizing the risks. What dog is more likely to bite and hurt you? A doberman, not a poodle.”