Shelby's Social Diary

The best private party of the summer? Santa Barbara polo a sweet diversion forHouston expats

His team won the Bombardier Pacific Coast Open and she co-hosted a lavish partyfor the polo teams.
Photo by Baron Spafford
Houstonians Sandi and Bill Nicholson spun Texas magic at their Solana estate inMontecito, Calif., where two Ferrari FFs greeted guests.
Photo by Baron Spafford
Guests at the Bombardier table at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet club seasonfinale.
Photo by David Lominska
Photo by Baron Spafford
Photo by Baron Spafford
Photo by Baron Spafford
Photo by Baron Spafford

And you thought that Aspen, Nantucket and Pebble Beach had the lock on the hearts of well-heeled Houstonians. Say hello to the luxe environs of Santa Barbara/Montecito where more than a few of our seasonal expats pass much of the summer.

As the Santa Barbara polo season came to an end over the holiday weekend, the Lone Star influence was clearly felt during the Bombardier Pacific Coast Open Finals at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. Texans on the whole prevailed as John Muse of Dallas led his Team Lucchese to tournament victory, beating out the Andy Busch team that included Houston seven-goal player Jeff Hall. (Busch is great-grandson of Anheuser-Busch founder Adolphus Busch.) That victory was the third in a row for Team Lucchese and the first time for a threepeat in the 103-year history of the tournament.

Sandi and Bill Nicholson gave "the best private party of the summer at their fabulous Solona estate," an evening honoring Santa Barbara polo players and Montecito friends.

Among Houstonians taking in the excitement of this final round of polo, as guests of Bombardier, the luxury private jet manufacturer, were Bombardier jet owner John Eddie Williams and wife Sheridan plus Carol and Mike Linn, Karen and Mike Mayell and Carolyn Farb.

Front and center throughout the polo season was former Houstonian, Dallas resident Charles Ward, managing partner of Idea Works, Inc. Ward summers in this swank California playland, where he exercises his renowned talents as wealth marketing guru. That debonnaire gent maintains an occasional presence on the Houston scene, often accompanying Carolyn Farb.

Ward reports that earlier in the polo-centered activities, Houstonians Sandi and Bill Nicholson gave "the best private party of the summer at their fabulous Solona estate," an evening honoring Santa Barbara polo players and Montecito friends. Ward adds that the season ended with a spectacular party hosted by Houstonian Scott Wood, who heads ERG Team and is president of ERG Resources. Look for this event to become a highly-touted tradition across the polo-infused landscape.

(You might recall that the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club hosted British royals last summer. Shortly after their marriage in 2011, Prince William and Kate were guests at the club, where the prince played in the Foundation Polo Challenge.)

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raising glasses

Wine and dine raises spirits for Houston's Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities wine and dine fundraiser 2024

Photo by Johnny Than

Alicia Reggie Freysinger, His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Catholic Charities President Cynthia Nunes Colbert.

An evening of fine dining and philanthropy unfolded at The Revaire for the 2024 Wine and Dine Dinner, benefitting Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston on November 16. With wine glasses in hand and wallets wide open, the stylish and pious savored a night dedicated to lifting up the most vulnerable in the community.

Co-chairs Mikki Hebl and David E. Harvey, Jr., alongside Kerri and Downey Bridgwater, welcomed the crowd, which included His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, who blessed the meal. The highlight? A four-course feast by master sommelier Brandon Kerne and chef Ryan Bouillet, paired with wines selected to enhance each bite.

An interactive twist with the secret sip challenge surely added a playful element. Attendees worked together to identify the mystery wine — a 2015 Merite Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia’s Wrattonbully region.

But the night wasn’t just about indulgence. The live auction, emceed by Johnny Bravo, and a moving “fund a need” segment inspired oenophiles to dig deep for Catholic Charities’ programs. Last year, the organization served people in need 358,000 times across Harris, Fort Bend, and Galveston counties, providing essentials like food, housing assistance, and legal aid for immigrants.

Generous support came from sponsors like the Hildebrand Foundation, Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, and Cuenod Families.

Wining and dining were Alicia Reggie Freysinger, Cynthia Nunes Colbert, Penny and Paul Layne, Monit Cheung and Patrick Leung, Ashley and Doug Plaeger, Sandi and Jim Lemming, Carol and Paul Beck, Louise and Bob Parsley, Avalyn Langemeier, Suzanne Werner, Amie Springmeyer, Lori Hessel, Ginger Niemann, Peggy Idstein, Karina and Mark Amelang,and Ellen and Jim Ginty.

Photo by Johnny Than

Alicia Reggie Freysinger, His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Catholic Charities President Cynthia Nunes Colbert.

catholic charities of the archdiocese of galveston-houston fundraisers