Today we’d like to introduce you to Dena and Vaughn Miller
Hi Dena and Vaughn, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2008 we bought ten acres and moved our ponies up to Oak Point. As it became available, we bought the adjacent land and launched Prestonwood Polo Club in an effort to share our love for polo with the north texas community. Vaughn had been playing in Red Oak, Irving and Houston, locally, and we rented houses in Florida and Santa Fe for their polo seasons when the kids were young. In 2004 we traveled to England when the opportunity for him to play on then Prince Charles team. Dena says, “With the kids now in school, we couldn’t travel so much and I wanted the thrill of the sport and the social aspect that the two closest polo clubs did not offer. So, my husband built this for me, lol!” Every season we have put in improvements and now, 16 years later Prestonwood Polo Club is the premier polo facility boasting 3 polo fields, an outdoor and an indoor arena and we moved into our forever home with polo field #three in our backyard. Dena says,”We literally have “polo on the lawn” and it is a dream to enjoy with my friends from the patio or pool. Our social members are welcome to join us on Thursdays.” Saturdays are the main event with a variety of different ways to enjoy the day, from general admission to VIP, reserved tailgate spots are popular for families and members enjoy the pavilion. Come casual or where your finest, anything truly goes and we are child and leashed pet friendly. BYOB/picnics are welcomed and we have food trucks every week..
In 2015 the Millers sons, Vaughn and Vance, Interscholastic polo team came in second place and the boys were hungry to win the national championship. They told their dad and coach that if they could practice more they knew they could win next year. Vaughn says,” I did some research of the area and told my wife I was renting a house in Aubrey for us guys for a year. Vaughn Jr. was at the barn before and after school with his brother joining us after football practice. When we won our first National Championship I went home and told Dena that we’re selling the house!” “That was hard for our daughter to accept but we girls took one for the team, as they say, and never looked back. Moving from Highland Park and living in Aubrey, Little Elm and Frisco while we got our forever home built on the polo club was quite an adventure” Dena tells us.
The decision to be closer to where they train paid off and the Prestonwood Interscholastic team won Nationals again in 2019 with Vance as Team Captain. Vaughn Jr. had started the University of North Texas Polo Team after graduating high school. Vance would join him there. UNT Polo has been able to recruit some of the best young polo players due to the Millers reputation for training champions and are two time back to back USPA Intercollegiate Champions 2023 and 2024. “We’ve evolved into a youth polo training facility, organically, starting with our kids polo summer camp all the way to college level.”, Vaughn says.
Prestonwood Polo Club offers polo lessons for all ages. Polo playing members have access to stick and ball (practice) fields all week, arena and field chukkers, Saturday polo teams, there is horse rental and boarding for your own horses available.
Social members have access to all of the weeks activities all year around while the general public is welcomed at Saturdays events during the season.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It wasn’t easy at first but it was such a passion for the sport that the whole family had so we put the horses and the land as priority. It was so peaceful out here coming in from the city that it was worth it to us. The drive in 5:00 traffic that started at 3:00 was not fun and then the late night drive back into town after hosting parties and doing the clean up. We are a family owned and operated business on that side. The only employees are for the horse care..Dena and a small group of friends are the Ladies Polo Auxiliary and make all of the “outside of the boards” , or socializing, happen while Vaughn, and now his son and his fiancée handle the “inside of the boards” or polo matches.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Vaughn has been in the commercial real estate business for going on 40 years. He spent most of them at Henry S Miller and after his father passed away started his own company with a focus on shopping center development. Developing the polo club is his first venture into residential and has been hugely successful. Only one lot remains for sale in this small equestrian community where every lot owner owns a part of a polo field. This insures the open green space in perpetuity and is important as the area is growing quickly. Farms and ranches are becoming communities and shopping centers. VCM Development put in Oak Points very first shopping center that includes all the top brands- 7-11, Starbucks and McDonald’s with a fine dining Italian restaurant opening any day now.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Patience and perseverance! When we made a plan, God had another. For instance, we planned on building a country club first. Vaughns family was in the country club business, having bought Prestonwood Country Club in Dallas and building Prestonwood Country Club in Plano, so the original plan was to have a Club with polo instead of golf and then sell lots later. Things went the opposite when suddenly we had interest in lot sales. Nice one sold, they took off and there is only one available today.
Pricing:
- $20 General admission
- $50 VIP
- $100 Tailgate includes tickets for 10
- $300 Grandstand box for 12-30 people
- $5000 pavilion rental
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.prestonwoodpolo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prestonwoodpolo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prestonwoodpolo
