TALK
BALANCING ACT A small playing area and split-string format creates a level playing field in interscholastic arena polo, says competitor Jed Cogan
B When one thinks of the sport of polo, you might associate it with the so-called ‘one per cent’ – and, to be honest, I once did too. However, what I’ve experienced over the past two years playing interscholastic polo has been the antithesis of this preconceived notion. Played in a dirt arena more the size of a hockey rink than an outdoor field, the game is a high-contact physical battle of three against three. The distinguishing feature is that the games are all played split-string, with no fancy ponies, so you need to be able to get on anything you tack up and then go out and play. It’s a true test of rider and player that evens out the competition and takes away the benefit of who has the quicker or handier horse. Polo – more specifically interscholastic arena polo –
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22 23 TALK Jed Cogan The Nationals KB BD EOG.indd 22
Interscholastic polo is a true test of rider and player that evens out the competition
has been an eye-opening experience for me, as it has taken me places and introduced me to people I would otherwise never have had the opportunity to meet or play with. Born and bred in New York City, I grew up in a family in which neither of my parents rode. I came across horseback riding at the age of
seven, while visiting a family friend who summers on a bucolic island between the North and South Forks of Long Island. From ages eight to 13, I competed as a jumper. Following a day of showing at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida, I decided to take a polo lesson with Michael Matz. I was hooked. Polo combined my love of horses with the aggressive, high-speed nature of a contact sport. The next summer, I quit competitive jumping in pursuit of this team-oriented game. About a year and a half later, I joined an interscholastic high-school polo team by the name of Country Farms in Medford, New York. Each member of the team comes from a completely different background. One of my teammates, John Vasquez, grew up in a riding
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03/06/2016 12:39
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