4 minute read
Foreword: A Message from the Production Team
from History of Polo
by MediaEdge
Foreword
A Message from the Production Team
When I first approached Melinda Brewer with the idea of producing a book about polo in Canada, it was in part to highlight the various clubs and people across Canada, but also to pay tribute to Melinda’s artwork, which has chronicled the sport of polo and the amazing equine athletes of North America for decades. Melinda has produced several high-quality books for the National Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame, so I knew this would be a good partnership.
Once the Canadian polo clubs came on board and became engaged in the project, it soon became clear that there are so many great stories to share about polo in Canada, amazing people to honour, and horses to remember. I thank the clubs for sharing this with us and helping us tell the story. I also thank the production team for putting it all together, and Melinda for painting the picture of polo across the country. One of the goals of this book was to raise money for youth polo in Canada, something I strongly support as it leads to longevity and growth of the sport. I am extremely grateful to the sponsors of this book, as without them it could not have happened.
Over the years I have been extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to play polo in many different countries, but I can honestly say that some of my fondest playing memories are from right here, in Canada. In a country as large as ours, it can be difficult to bring polo people together. I hope that this book helps to unite polo enthusiasts across the nation as we collectively celebrate “The Sport of Polo in Canada”.
Mike Egan, Founder and Executive Producer
The sport of polo in Canada is as diverse and as vast as the country. From west to east, this unique horse sport has found a home on the prairies, the farm fields, the forest clearings, sports fields, from backyards to farm yards. The history of polo in Canada is a story of immigration, importing a game from a foreign land and bringing it home. It is a game of dedication and perseverance (against the odds of climate and fortunes) and passion for those that have upheld the traditions of the clubs and the sport since the turn of the last century.
This book sets out on a journey to celebrate the sport of polo in Canada through stories and photos and art. We want to share the unique qualities and spirit of each polo club and despite the diversity of our landscapes across the country, the sport has a similar feeling that could only be described as Canadian.
What is remarkable throughout this journey has been a spirit of sharing, of sportsmanship and despite our vast geography, players come together from across the country to play on visiting teams or with home teams becoming part of the Canadian polo family. When we began this project, we asked each polo club to submit a story and photos to reflect their unique experience of polo, to share the spirit of family and sportsmanship and the love of ponies on and off the field. We were rewarded with this generous collection of photos and stories that celebrate the tradition of polo in Canada. We hope you will enjoy this journey as much as we enjoyed it!
Melinda Brewer, Co-Founder, Producer, and Artist
On behalf of the entire polo community across Canada, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mike for initiating the idea of capturing our collective experiences playing and enjoying polo life at each of our local clubs. Mike’s stewardship of this project and the tireless efforts and commitment of Karen, Melinda and their colleagues left little doubt that the outcome would be a complete success.
We were thrilled to have been selected to co-produce this unique pictorial history of polo, and the timing for us was perfect. We welcomed the opportunity to work on something quite different and outside our usual periodical publishing routine. I would also like to thank our award-winning team of Annette Carlucci, art director, Erin Ruddy, executive editor, and Rachel Selbie, account manager, for their amazing creative talents.
We much appreciated the kind consideration and friendly collaboration with the Polo Canada team in developing this commemorative book, which beautifully showcases the sport we love.
Kevin Brown, President, MediaEdge
This project started out for me as something I thought would be interesting, yet straightforward to compile. Little did I know it would become such a fascinating and consuming part of my life for six months. A wonderful distraction from Covid, the more I uncovered about polo across our country, the more I wanted to know. Compelling stories and photographs began to pour in, telling a story that was so like my home club in some ways, yet so distinctly different in others. I thought we, at Toronto Polo Club, faced big challenges to play polo – sometimes playing in -10-degree weather during the winter indoor season. I had no idea there were so many other ‘polo nuts’ scattered across the country, also going to great lengths to play the game we all love.
To say I have enjoyed this project is an understatement. I have made new friends across Canada, and I look forward to expanding my polo travels in the future to visit some of these amazing clubs. I have also had the privilege of working with a fantastic production team, Melinda, Molly, Rachel, Annette, and Erin. I truly hope that anyone who reads this book gets the same pleasure as I have had being part of its creation.
