After the Games

Whether it is an informal barbeque, an Argentinian asado, or a fully tented affair, the sport of polo in Canada is as much about the lifestyle around it as the game itself. In Canada, polo is very much a family sport, with many hours of preparation required before and after the play, often with the whole family in tow. Once the games are finished and the ponies are put away, the stories and tales begin. The plays are remembered, the fouls disputed, and the camaraderie continues long after the last horn has blown. Many a player has been blessed with summer polo nights, great food and beer, music, and

Asado after the games at Toronto Polo Club

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campfire, while members recount the days activities, and kids play in the background.

All the clubs across Canada have their own distinct after-game activities. At Club Nacional it may be an asado cooked over open fire by the gauchos; at Springfield, the PA system will be blaring the sounds of U2 (the official soundtrack of Springfield Polo Club); at Okanagan, it could be a potluck lunch at the ‘Broken Mallet Clubhouse’; and in Toronto, a party at the ‘Polo Shack’. Whatever the setting may be, the common theme that seems to prevail at clubs across Canada is friends and family enjoying the game they love.

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1 “The Pink Link” at Black Diamond Polo Club 2 The kids at Toronto Polo Club 3 Hanging out on the boards, at Bancroft Farm, Toronto 4 Good game! Canelo and Davis at Springfield Polo Cup 5 Happy winners! Brendon Stenzel and Scott Weir at Toronto 6 Hippie costumes at the Springfield Polo Club Grotto party 7 GPR Elden Nelson, Fernando Pliego, Ernesto Sarasibar, Dana Sepulveda, Broggi, Craig Nelson 8 Going home! Grande Prairie Polo Club 9 Jessica Schneider and Craig Nelson 10 Team Offen after the game (Cody, Dave and Nicole) 11 Dancing at the ‘White Party’, Toronto Polo Club 12 An informal post-match social at the Ottawa Polo Club, Manotick Field 13 Pick-up truck pool at Grande Prairie 14 Toronto polo kids cooling off in the pond after their game 15 THE SPORT OF POLO IN CANADA \ 171Former Black Diamond President Stephen Cobb relaxes after his game