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CONTENTS AU G U S T 201 7
VOL. 20,
FEATURES
NO. 12
DEPARTMENTS USPA BULLETIN
30 Planting seeds by Gwen Rizzo
Organizers hope Gladiator Polo catches on
6 Association news 14 Instructors Forum
34 Buy the bale by Gwen Rizzo
by Tom Goodspeed
Know what to look for when it comes to hay
16 Usefuls
38 Head strong with Dr. Jacklyn Casab
Recognizing and preventing concussions
OUR COVER ‘In your face’ polo captivates 10,000 people at Tryon International Equestrian Center in North Carolina.
with Juan Vidal
18 22 24 26 40
Equine Athlete by Heather Smith Thomas Polo Scene News, notes, trends & quotes Team USPA Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Polo in the Pampas
42 58 59 60
Polo around the Globe Calendar Marketplace Yesteryears
by Ernesto Rodriguez
POLO REPORT Photo by: Pam Gleason
46 Tournament results
Marine Corps prevails in Patton Jr. Tourney
OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN SIGNED COLUMNS ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHORS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE PUBLISHERS OF THIS MAGAZINE.
2 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
THE OFFICIAL MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE UNITED STATES POLO ASSOCIATION
Editor & Publisher
GWEN D. RIZZO
Contributing Editors
HEATHER SMITH THOMAS, ERNESTO RODRIGUEZ, ALICE GIPPS, CHRIS ASHTON, TOM GOODSPEED
Editorial Board BOB PUETZ, TONY COPPOLA, TOM BIDDLE, DAWN WEBER, AMI SHINITZKY Art Director DAVID BEVERAGE Prepress PUBLISHERS PRESS Advertising & Editorial Offices USPA Member Subscription Inquiries (800) 232-8772 OR FAX (888) 341-7410 ldolan@uspolo.org
General Subscription Inquiries 6008 REYNOLDS RD LAKE WORTH, FL 33449 (561) 968-5208, FAX (561) 968-5209 www.poloplayersedition.com
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©Copyright 2017 by USPA Global LLC. No part of this issue may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process without written permission of the publisher. Paul Brown illustrations are ©2016 and are reprinted by permission of Paul Brown Studios, Inc., P.O. Box 925, Hedgesville, WV 25427. Subscription rates: $48/one year, $82/two years. Other countries (air mail), $81 drawn on U.S. bank/one year, $148 drawn on U.S. bank/two years. (GST:134989508). Subscription problems call (561) 968-5208. VOL. 20, No.12 POLO Players’ Edition (ISSN #1096-2255) is published monthly by Rizzo Management Corp. 6008 Reynolds RD, Lake Worth, FL 33449 for U.S. Polo Association, 9011 Lake Worth RD, Lake Worth, FL 33467. Periodicals postage paid at West Palm Beach, FL and additional mailing offices. (USPS: 079-770). POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Polo Players’ Edition, 6008 Reynolds RD, Lake Worth, FL 33449. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement No. 40612608. Canada Returns to be sent to Imex Global, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.
4 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
From CEO Duncan Huyler Over the past two years, the USPA staff has talked about the importance of customer service. We identified our customers as individual members, clubs, sponsors, fans and spectators—all both current and potential. We heightened the awareness that great customer service is not only important but also a requirement to any successful business or organization. From answering the phones in the office or in the field to umpiring games to interactions with the public, we agreed that we represent the USPA 24/7 on and off the field. The staff has been extremely diligent in their efforts. We talked about making polo more accessible, diverse and inclusive in this country with successful initiatives such as the Certified Polo Instructor Program, Team USPA, Interscholastic Varsity Letters, professional umpires’ support, college scholarships, PoloSkilz, swing analytics, pop up clinics and much more. The Polo Development Initiative will disburse over $700,000 this year to help grow polo at over 100 clubs using a club tiering process that will help align and focus the interests of the clubs and the USPA. The club consults done by the staff have paid major dividends while the Instructor Managers Forum brings together an incredible amount of talent and experience to share with club professionals. Support of our member clubs is paramount to sustaining and growing polo. We have also talked a great deal in the past two years about equine welfare. We have added to our drugs and medication testing program the ban of anabolic steroids and expanded the testing of our equine athletes to include the Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Program as well as testing a representative sample of not only high-goal tournaments but women’s, arena and low-goal as well. Our youth competitions all feature vet checks of horses including body conditioning scoring and soundness jogs. Our umpires have a renewed sense of responsibility to restrict horses in poor condition from participating in our tournaments. We believe the wellbeing of our equine partners is of the utmost importance and is tied to the success of our sport.
Online USPA Member Search An online member search is now hosted on uspolo.org. Basic information such as member name and handicap can easily be found by going to the sport page of uspolo.org. Registered USPA members can access more detailed member information in the USPA member portal using the following steps. 6 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
We have initiated important safety rules such as the requirement to wear a helmet when mounted, and are discussing mandating NOCSAE-certified helmets at some point in the future. We also began a conversation on drug testing our human athletes to enhance the fairness and safety of polo as is done in other sports in this country, as well as the Hurlingham Polo Association in England. Safety is one of the most important agendas we have in polo. We have livestreamed over 100 games including many outside of the Florida high-goal tournaments. We have improved the look and feel of the website and added a scoreboard along with timely and relevant stories about local clubs, both high-goal and low-goal, as well as results and coverage of our youth tournaments from middle school to intercollegiate. Our “This Week in Polo” email contains incredible content and is enjoyed by our membership every Tuesday afternoon. The open and click-through rates far exceed any communication mechanism we have had with members in the history of the association. Our professional umpires will have officiated over 2,000 games coast to coast this year at every level of polo, much of it at no cost through the PUMP 8 program, National Youth Tournament Series and I/I. Our professional staff and contract umpires have given umpire clinics and rules reviews in nearly every circuit across the country. The staff at the USPA is committed to incredible customer service and moving the sport forward in this country as never before while supporting our member clubs with the resources we have been provided by USPA Global Licensing. Our staff is held to the highest possible standards and our belief is that an inclusive, diverse and accessible sport that builds on its remarkable history and tradition will be even more relevant and prosperous in the future.
However, if the member has asked that their contact details not be displayed, you will not be able to view any information regarding address, phone number etc. Member search instructions: 1. Go to the online member portal on uspolo.org 2. Login
3. Click “Search” from the memberarea menu 4. You can search by name, handicap, home club and more 5. Members listed in red have not paid their dues for the current year. If you have further questions about the member search please email membership@uspolo.org
On-Demand Polo The USPA Polo Network now has all previously livestreamed games on demand on uspolo.org. Simply go to uspolo.org/video to re-watch your favorite games from the Florida highgoal season, catch up on Gladiator Polo, National Intercollegiate Championship games you missed or see past games from California, Arizona and more.
Save the Date The fall USPA Board of Governors and Annual Meeting will take place September 27-30 in the Pacific Northwest Circuit at the Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Washington. Committee and LLC meetings will take place on September 28-29, and the board of governors meeting will take place Saturday, September 30. The room block is for September 26-October 1 at a rate of $185 per night. For additional details, please visit uspolo.org.
Share Your News Do you have an interesting story or event at your club that you would like to promote? Share your news with the USPA. We will publish all USPA club polo events on our online calendar, and include interesting polo stories in our weekly email member newsletter titled “This Week in Polo.� For more information, contact Summer Keeney, communications coordinator by email at skeeney@uspolo.org.
ImPACT Baseline Testing The USPA Safety Committee proudly offers ImPACT Baseline Concussion Testing to all student members ages 1025. Student members can receive a $25 deduction off of a 2018 membership by getting their baseline tested. ImPACT Baseline testing is available nationwide. It is easy to take the ImPACT baseline test, and there is confidence in knowing a state-of-the-art, scientifically validated program is being used. ImPACT Baseline Testing is a computer based cognitive test that measures brain function. It is a tool used by doctors and athletic trainers to assist in determining the severity of a head injury, as well as a return-to-play timeline. Baseline testing is being used by professional sports teams, university programs and high schools across the country. Student members who complete an ImPACT Baseline Test must submit their receipt to the USPA and $25 will automatically be deducted from their USPA membership in 2018. Please visit impacttest.com for more information.
Published by the United States Polo Association Offices at 9011 Lake Worth Rd. Lake Worth, Florida 33467 (800) 232-USPA
All previously live-streamed games are now available on demand, including the final of the National Intercollegiate Championships.
Chairman: Joe Meyer President: Chip Campbell Secretary: Tom Gose Treasurer: Sam Ramirez Chief Executive Officer: Duncan Huyler
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 7
Meet Point Clear Polo Club Point Clear, Alabama
CAROLINE BRAMLETT
Fairhope, Alabama, a metropolis that sits directly off the shore of the attractive “I know Point Clear Mobile Bay, is a classic small town full of walkable streets, friendly people, amazing has not really been restaurants and most importantly, on people’s radar in southern charm. It is no surprise that Point Clear Polo Club embodies many of a while, so that’s my the same qualities that put Fairhope on the map. job, to get people to In the early 1970s, Kenny Mclean, know we are here.” George Radcliff, Ed Bernard, Wilson Green, Pete Stintz and Albert Corte —Ericka Fuchsloch, manager discovered the sport of polo. The group of Point Clear Polo Club friends played on a small field in the early manager years, but their love of the sport quickly spread to those around them. Point Clear Polo Club soon became a popular standout players for many years, Point southeastern destination for spring and Clear Polo Club has recently seen a fall polo in the 1980s and 1990s. During decline in membership. its heyday, the club was host to 16-goal “This club is close to 40 years old. It polo, with a season-ending tournament goes through economic cycles and like centered around a large charity event most clubs, it thrives when it is well called “Polo at the Point.” Then and still funded, capitalized and operated typically today, its season is conveniently by a large patron or two,” said USPA scheduled to compliment surrounding president and Point Clear Polo Club clubs in Aiken, South Carolina and member Chip Campbell. “In Point Clear’s Upatoi, Georgia. case, it subsided 15 years ago or so. When Point Clear has been the home of the large patron fades, then the club many successful players over the years. usually fades until someone else picks up Most recently, Herndon Radcliff, a the reins.” member of Team USPA, was on the winning USA team for the Federation of Carson Hill’s Wood International Polo Zone A Bramlett competes in the Mother Shucker tournaPlayoffs. Radcliff will ment on Mother’s Day. represent the United States in Australia in October with hopes of taking home the World Championship trophy. Radcliff’s early education of the sport came from Point Clear Polo Club. He still considers the club home, and regularly competes in club tournaments and helps to umpire games. Despite having quality polo, loyal members and 8 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
A common issue nationwide, Point Clear is picking up the reins and working proactively to secure the sustainability of the club. Within the last year, the members have come together and gone full speed ahead with a plan of action to elevate the club to a new level. Manager Ericka Fuchsloch was hired last fall and has brought with her several years of experience and a fresh perspective to the club. “We are now hosting more USPA tournaments and have a polo school aimed at building membership,” said Fuchsloch. “Ultimately, I would like to create two levels of play with two different flights, such as a six-chukker and fourchukker game. Having two levels of play can accommodate everyone’s needs. There are people who want to hire a pro and have more competitive polo and then there are those that have two or three horses, love the game and just want to participate. So my goal is to have enough members to do both.” Point Clear’s polo school is operated by Mikhal Newberry, who has been a riding instructor at neighboring Green Branch Farms since 1999. Newberry has her own string of horses that she teaches on and stays busy with an “Orientation to Polo” group and Point Clear’s version of a step-up program aptly named the Crawfish League. Orientation to Polo students are required to complete a five-session, four-week program. The inaugural group recently graduated and celebrated with a weekend polo tournament. Many of Point Clear’s newest polo enthusiasts are drawn from the surrounding hunter jumper community. The
CAROLINE BRAMLETT
hunter jumper riders already have a solid riding base and love for horses, thus making them the perfect candidates for polo. Fuchsloch said, “In the Crawfish League, we put players on a smaller field, and have Mikhal and another experienced player play and coach them the entire time. This helps students build a strong foundation and move on to practice chukkers and eventually become members.” Age is not a factor at Point Clear with the oldest member at 74 years and the youngest being 10. “There are a lot of good intentioned people here in Point Clear that love the sport and want to see it grow,” said Campbell. “Mikhal Newberry has done a lot by teaching young kids to ride and forming a polo school. It takes getting young kids riding early and gaining proficiency in the equine world to make future polo players!” Point Clear operates five months out of the year, making it the perfect place for players to stop and play on their way to or from another state, such as Florida or Texas. Spring polo begins in April and runs until June, and fall polo starts up in September and runs through the second week of November. While many different types of tournaments are held at the club, such as the 0- to 4-goal Challenge Cup, it
is Polo at the Point that draws the most attention to Point Clear each year. Resurrected by Chip and Kim Campbell and Curtis and Dawn Pilot several years ago, Polo at the Point is a two-week tournament played at the 12goal level, culminating in a final public charity event. According to the event website, Polo at the Point has become one of Alabama’s top one-day fundraiser events. Organized by all volunteers with proceeds going back to the community, the Gulf Coast’s premier charity sporting event has designated Thomas Hospital and Mitchell Cancer Institute as its main beneficiaries. Polo at the Point event highlights include competitive polo, amazing food and beverages, a halftime divot stomp, tailgates, a silent auction and much more. Although Polo at the Point is the largest public event of the year, spectators are welcome to watch any of the weekend games played at the club. “We encourage people to come out to the games, and picnic field side,” said Fuchsloch. “We also have a barbecue after Saturday games that players stick around for, talk about the games and relax.” Fuchsloch has made great strides in bringing awareness to the local area about the club. New to the 2017 season is a printed club program complete with club history, player bios and general polo information suitable to give to spectators, local businesses and tourists. “We did a program for the club this year, and it is the first time we have done one in a long time. The members were great and helped out a lot with volunteering time and sponsorship. It was
a group effort and really turned out well,” said Fuchsloch. Point Clear Polo Club was recently awarded USPA Polo Development Initiative funds to help propel marketing forward. Efforts have been placed on creating a digital presence for the club. A new website, email addresses to contact the club and social media have all been recently updated to reflect the new and improved Point Clear Polo Club. Due to an increased web and print presence, people can now find Point Clear easily when they visit the area and are looking for a fun activity to participate in or watch. “We have great fields, nice people and plenty of things to do besides polo,” said Campbell. “The white sand beaches are 20 miles to the south and there is great hunting 50 miles north.” Fuchsloch echoed Campbell’s sentiments about the amazing location of the club. “I would say what makes us unique is location. The restaurants are great; the bay is beautiful, the sunsets are amazing. We are 30 minutes from the beach and during May and October the weather is absolutely perfect for polo.” Point Clear is definitely back in full swing due to the hard work and dedication of the members, instructor and manager. Future plans for the club come in the form of growth and sustainability. “I hope we attract new patrons that love the sport as much as I do and are willing to share and invest in the sport,” said Campbell. To learn more about Point Clear Polo Club, please visit its website at pointclearpolo.com and like them on Facebook and Instagram.
Player Development
Team USPA Team USPA players are making waves across the United States this summer, playing in California, Wyoming, Texas, Tennessee, New York, Connecticut, Alabama and Canada, as well as traveling to other states. Wesley Finlayson recently won the 8goal Susie Fagan Memorial. Every 12-goal final in Santa Barbara featured two Team USPA members facing off against each other with Patrick Uretz, Felipe Viana and Jim Wright each taking home a win. Team USPA Applications are open. Please visit poloskilz.com/teamuspa to apply.
NYTS Thirty two NYTS Qualifier matches have been played this summer! The NYTS National Championship played over Labor Day weekend will also feature a second levCertified Polo Instructor and Intern Alum Megan Flynn has been hired as polo manager of Midland Polo Club in Midland, Texas.
10 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Members of Team USPA are testing out a new pre-ride workout routine this summer.
activation to increase core strength, stability and player performance. Athletes throughout the sport will benefit from this study that applies to both riding and mastering swing form.
el invitational East vs. West Challenge. For more information please contact NYTS@uspolo.org.
Swing Analytics Pilot testing for the USPA Player Performance Analysis Program began at the Sheridan Training Center with nine youth players. Dr. Gretchen Oliver of Auburn University Swing and Movement Lab is conducting the testing with Polo Development LLC. The program will focus on muscle
I/I Season The 2017-2018 I/I season begins September 1. Interested in starting a team? Please contact I/I Director Amy Fraser at afraser@uspolo.org to get started!
Alumni Tournament ELIZABETH HEDLEY
Player Development kicks off summer training in Big Horn, Wyoming with a Young Player Outreach clinic designed to provide mentoring and training opportunities to up-and-coming players. Team USPA mentors Steve Krueger, Mason Wroe, Santi Torres and Cacho Galindo play a large role in assisting the young players and participate in practices at Flying H, Diamond B and Big Horn Polo Clubs. Hall of Famers Tommy Wayman and Charles Smith lead weekly riding pattern and swing analysis critiques. A new pre-ride workout routine led by Dr. Gretchen Oliver will also be tested throughout the summer. Player Development would like to thank the polo community in Big Horn and Sheridan, Wyoming for making these opportunities possible for young players.
Join us for the 2017 USPA National I/I Alumni Tournament, The Feldman Cup, from August 25-27, hosted by Maryland Polo Club in Jarrettsville, Maryland.
Midland Polo Club Congratulations to the Midland Polo Club for hiring USPA’s Certified Polo Instructor and Intern Alum Megan Flynn as its new polo manager. Megan’s vast experiences at the Sarasota, Houston and Big Horn Polo Clubs will contribute to her new leadership role at MPC. Contact Megan Flynn to play at the Midland Polo Club in Texas this fall: meganflynn@hiddenviewfarmpolo.com.
Without officials It’s just recess. USPA Umpires, LLC To date, our professional umpires have officiated over 1,800 ames, at over 80 clubs includ 9 international clubs. For more information r rdin professional umpir either Charles Muldoon: cmuldoon@uspolo.or or For information r
at your club. Please contact Mitchell: mmitchell@uspolo.or
ardin umpire clinics, please contact Steve Lane: slane@uspolo.or
Building polo one instructor at a time By Cindy Halle
If your introduction to polo was anything like mine, you received little, if any, instruction. I learned how to hit the ball by a combination of trial and error and watching other players. I learned the rules by being yelled at by both teammates and opponents, along with an educational series of near misses. Despite this less-than-ideal start, I still fell in love with the sport. Hopefully, many of you have had better initiations to polo. But no matter how we started, we enjoy playing polo and want our sport to continue to grow, improve and prosper. For polo to grow we need to look outside the community of existing players and introduce new players to the sport. We are a small sport with about 3500 playing members; we need to do everything we can to not only attract, but retain players. Making sure that prospective players’ first experiences with the sport of polo are positive ones will increase the odds the players will return for another lesson. If they continue to play, they will help grow clubs, bring other people into the sport, play in tournaments and so on. From my experiences in creating and shaping the CPI program, as well as teaching and testing polo instructors who have come through the program, the Certified Polo Instructor program is a key component to that positive experience and to grow polo. A first polo lesson should be on a safe, sound, well-cared for horse that is appropriate for beginners, in a safe environment, taught by an instructor who understands how to teach, knows polo and horsemanship, conducts and presents herself in a professional manner and can maintain control of her lessons. This is the recipe to increase the likelihood for a return customer and hopefully, a lifelong polo player. The USPA Certified Polo Instructor program came to life to help this first lesson scenario become the norm and not 12 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
the exception. By giving instructors the education and tools they need to be successful, we can help them as well as the sport as a whole. About three years ago, a group of selected experienced instructors along with USPA Polo Development’s Kris Bowman and Jess Downey put their heads and experience together to create what had been just an idea bouncing around for a decade. “This effort was inspired by my work Participants test through three long days with people watching and evaluating them.
with PTF and Danny Scheraga,” says Kris Bowman. “As a training organization we knew that we needed more resources for instructors but we were always limited in funding. Luckily, we were fully supported by the USPA board of governors and funded to develop the program.” One of the first steps was to identify the key components of safety, horsemanship, professionalism, polo knowledge, teaching skills and lesson/group control, with safety being the most important. A testing protocol was created based loosely on other equine certifications and other successful athletic certifications. More brainstorming and many
meetings and conference calls later, a list of requirements and compulsory education were identified that we felt every instructor should have or complete. Then we gleaned from many of the country’s most experienced and skilled polo instructors, who shared their knowledge as they went through the CPI testing protocol as “honorary CPI instructors.” They were instrumental in giving feedback, sharing their ideas and helping us improve the scoring and format of the CPI program. We are forever grateful for their time and expertise. Many improvements and changes were made to the standards and testing thanks to their input. In polo, as in life, it is the relationships and the people we are with that make life meaningful. The amazing polo professionals with whom I have worked in the creation and continuation of the CPI program are dedicated and passionate about the sport. They want to share their knowledge with other instructors as well as continue to improve and learn more themselves. Invariably, every time we teach an Instructors’ Skilz Clinic or do a Certification Field Test we pick up a new drill or a unique way of describing or demonstrating a skill, what we refer to as something new for our “tool belt.” Being a part of the process of refining and bettering the CPI program has been an amazing experience. The CPI team is continuously reviewing and evaluating clinics and testing that take place to sustain the program’s development and improvement. My colleagues care deeply about polo, have a sense of humor, communicate well, are flexible and are open to discussing new ideas—we are teammates in the CPI program. The CPI Manual is a wonderful example of that collaborative effort that involved many people associated with the sport of polo who worked together to
Cindy Halle leads a discussion at a CPI clinic in Aiken.
create this comprehensive educational resource. “We had initially hoped that the CPI program would play a major role in the collection, organization, and dissemination of great teaching techniques that would place a major focus on the elements of safety. We wanted the program to be more about providing and sharing existing tools amongst the current roster of dedicated teachers, coaches and trainers, as well as helping new instructors looking to follow that same career path. The CPI Manual has checked off both of those boxes and is a wonderful resource for all of us,” says Tom Goodspeed, CPI certifier. The 150-plus instructors who have been exposed to the program are from different backgrounds and areas of the country. Some teach mainly adults, others mostly kids. There are grass instructors and arena instructors. They are all ages and both genders. What they share is the desire to learn and improve their teaching and a willingness to spend time and effort to becoming certified. Branden Van Loon, I/I alumnus and Yale Polo and Equestrian Center manager and head coach, is glad he went through the CPI program and became a certified instructor. “Being a certified instructor gives individuals coming into my program the certainty that they will learn to play polo in a safe, productive environment. It also gives me a network of passionate, educated instructors to continue to further my own education,” explains Van Loon. I have been impressed with the efforts and attitude of those going through the program, like Branden. They work hard,
take constructive criticism, and test through three long and tiring days in a “fishbowl” of people watching and evaluating. Those who have required additional training have gone above and beyond to improve their abilities. The CPI program’s goal is to create a community of instructors and a system of checks and balances to collectively raise the level of instruction, ethics and polo skills throughout the country. If instructors fail to uphold the standards or expectations of the program, they risk their certification being revoked. The Level One instructor is merely the first step in creating a multi-tiered program. In receiving Level One certification, instructors have shown to have basic knowledge in safety, horsemanship and polo skills and completed the other educational, professional and ethical requirements. That foundation will be built upon and
developed as the Level 2 and 3 are defined. They will have more challenging and complex skills required as well as a higher level of expertise in specific areas. I have enjoyed the process of developing and continuing this USPA program and firmly believe the basis of growing the sport of polo starts with good instruction from good instructors. Starting prospective polo players in the right way is key in having them continue their lessons and become polo players. Ultimately, it is the people we meet along the way that make our lives worthwhile and complete. Those who have been involved in creating and administrating the program along with the enthusiastic and receptive instructors who have been involved have made the journey fun, interesting and rewarding for me. I look forward to seeing the CPI program continue to grow and to playing a part in its growth and success.
Some instructors teach mainly adults, while others mostly kids. They teach in the arena or on grass.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 13
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BY TOM GOODSPEED
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THE DARK SIDE SHELLEY HEATLEY
Hitting on the nearside comes with several obstacles
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ome players would prefer not to acknowledge the nearside, and consider it the wrong side to be swinging on. The nearside refers to the left side of the horse. It is the same side you mount and dismount from. But, hitting on the nearside (what I like to call the dark side) is often so dreaded because three main obstacles make it challenging. In order to make a nearside, you have to work over your rein arm. It also forces you to make a tennis backhander approach to hitting the ball forward, and the follow through is difficult to keep straight as you finish your swing on the left side with your arm crossing over from the right side. When I am teaching clinics, I always ask players what they would like to work on. Nearside shots are almost always on the list. There is a grip change for nearside forehanders that used to be popular many decades ago, but you rarely see it anymore. Like tennis, you would turn the mallet one-quarter turn counter-clockwise in your hand. Unlike grips on a tennis racket, polo grips are formed to be held one way, so turning a polo mallet doesn’t give you a very firm grip. It does however make your nearside forehanders and offside backhanders a bit easier for players that are physically limited by how well they can turn in the saddle. Most instructors do not teach this quarter turn anymore because today’s shorterstirrup style allows you to turn your body more in the saddle. The quarter turn orig14 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
check to make sure you are not one of them. 2. Use a longer mallet Players tend to adjust their mallet size on the offside of the horse. The offside allows you to get down over the ball a lot easier than the nearside allows. When players adjust their mallet size to the offside, they tend to go to a shorter mallet. This makes it even harder to reach the ball on the nearside. It is easier to learn to stand up when taking an offside rather than reaching father on the nearside.
inated in an older style of long stirrups like the hunt seat of long ago. If you are generally fit and have nothing preventing you from turning your body, here are five ways you can improve your nearside in a matter of weeks.
3. Learn the “nearside shift” Shifting your weight in the saddle will allow you greater flexibility in rotating your torso and hips to begin a nearside forehand. When taking a nearside, push off your left stirrup, shifting your weight toward the right. Slide your seat a little to the right side of the saddle so you are actually sitting on the back side of your left thigh. Practice this first at slower gaits to get the proper balance points developed.
1. Shorten your stirrups Shorter stirrups make it easier to rotate your torso to hit on the nearside. Sitting on your horse in the center of your saddle, take both feet out of your stirrups and hang your legs straight down. Softly bang your boots against the stirrups. Adjust the stirrups, if necessary, so the base of the stirrup reaches the center of your ankle bone. Players often ride a bit too long, so
4. Brush the surface Without using a polo ball, practice swinging on your nearside at a trot or slow canter. Brush the surface with every swing you take. First, make it easier on yourself and circle left (into the side you are swinging) while you practice. Then, step up to moving in straight lines while still swinging and brushing the surface. Be sure to keep your horse straight
before and after your swing. When you have mastered that, go to the advance skill level and circle right (away from your swing) while trying to take nearside open forehanders. In other words, cut the ball left while turning right. That’s what I call a “ride and drive,” which is riding while hitting. It is not so easily done, but a great skill to develop. 5. Practice nearside shots It may sound simple, but when players go out to stick and ball, most will spend the entire time hitting offsiders because it is the easier side and makes them feel a bit more competent. That is exactly why developing players need to force themselves to practice nearside shots. Give your weaker shots more attention, not less. Give yourself a time minimum to work on only your nearside at the beginning of your session and then reward yourself with some easier offside shots.
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I will close with a very hot tip. It is a tad advanced, but a sound piece of advice. The nearside forehander does not allow for good body rotation, so a little more wrist action has an added benefit to more power. Put a little snap at the top of your swing on your nearside forehanders, assuming you are taking a full swing. A little bit of a power boost with your wrist will help bring the mallet head around faster, which will help you with loft. It is important to note that players tend to come up too much with their bodies as they swing faster, so be careful to stay down with your follow through as you bring the mallet around a tad quicker. I wish you tons of good polo, and may the force be with you on the dark side. Tom Goodspeed is a renowned polo instructor, coach and horse trainer. He achieved a 5-goal handicap outdoors and 9 in the arena. He can be reached at polotom@usapolo.com.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 15
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WITH JUAN VIDAL
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ON SCREEN Lesson program enhanced with use of video
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uan Vidal is a USPA certified polo instructor at his Alegria Polo Farm & Academy in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. He is taking advantage of the latest technology to help his students better understand some of the skills he is teaching. He developed a lesson program, which incorporates video into his lessons. Many people learn visually better than just being told something. “I hold introductory to polo clinics for people who want to learn polo. Most of the people I teach already know how to ride, so I generally do drills with foot mallets and emphasize safety for about an hour before we begin mounted lessons,” explained Vidal. “I video them in their first lesson so they can track their progress and they can also share the video with friends.” Vidal takes the videos on his iphone using a stabilizer so the video is not shaky. He holds the stabilizer and phone in his hand as he rides next to the student while giving instruction. Many of the students Vidal works with are business people that have more time for themselves after their kids have grown up and are looking for something to do. Though many of the people already have some riding experience, they don’t have polo-riding experience. “I might have to tell them to kick their leg a little more forward then they are used to. Or use their muscles in their thighs and calves to grip the saddle so they can pivot better. And a lot of people that have come from hunters and jumpers don’t know how to place their foot in the stirrup. They tend to just keep the toe on the stirrup and I have to remind them to put more of their foot in the stirrup so they can stand up and reach,” explained Vidal. “Mostly, I am teaching to approach the 16 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
line and be safe,” explained Vidal. “It is not just about polo, I teach horsemanship. Men tend to be different then women. They will come and say, ‘I want to run.’ I teach how to ride, not just bouncing and moving but to bring the horse under them.” If a person doesn’t already know the basics of riding, Vidal doesn’t put a mallet in their hand while mounted on a horse until they learn the basics. “We work on the posting trot and how to use their legs to make the horse turn by making figure eights. My horses are very quiet. I Juan Vidal has incorporated the latest technology into his lesson program using his iphone, a stabilizer and can put beginners on a performance analysis app. some of them because they are consistent and will not move unless you want them to,” analyzes the student’s performance. The said Vidal. “You have to use your leg to app offers a split screen mode, which helps make some of them move so it makes you compare students’ swings. It also allows a better rider.” you to draw lines, so for example, you can Everything Vidal teaches is progressive draw a straight line over a bent arm to so he isn’t giving his students too much at show how straight the arm should be. once. He starts with the half swing before “Once I load the video, I can play it in moving on to a full swing. With video, slow motion or pause it and tell them, students can see how much they’ve ‘look here, you are not coming up enough improved over time, and it gives them a off the saddle, or you are not rotating your better sense of accomplishment. body,’” explained Vidal. Many times, When working with the swing, Vidal players think they are doing what you are will ride behind the students to video the telling them to do, but until they see position of their shoulders and rotation of themselves in motion, it doesn’t always their hips. After videoing the students sink in. from different angles, he views the video “I had one guy who has been playing with them using an app called Coach’s polo for 20 years, and still did not swing Eye. It is designed for use in sports and properly. He took lessons and went to
Argentina. He was still having trouble. He came up to me toward the end of the season to ask for my advice. I took video of him before and after working with him. I put the two videos on the split screen to show him the differences. “By looking at a video of him swinging, I was able to show him that he was swinging too hard, trying to kill the ball. He was not following through with his swing and his elbows and shoulders were not in the correct position. After I showed him how his swing looked and how he could improve it, right away it was like a light bulb went off,” said Vidal. The guy was amazed and said in all the years, it had never been explained to him like that. Vidal continued, “I have also used it myself. I had a terrible swing. I video taped myself, then compared my swing to some of the better players. I realized I didn’t have the extension I needed so I worked on that. ” Vidal originally tested out using a GoPro but he found it didn’t work well with such a large field. “It has such a large
angle that everything looks so far away,” he explained. “It would probably work well in a hitting cage, mounted on the corners or sides because it has such a wide-angled view.” He has also used a drone for some students. One in particular was a 60year-old guy who had never ridden before and had bilateral hip replacements. “I had to teach him how to ride, develop good horsemanship and hit the ball. I used the drone to get aerial video of him, following him as he went. Then I followed him from the sides. It helped tremendously, but video taping with my iphone and the stabilizer actually works better,” explained Vidal. With the iphone he can better zoom in on After lessons, Vidal can view the videos with his students using the areas that need work, split-screen mode or a drawing feature. He can also share the video with students to show their friends. such as the leg to show
As he is giving instruction, Vidal rides along next to students to video them. He can zoom in on areas that need work.
someone he is not using the knee to grab the sides as much as he should, or if his rein hand is not in the right position or he isn’t holding the reins correctly. A drone can be more useful in game situations, to show positioning, game strategy and fouls. In group lessons, if the students hang around after the lesson, Vidal can show some of the videos of the players in action and critique them with the group. Vidal also encourages the students to become USPA members so they can utilize some of the PoloSkilz videos as another learning tool. “They can build on their skills using the USPA’s library. It has a lot of videos and skills for them to watch and learn from,” explains Vidal. “Every instructor has a different style and each has something unique to offer.” The students are videoed in the beginning and again a few months later after they have been working on their swings. Vidal said eventually, everything becomes so methodical and they start developing muscle memory. After some time, the students can really see how u much progress they have made. POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 17
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HIND-LEG LAMENESS Stifles are a common problem area in the horse’s rear limbs
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he stifle is a large, complex joint composed of three bones, two menisci (crescent-shaped discs of fibro-cartilage attached to the joint surface) and 14 ligaments. It is actually three joints. One is between the femur (the large bone from stifle to hip) and the patella (similar to the human kneecap) at the front of the stifle. The other two joints are between the femur and the tibia (the bone from stifle to hock), one on the inside (medial) and one outside (lateral). All of these joint compartments are filled with lubricating fluid. The stifle is one of the strongest joints in the body, but occasionally becomes injured by a direct blow or damage during athletic stress. Stifle injuries may involve soft tissues, the bones, or both-—which can sometimes make diagnosis and treatment challenging. Gary Baxter, VMD, MS (Hospital Director at University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia), deals with many joint injuries. “Of the three joints in the stifle, generally the medial joint suffers most of the traumatic injuries. This joint is what we call the medial femoral tibial (MFT) joint. It is associated with the medial femoral condyle and the medial tibial plateau on the inside of the thigh. There can be a wide range of injuries in the MFT joint,” he says. Examples include meniscal injuries, articular cartilage damage or arthritis, and subchondral cystic lesions (bone cysts). Meniscal injuries usually involve a tearing of the meniscus-—the fibrous tissue at the top of the tibia. The meniscus is attached to the tibia by several ligaments, with the cranial meniscal femoral ligament being the most commonly injured. “This ligament is what hooks the medi18 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
al meniscus to the front of the tibia. Sometimes that ligament is injured, along with injury to the meniscus itself. Seriousness of the injury is generally related to how badly damaged the meniscus is. It may not be very serious, but a true tear of the meniscus can cause considerable lameness and a lot of effusion (swelling) in the stifle. By contrast, a little fraying of the meniscus may not cause much problem at all, in terms of lameness,” says Baxter. “We don’t know whether a meniscus injury is a one-time traumatic event (from a severe stress/strain on the joint) or the result of cumulative damage over time. Many injuries seem to be due to a cumulative effect, but we are not sure if this
Swelling in the stifle indicates something wrong in the joint.
occurs in the meniscus or not,” he says. “Damage to the articular cartilage appears to be more common on the medial side of the stifle joint. Cartilage damage and meniscal injuries can also occur together in the same joint. Sometimes we see cartilage damage in young horses, but often it may be the result of an end stage in an arthritic situation. It seems like the medial side is more prone to these problems than the lateral side,” says Baxter. Subchondral cystic lesions (bone cysts) are often found in young horses. “Some of these are developmental problems and some are traumatic injuries. A lot of these are bilateral (on both sides) but subchondral bone cysts are seen almost exclusively
on the medial femoral condyle in the stifle. Sometimes you see these on the opposite tibia and there are some reports of them occurring elsewhere in the stifle joint, but bone cysts on the medial femoral condyle are by far the more common place we find them in the stifle,” he says. If the horse is lame and the stifle seems to be the area of concern, it is important to know which part of the joint is affected. “Most horses that have a stifle problem show some swelling of the joint. Swelling, particularly in the medial side of the stifle, suggests there is something going on in that joint. Younger horses may have some extra fluid in the stifles and may not be lame, but we still have to be suspicious that there is something wrong in the joint. Early on, some of the problems in the medial femoral tibial joint may not cause true lameness, but they can be performance limiting. They may not cause much problem unless the horse is working hard.” Athletic activity may cause some pain and discomfort so the horse won’t give his best effort. “Whenever the problem becomes more severe you will usually find swelling in the joints, and some baseline lameness. The horse will also usually respond to flexion tests, etc. when a person is trying to diagnose this problem,” explains Baxter. Another joint that can cause problems is the femoral patella—the front part of the stifle. “A lot of those cases are associated with OCD lesions on the lateral trochlear ridge of the femur. Swelling in the femoral patella joint-—in the front—in a young horse is often associated with OCD, but there can be enough swelling in the medial joint that the extra fluid can overflow into the femoral patella joint. So you need to check and determine whether the problem started on the medial side and is spilling over, because those two joints definitely communicate. This is usually a more end-stage problem, however, after there has been some damage.” Some horses get a typical arthritis in the stifle joint, but many of these situations are secondary to previous injury. “It’s a bit different than a hock with
Radiographs are fairly easy to do and can be useful in diagnosing stifle problems.
arthritis that is truly just a wear-and-tear situation that eventually leads to arthritis in the distal hock joints. The arthritis that some older horses get in the stifle is often related to the work they’ve done, and previous injuries in that location. You have to keep this in mind when diagnosing problems in the stifle,” he says. The stifle is one of the more common problem areas in the horse’s rear leg. “Anyone training and working with athletic horses needs to pay attention to the size and feel of the stifle, and learn how to feel for heat and swelling. This is one of the sites that we would thoroughly investigate in any horse with a rear leg lameness,” he says. There are some stifle injuries that can cause mild lameness and resolve on their own or with minor treatment—some small problem that doesn’t fit into one of the main categories of stifle injuries. “It may be a situation where the horse just strained the joint capsule a little and gets some effusion and is a little off, but resolves fairly quickly. It’s not always a serious problem. I generally get to see the worst problems or those that haven’t
responded to initial treatment. There are, however, many things that occur in the stifle that can be managed medically and respond. One of the main signs of stifle injury is joint effusion; swelling tells you there is a problem in the stifle.” Patella Problems Injuries to the “knee cap” or patella at the front of the joint are often traumatic injuries from a kick, or running into a gate post or something solid. “The most common patella fractures I’ve seen were in stallions, getting kicked by mares they were breeding. Small fragments can be removed and the horse can do well. Prognosis depends on the size of the piece fractured off, and whether it’s one piece or multiple pieces. The best thing to do in most cases is to remove the fragment, or the horse will end up with arthritis from the constant irritation and continuing damage,” says Baxter. Upward fixation of the patella (locked stifle) can also cause damage, especially if this happens repeatedly in that horse. “Intermittent or complete locking can be POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 19
a problem. It seems like this is most common in young, growing horses, and some of them tend to grow out if it,” he says. Others suffer damage from the frequent locking. “Often you can train/condition a young horse out of the intermittent locking just by strengthening the supporting structures. But if it’s truly locked and you have to unlock the joint, then you must decide how to treat it. Some of those can be difficult to resolve. The ones that keep locking may need surgery, though most of them can be exercised to strengthen that area, increasing muscle tone.” Keeping the muscles around the joint strong can help keep the patella from slipping out of place. Sometimes horses develop upward fixation after a layup for some kind of injury, losing fitness. They are not exercising so they lose muscle tone, which allows the patella to move around a bit and slip out of place. “In these cases you can sometimes get the muscles strengthened again, and get the horse back to where it doesn’t happen,” he says. “The problem is that the horses that truly lock and continue to lock can’t be exercised because they are locking all the time.” This seems to be more common in ponies, miniature horses and certain individuals due to the way the stifle joint is formed. “Some of the horses that repeatedly lock have to be treated surgically to get it resolved, or they will just keep doing it. The joint may lock so badly that they will be dragging the leg and damage the front of the hoof and pastern,” says Baxter. Diagnosis “Usually we can diagnose an arthritic problem in the stifle because there are fairly characteristic radiographic changes. Arthritis seems to affect the medial femoral tibial joint more than the rest of the joints in the stifle,” says Baxter. When diagnosing problems in the stifle, those joints can be blocked, to pinpoint and confirm, but radiographs are also fairly easy to do, as well as ultrasound. 20 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Some stifle injuries can not be definitively diagnosed without going in and scoping the joint. Stifle problems are often treated with arthroscopic surgery, followed by regenerative medicine.
“We can see a good part of the stifle with ultrasound. It can be useful for picking up meniscal problems or damage on the condyle. It can also show injuries to the patella ligament that runs down the front of the stifle, and the collateral ligaments on the sides,” he says. “Ultrasound is probably a little less helpful for diagnosing injuries to the cruciate ligaments. Those are a little harder to see than the meniscus. This is another injury that sometimes occurs, but fairly uncommon in horses as compared to dogs. It usually takes a fair amount of trauma in a horse to damage the cranial cruciate ligaments,” he says. “Most cruciate injuries in horses occur if they get their leg in an odd position and suffer a lot of strain (the leg being caught and jerked). We don’t think it is a slow degenerate process with cumulative damage, but probably due to sudden trauma. In dogs it can be degenerative, with partial tears, but we haven’t recognized that type of injury in horses. We’re not saying it can’t happen, but definitely not as common,” he explains. Besides the cruciate ligaments, there are collateral ligaments on the stifle joint. “If a horse gets its foot caught, this can cause a severe traumatic injury, pulling those ligaments. The collateral ligaments are very stout, and if they are significantly injured you can generally diagnose this either with a physical exam or ultrasound. The meniscus can also suffer severe injury at the same time as the collateral ligaments. There are many variations of lame-
ness you can get with a stifle injury.” If the horse is lame in the hind leg, you don’t want to wait to see if it gets better; it is important to have a good lameness veterinarian examine the horse and get a proper diagnosis. “If there’s swelling around the stifle and significant lameness, have someone look at it quickly, to figure out what can be done,” says Baxter. “Interestingly, horses that have true OCD lesions in the front joint can have a lot of swelling and not be lame at all. These are generally young horses that have fragments on the trochlear ridges. I think the reason they don’t have lameness is because the lesions are on ridges that are not weight-bearing; even though they may have a lot of extra joint fluid, they just glide when the horse flexes the joint. Most of the injuries that occur on the medial joint, by contrast, are on the weight-bearing surface of the bone. There is much more lameness associated with those injuries.” He feels it is very important for veterinarians to be able to thoroughly palpate the stifle and know where the effusion is and do an adequate/thorough lameness evaluation and physical exam of the stifle. “This can reveal a lot about where the problem is and what the problem might be,” Baxter says. The primary diagnostic tools for stifle injuries are radiographs and ultrasound. “Some facilities can do an MRI of the stifle, but it’s not a routine diagnostic tool. There are also places where you could do a CT scan of the stifle. This is less fre-
IS YOUR RIG CHUKKERED OUT? quently done with the stifle, however, compared with looking at the lower parts of the leg,” he says. “To definitively diagnose some stifle injuries we often have to go into the joint and scope it, with arthroscopy. You can get a good feel for what’s going on with radiographs and ultrasound, but sometimes the definitive answer comes when you actually look inside the joint,” he says.
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Treatment Depending on what the veterinarian finds, treatment varies. “Some meniscal injuries can be debrided if they are accessible. Some of the tears are easily seen with the arthroscope and others are not. Most of the time we try to debride what we can of the meniscus, but it’s not uncommon to have other damage to the cartilage in the joint at the same time. We try to clean it up as best we can and then the prognosis depends on the amount of damage to the meniscus and articular cartilage,” says Baxter. “Many veterinarians are treating these joints after the arthroscopic surgery with biological products and regenerative medicine, to speed healing. The meniscus and the cartilage take a long time to heal so we try to speed the healing and have better healing,” he says. Regenerative medicine includes use of stem cells, platelet rich plasma, etc. “Bone cysts can be the most difficult to know how to treat because there are a lot of different options for treating cysts in the medial femoral condyle. These options have changed many times since I started doing surgery. We don’t have exact knowledge about what is the best treatment for some of these subchondral bone cysts. We started out by going in athroscopically to debride them, and now some people don’t debride them and just put steroids directly into the cysts to try and decrease the inflammation. There are multiple treatment options. There’s no one perfect solution that we know of right now, regarding the best way to treat some of those bone cysts, but there are several things that may u help,” Baxter says. POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 21
POLO SCENE N E W S
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NO T E S
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T R E N D S
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Q U O T E S
MERRY LAND
Club president, manager marry
MEMBERS OF THE MARYLAND polo club
in Jarrettsville, Maryland, along with other members of the overall polo community, recently attended the wedding of Maryland Polo Club manager Nate Berube to club president Liv Stringer over Memorial Day weekend. The couple were married at Liv’s uncle’s Verdant Valley Farm located just a mile away from the club. Liv and Nate share the love of polo as both played interscholastic and intercollegiate polo. Some of their polo ponies were also in attendance at the ceremony. Congratulations to the happy couple!
PARKER’S POLO MINUTE
FEDERATION OF INTERNATIONAL POLO recently published an illustrated compilation of valuable insights from leading commentators in the sport. The book, “A Guide to Polo Commentary,” was written by William Crisp, chief commentator at the Newport Polo Club in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Last year at the Newport Polo Club, Crisp announced to over 65,000 paying spectators during its 16-game season. Club founder Dan Keating said, “William has been the single most important reason for our success.” FIP President Nicholas J.A. ColquhounDenvers indicated that enthusiastic, informed and knowledgeable commentating makes all the difference in the world to spectators’ enjoyment of the game by helping them comprehend what is happening, and hopefully encourage them to become players, spectators or supporters. The guide offers everything an announcer needs to know before, during and after a game, as well as tips on setting up a sound system. To purchase a copy for $10, email williamcrisp1@gmail.com.
BY PARKER SCOTT
THE
Guide to polo commentary published
22 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
SERGIO LLAMERA
CALLING IT
When riding off your opponent, always try to ride off on his offside. This takes his mallet out of use and puts yours in play. SanDiegoPolo@hotmail.com
IN THE GAMES
Polo to be showcased in Summer Youth Olympics
T
SERGIO LLAMERA
HE FUTURE JUST GOT A little brighter for polo and its Champion” sessions will be offered with Olympians. next generation of players. Polo has been confirmed as a Sports initiation, organized in 30 sports, will also enable showcase sport for the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games, youth to try out the sports. scheduled for October 6-18 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Buenos Aires is also bidding against Santiago, Chile for The fourth International the right to host the Olympic Committee Pan American Games Coordination Commission, in 2023. Guillermo after a recent visit to the Steta, president of Argentine capital, approved the Mexican Polo both polo and squash to Federation, is be added to the sports’ spearheading a move to program. get polo into the Pan The “Sports Lab” American Games, concept was launched at the which could pave the 2014 Nanjing Games where way for its return to the roller sports, skateboarding, Olympics. sport climbing and wushu Polo’s confirmation were featured. Since then, for the Youth Olympic skateboarding and sport Games could have a climbing have been added to huge impact on polo’s the 2020 Tokyo Summer aspirations to return to Olympics. the Summer Olympic In addition, all 28 Games. It has been Team selection has not been determined yet, but Argentina has a large Summer Olympic sports, called a positive pool of talented youth, including 15-year-old Mia Cambiaso, above. including dressage and show development for the jumping, will be held in addition to new and non-Olympic growth and exposure of polo on a worldwide stage. disciplines. Polo was last featured in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games Athletes born on or after January 2001 and on or before when Argentina won the gold medal after an 11-0 victory December 31, 2003 are permitted to compete for Olympic over Britain in the final. Argentina also won the gold medal medals. The age limitation of the athletes is 14 to 18. at the 1924 Paris Olympics. It was only natural polo was added since the sport is so The sport has been an Olympic medal event at five popular in Argentina and surrounding areas and home of Olympics, also appearing in 1900 in Paris, London in 1908 Adolfo Cambiaso, the world’s greatest polo player, along with and Antwerp in 1920. several other top players. While team selection has not been “Buenos Aires 2018 will have an innovative and modern determined by various polo federations, it is expected that approach,” 2018 Buenos Aires Chairman Gerardo Werthein two of Cambiaso’s children, Mia, 15, and Poroto, 12, could told reporters. represent Argentina. The United States, England and other “Instead of waiting for young people to come to the sport, countries have talent pools to select from. the Games will aim to bring the sport, culture and education It is the third Summer Youth Olympics to be held after to millennials and get them involved through interactive the 2010 Singapore and 2014 Nanjing Games. The previous activities. Games hosted 3,600 athletes over 13 days of competition. “It will be an open event for everyone to enjoy and will Access to the four Youth Olympic Games venue parks will have a strong focus on sustainability.” be free to attract more fans and allow more youth to IOC officials believe the model will act as a testing ground experience elite sport competition. Local youth will have the for the Olympic Movement as the program is shifting toward opportunity to access some of the Youth Olympic Games a more youth-focused and urban setting. fields of play and competitions and free “Train With —Sharon Robb
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 23
Team training Educational opportunity focuses on young players The United States Polo Association established Team USPA in 2009 to grow and sustain the sport of polo by identifying talented young American players and providing opportunities to grow their abilities. By Kylie Sheehan
Each spring, Team USPA partners with Adam Snow, Owen Rinehart and some of the other top professionals in the industry to give young, promising players a comprehensive polo training opportunity in Aiken, South Carolina. This May, the USPA Polo Development LLC extended the invitation to several Young Player Outreach participants including Shariah Harris, Liam Lott, Tommy Huber, Bennett Moore, Tom Costello, Molly Agee, Dalton Woodfin, and Morgan Palacios. The Young Player Outreach program was launched by the United States Polo Association Polo Development LLC following the success of Team USPA as an effort to support more young polo players who have expressed an interest in learning more about the polo industry. The program provides educational 24 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Participants in the Young Player Outreach trained in Aiken, South Carolina.
opportunities to improve on knowledge of the game and horsemanship on and off the field. Young Player Outreach also works in conjunction with Team USPA to provide resources such as clinics, lectures and mentorships with professionals all over the country. The opportunities and skills developed during Young Player Outreach are sure to stay with the young players for the duration of their careers. Morgan Palacios, a participant from Chatham, New York, commented on the experience saying, “Fantastic does not even begin to describe this opportunity. It was unforgettable. I am extremely grateful to USPA and to all of the people who build and support these wonderful programs that help young players like myself.�
Snow and Rinehart, two former 10goal players and living legends in the sport, host training practices for the participants throughout the program. Their beautiful polo facilities are located within walking distance of the Team USPA training facility. Coached practices gave the YPO players a chance to hone their skills and push themselves to the next level in their playing. The practices were fast-paced, with Snow and Rinehart each captaining a team, along with other top professionals in the area such as Pelon Escapite and Willie Hartnett. Rinehart and Snow drove home the importance of using teammates, hitting backshots and understanding positioning on the field. Palacios raved about the chance to play with such accomplished
Team USPA’s Matias Gonzalez and Marissa Wells, with USPA Umpires, LLC’s Bradley Biddle, center
and knowledgeable players. “These practices and games were exhilarating. It was a privilege to participate in a game with these highlyexperienced players. They shared their knowledge and I played in some of the fastest polo I have ever been exposed to,” said Palacios. On days the players were not practicing, learning continued off the field. Each practice and game was taped to allow players the chance to review plays with coaches and discuss ways to be more effective on the field. The YPO players also were able to stick and ball regularly with Snow and Rinehart one-on-one. Rinehart and Snow fine-tuned the players’ swings, riding position and discussed strategy during these sessions. The players also participated in the Polo Development LLC Player Performance Analytics Swing Analysis to improve their hitting form. Players spent a significant portion of their time developing their horsemanship. Snow and Rinehart each own top-notch breeding operations, boasting dozens of the sport’s top bloodlines. Tommy Huber, a rising sophomore at University of Kentucky, spent the month mentoring at Rinehart’s Isinya Farms. Beth Skolnik, who leads the breeding and training operation at the farm along with Campbell Davis were extremely influential for Huber.
“My time spent in Aiken working for Adam, Beth and Campbell was extremely helpful. Thanks to them and the USPA, I was able to advance my polo career as an athlete and a horseman by experiencing and learning something new each day about polo and horse management,” said Huber. Shelley Onderdonk, DVM, has led the horse care of her husband Adam Snow’s string for years at their New Haven Farm. She shared some of her firsthand experience as a polo vet with the players, discussing the demands of the equine athlete and her insight on prepurchase exams. Samira Waernlund and Team USPA member Kylie Sheehan challenged players to present themselves and their horses at their best during a discussion on polo barn management and professionalism. Morgan Bowman and Team USPA member Connor Deal spent countless hours in the barn helping the young players learn the nuances of running a polo barn. Elizabeth Hedley, the Polo Development LLC Club Development Coordinator also spoke to the players about the importance of professionalism and presentation off of the field by using a trophy presentation as demonstration. The players attended a rules presentation by USPA Umpires LLC
umpire Bradley Biddle, alongside Team USPA members Matias Gonzalez, Russell Stimmel and Marissa Wells. In addition to polo and horse-specific knowledge, the players had the opportunity to work on personal fitness in crossfit-style workouts tailored to polo by the Aiken Crossfit gym. With a strong network throughout the polo community, both the Team USPA and YPO programs provide unmatched opportunities for the next generation of American players. “Exposing young adult players to this level of training is so rewarding,” said USPA Polo Development LLC Executive Director Kris Bowman. “Having access to mentors like Adam Snow, Owen Rinehart, Pelon Escapite and other accomplished professionals in the industry is invaluable.” A special thanks to the entire Aiken polo community and everyone who took their time to create such a special learning environment for players with a common passion for polo.
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POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 25
I want in Kids reap big benefits when involved in I/I BY AMY FRASER
K
MO PETKOV
ids and horses. You can argue that is one of the world’s best combinations. There are numerous studies that show the benefits of getting children involved in horses range from decreasing stress to learning valuable life skills. Add in the
team sport component of interscholastic polo and you can understand why the Intercollegiate/Interscholastic program has been going strong for 95 years. If you have a child in grades 7th through 12th that isn’t playing I/I polo, we would like to invite you to get involved, find a team and join the fun. There are 43 wonderful USPA member clubs that fielded interscholastic teams in 2017. There is likely a team near you! A complete list, including contact information, can be found on the USPA website, uspolo.org. If there is not a team near you and you are interested in learning how to start one, here’s how: Coach + Kids + Horses + Arena = Team. Any USPA member club can field a team. There is a catch however—all I/I polo is played in the arena, so if you don’t have an arena at your club, you will need to locate one. Additionally, all I/I teams are Central Coast Polo Club’s Jake Klentner, with brother Luke Klentner, required to have a gives the thumbs up at the National Interscholastic Championships.
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coach that meets the I/I coaching requirements. To field a team, you will need at least three players who meet the eligibility requirements: students must be USPA members (student or player), be in grades 7th through 12th, and reside within 100 miles of the host club. Students attending boarding school will use their boarding school addresses. If there is not a team within 100 miles of a player’s residence, the player may go to the next closest team. Once you are assembled, to officially enter your team in the I/I season, the team will complete an “intent to compete” form. This form allows the I/I staff to create a list of teams working towards competing in the spring tournaments. The list also allows other I/I teams to know that you will have a team they can compete against. Tournaments are scheduled based on the number and location of teams that turn in intent to compete forms. Interscholastic polo is divided into four regions: Northeastern, Southeastern, Central, and Western. Teams are required to play at least two games against other teams between September 1 and January 10 to qualify for the tournament season. While two games is all a team needs to meet the requirements for the spring tournament season, teams that play four regular season games against three different opponents can vie to be the regular season champion in their region and division. Players that meet the requirements can apply to receive an Interscholastic Varsity Letter. Check out the FAQs below for more information on the Varsity Letter Program and other I/I initiatives.
FAQs: Q: Our home club doesn’t have an interscholastic team, does that mean my child is not eligible? A: There are no restrictions regarding club affiliation and what team your child plays on. Q: My child’s school doesn’t have a polo team, and I don’t think they would be willing to start one. So, now my child can’t play? A: Most teams are USPA club teams, where the students all attend different schools, but play on the same team. Institutions can certainly start programs, and we can help! Q: There is not a team within 100 miles of our home, do we have to start our own team? A: You certainly can start your own team! But, if there are limitations such as number of youth at your home club, your child can request to play on the next closest team outside of 100 miles. Q: Do I need to personally own a full string of six horses for my child to play?
Midland’s interscholastic girls’ team visited Thomas Jefferson’s plantation, Monticello, on an off day while competing in the National Interscholastic Championship in Virginia.
A: No! Many clubs have club-owned horses specific for use in the interscholastic, youth and lesson programs. Some programs use personal horses of the students, where each player may supply one or two horses. In order to
Thalia Postins, Francesca Johansen, Abby Purdy and Ethan Bankhead make up California’s Lakeside JV team.
compete in the tournament, each team needs to source its own string of horses. A string consists of seven horses. Q: If I use my own horses, does that mean other kids play them as well? A: Yes. All I/I games are played using the split-string format. That means each horse plays twice, once for each team. This ensures fairness and an even playing ground in regards to horses. Typically, when you travel to teams for regular season games, you will play their horses and when a team comes to you, you will mount the other team. This limits the need to transport horses during the regular season and gives players the opportunities to play all different kinds of ponies. With the split string format, both teams get to play all the same horses. Q: We don’t have enough horses to host a game. Are we ineligible? A: Of course not! Many programs just starting begin with a handful of horses. You have a few options to still host. If your opponents are close, willing and able, they can supply horses too. Keep in mind, if you have to split the horses into strings, try to make them as even as possible. Second, if you only have enough POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 27
horses for two chukkers, you can request that a twochukker game count towards your qualification. You can even split the game up over two days by playing two chukkers one day, and the second two chukkers the next day.
students’ schools to notify them of their accomplishment.
Q: My child can get a scholarship for Lacrosse, are there similar opportunities with polo? A: Yes! In 2017, the USPA will award seven $4,000 Q: How long is the scholarships that are autoseason? renewable for up to four A: The official season years. To be eligible, players begins September 1, and must have competed for at tournaments begin in least two years of high school February. on an interscholastic team and be attending a college or Q: We have a team, we are university with an active entered, we played our two intercollegiate polo program. Interscholastic polo is more than just polo. Girls from the Midland and Houston teams jump into a pond during the 2017 Regionals. games and then some extras, Additionally, the PTF awards and completed all our four annual, auto-renewable eligibility paperwork, now what? tournament play. Once the coach has scholarships at $2,500 for I/I players. A: Now you are ready for tournament signed off on their applications, the Q: My child played interscholastic polo time! At the completion of each game you students are awarded a certificate of play, submit a copy of the official achievement, a patch and a pin for their and is graduating. Now what?! A: Intercollegiate polo! The USPA has scoresheet to the USPA. You can track first year, and a pin for each additional your team and other team’s standings on year awarded. The USPA will contact the over 40 intercollegiate polo programs across the country. Check the I/I Scoreboard online. out the Bookshelf on All teams are then seeded uspolo.org for the full into tournaments based on Collegiate Club Catalog to their regular season play. start your college search! Some of the higher-seeded teams will advance directly to Q: My child isn’t old a regional tournament, while enough to participate in the lower-seeded teams will interscholastic polo, is there play through a preliminary something available to get tournament. The winner of them started? the preliminary tournament A: Yes! The USPA Middle will advance to the regional School league was designed tournament, and the winner with our youngest players in of the regional tournament mind. The Middle School will advance to the national League is open to 5th tournament. through 8th graders and Q: How does my child get they don’t need to be a part of a full team to compete. a varsity letter? A: The USPA offers a Middle school tournaments are offered in the fall across varsity letter program for the country. Players enter interscholastic players. To individually and even teams qualify, players need to play are created by the Host in at least four regular Tournament Committee. season games, put in 100 The split string is not used in hours of riding, practice, middle school, so players can and/or stick & balling play their own horses that (outside of game time), and Mamba, part of the University of Michigan’s I/I string gets some love from one of the students. they are familiar with! play in post-season 28 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
BACK to SCHOOL never looked so good!
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POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 29
Planting seeds Organizers hope Gladiator Polo catches on By Gwen Rizzo
Carlucho Arellano, playing in his first Gladiator Polo match, enjoyed the crowd interaction.
30 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
UNITED STATES POLO ASSOCIATION
Despite rain throughout the day, spectators began lining up hours before the 8 p.m. starting time to witness Gladiator Polo players battle it out in the Tryon International Equestrian Center’s main arena, located in Mill Spring, North Carolina on June 24. By game time, well over 10,000 people were lining the arena. The numbers rivaled the 10th annual Veuve Clayoquot Polo Classic played in May at Liberty Island State Park, across the Hudson River from New York City. That crowd was enticed by A-list celebrities and a special performance by 15-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer Alicia Keys. Gladiator Polo also drew larger numbers than a typical U.S. Open final, the highestrated professional polo played in the U.S. and the sport’s most coveted trophy. Remarkably, Tryon, a small town of approximately two square miles at the base of the Blue Ridge mountains, had a population of less than 1,650 as of the last census, in 2010. Still, organizers believe that, had the weather been better, the event probably would have drawn another thousand or two additional spectators. Putting on this type of polo event was no small feat, considering Tryon has no polo facilities and the only polo player in the area is 1-goal Gates Gridley, who helped manage the event. And it was held at the height of summer polo season, which spreads the best players around all over the country. The Bellissimos tried out the Gladiator Polo concept in Wellington, Florida during the high-goal season. Even with the concentration of equestrian activities, and the success of the event, the crowds paled in comparison to what the event drew in North Carolina. Gridley said, “Most of the marketing and advertising was done over social media. The Tryon International Equestrian Center Facebook page has, I think, about 40,000 followers. They had some really good traction on there. “The marketing team did an amazing
job of getting out and really educating a public that didn’t have knowledge of polo before. They did an amazing job [writing] blogs [and explaining] the rules of polo and what to expect when going to a polo match. ... “We went on the local news to a couple different places—in Greenville as well as Asheville. There was a couple of articles done by local newspapers. It was amazing the amount of people that showed up. I’d say probably 99 percent of the people who were there had absolutely no background
UNITED STATES POLO ASSOCIATION
S
tarting from scratch, Mark and Katherine Bellissimo and their team created a fast-paced, high-energy polo event like never before at their North Carolina equestrian center.
310-feet by 250-feet. A regulation-size polo arena is 300-feet by 150-feet so the larger size made for good, fast polo. “The width of the arena opened up the game so much. There was more play in the middle of the game as opposed to the boards. [It allowed] these players that specialize in outdoor polo, which is a different style of the game, to keep that same sort of style,” said Gridley. Normally used for jumping, relatively little had to be done to transform the arena for polo. “We obviously took out the jumps. We used the ESI drags, the same ones we used [in Wellington] this past winter, to flatten out the surface and we put up netting on the outside. ... The dimensions were perfect. We didn’t have to put netting on
A pair of goals by MVP Pelon Escapite in the final chukker put Greenville on top.
of watching polo or anything like that.” While the equestrian center normally has a relatively large group of riders competing, only a small portion of the crowd were from the horse show. “There were people from the horse show there, but the reason we decided on June 24 was because it was a down week for the horse show. There wasn’t a ... grand prix that week. The horse show was actually relatively empty compared to what it usually is,” explained Gridley. The event was held in the center’s George Morris Arena, which measures
the sides, which made it a lot better for spectators because they weren’t looking through a net the whole time. The ball barely ever left the arena,” said Gridley. The arena originally had 3-foot board fencing around it. That was replaced with 4-foot fencing covered in plywood and painted black. The arena goals, custommade for Gladiator Polo and used in Wellington, were brought in for this event. Like the Wellington Gladiator Polo series, the arena rules were altered to make for a faster, more exciting game. Six five-minute chukkers were played rather POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 31
A crowd of 10,000 was fully focused on the match rather than polo just being a backdrop to a party.
“We’ve simplified the rules a little bit, and kept the safety of the horses and riders a top priority. We’ve made it more fun to watch. It is much more fun to watch than typical arena polo,” said Gridley. Players had to be brought in to form two 20-goal teams for the event. “June 24 was an issue, logistically, for the players, but I think all of them had either played gladiator polo in the past or tried out for it this winter. They saw the big picture so it made it a little bit easier,” said Gridley. “I think if this was our first time running Gladiator Polo, we might have had a little more trouble getting players
UNITED STATES POLO ASSOCIATION
than four seven-minute chukkers. Instead of throw-ins after goals, the opposing team immediately gets possession of the ball in front of its goal. And goals were designed to resemble hockey, lacrosse and soccer goals with netting on the top, deeper than the traditional 12 inches, and built coming into the arena at a larger angle. “We’ve been able to fine-tune what we’ve wanted as far as style of play, rules and presentation,” explained Gridley. “Last winter, we were changing some things, figuring out what worked and what didn’t. By the end ... we knew what we wanted and how to get there.
Seeing the bigger picture, the players fit the match into their busy summer schedules. Greenville’s Carlucho Arellano, Nino Obregon and Pelon Escapite took home the $21,000 prize.
32 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
and horses and everyone there, to a place that is two-and-a-half hours away from Aiken, especially right before most of the players are leaving for their summer seasons in Wyoming and Santa Barbara. Two of the players brought up their own horses while the others leased horses since most of their strings were already headed to either Santa Barbara or Wyoming. Bradley Biddle umpired the match. The teams were named after surrounding cities: Charlotte and Greenville. Carlucho Arellano, Mariano ‘Nino’ Obregon and Pelon Escapite wore the Greenville shirts for the team sponsored by Greenville-Spartanburg Airport, while Santi Torres, Jared Zenni and Facundo Obregon represented Charlotte, a team sponsored by Circle K. The event was presented by Coca-Cola. Prior to the match, players signed team banners, spectators took photos with people dressed as gladiators and there was plenty of entertainment to keep everyone busy with a live band, a horse simulator, face painting, a carousel, games and magicians circulating through the crowd. At game-time, Escapite struck first, kicking off a spectacular performance. Charlotte’s Facundo Obregon answered with a penalty conversion. Facundo scored the only goal of the second, while the players raced back and forth, wrestling for control. Arellano finally found the mark in the third, and repeated the effort a few
you. It’s just a great environment. It was great for the families here and great for the sport.” After, Escapite headed to Bliss, Michigan for the summer. Gridley described Escapite’s style as that of a hockey player. “Pelon played really well. He’s got a lot of experience in the arena and it definitely showed.” He continued, “It was amazing. The crowd was extremely engaged, especially for a crowd that had no background watching polo. It felt like you were at a hockey match. The players did a really good job of getting the crowd involved the entire night.” Organizers hope to change people’s perspective of the sport from immediately thinking of the “Pretty Woman” movie with women wearing big hats and
MEG BRYAN
UNITED STATES POLO ASSOCIATION
minutes later. In between Facundo hammered one in, keeping the score level at 3-3 at the half. Before the game and at halftime, two kids’ teams, that traveled in from Aiken, South Carolina with Tiger Kneece, played a chukker, demonstrating to the crowd that any age is appropriate for taking up the game. “The kids’ games have been crucial. ... To the crowd and the parents of kids that are watching, it [shows that it is] accessible ... because everyone has to start somewhere,” said Gridley. “It is a lot different going out there and seeing people like Facundo Obregon play, but it is good for [the crowd] to see kids playing and see that there is a ladder.” During the match, announcements were made for those interested in lessons to go to the Gladiator Polo website. According to Gridley, at least 116 people enquired about taking lessons that night and 35-40 have requested lessons since then. The key is having an accessible polo school for those interested in lessons. “I’m running the polo school here. We have six lesson horses ranging in age from 8-14, that are all nice and quiet,” said Gridley. Even more, Tryon is a 1,660-acre facility with almost 1200 stalls, so if interest continues to grow, there is room to add more polo facilities as needed. And, the facility will host the FEI World Equestrian Games in September 2018. In the second half, Facundo Obregon shot a rocket to goal for two points. Escapite responded with a Penalty 2 conversion. All scoring drives were cut short in the fifth, leaving Charlotte still on top 5-4 going into the final chukker. Escapite continued to dazzle the crowd and had it on its feet with a pair of goals to take the 6-5 lead for Greenville with time running out. Charlotte couldn’t break through Greenville’s defense leaving Greenville the winner of the $21,000 check and each player with a celebratory bottle of CocaCola. Escapite, the crowd favorite, was named MVP for his Herculean efforts. Escapite said, “As a player, that kind of atmosphere is unbelievable and it makes you want to give it your all on every play. When you’re playing, you’re surrounded by people cheering for you and against
something on the U.S. Open as far as the amount of engagement. That is just because we are bringing the crowd into a close space, so all the action is happening in your face as opposed to 100 yards away from you,” said Gridley. “Tonight was just unbelievable. It was something unique. I’ve never played in front of a crowd that big before,” Mariano Obregon said after the game. “Everyone was cheering so loud and it was just a great experience. I’m really hoping that we get to do it again.” Arellano was equally impressed. “That crowd really gets you going. We were down by one or two the whole game and they lift you in those moments. You get into it and you put your heart into it to get the people behind you. It was just an incredible night.”
Two Aiken youth teams helped demonstrate polo’s accessibility.
drinking champagne. Instead of polo just being a backdrop to a party, as it is at most other high-profile events, the idea is to get the crowd fully focused on the game. That is the best way to get people wanting to learn to play themselves. “One of our goals with Gladiator Polo is we want [spectators] to think of it more as if they are going to a hockey match or football game. Even with no background in polo, people were emailing and calling, asking when the next event was. That is how we gauged our success,” said Gridley. “I spoke with Nino Obregon a little bit after the game and he said this had
In hopes of maintaining the momentum created by the first event, a second match is planned for September 1 in Tryon. In addition, organizers expect to have an expanded Gladiator Polo season in Wellington this winter and Gridley will continue the polo school there as well. “We’ll definitely have more than four teams. We are still figuring out the details, but we have had so much player interest, the sky is the limit as far as this winter goes. I think it is going to be a huge improvement because we have had time to organize and see the players and really build the sport,” said Gridley. POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 33
Buy the bale
Know what to look for when it comes to hay By Gwen Rizzo
H
ay is the foundation of a horse’s diet. Choose hay carefully, inspect it regularly and store it properly to make the most of it, ensure consistency and avoid digestive upsets.
Before humans put horses to work and began keeping them in barns, horse herds grazed on fields of grasses, walking and eating continually throughout the day. The stress of competition, being stalled and trailered makes performance horses susceptible to ulcers and digestive upsets. Free access to forage—grass or hay—is best for their digestive health. Since most horses don’t have access to large tracts of rich grasses any longer, hay is the next best thing. Of course, you don’t want to feed a high protein hay, such as pure alfalfa, all day long so it may be necessary to offer two types of hay: one with a lesser nutritional value, such as a grass hay, to graze on throughout the day and another higher in protein to feed at meal times. Grain is
given to supplement hay when horses are working hard and are burning more nutrients than what hay alone can provide. Many horses in moderate work can do well on hay alone. Not all hay is created equal. Hay comes in many varieties, with differing proportions of proteins, carbohydrates, fiber and other nutrients. Alfalfa, timothy and alfalfa mix, and bermuda are pretty standard for polo. Keep horses’ diets consistent to avoid digestive upsets and colic. Getting consistent hay from the feed store can be difficult. Even when you buy the same type of hay, loads can differ depending on the soil, weather, how it was cut, how long it sat before baling and how it was stored before reaching your barn.
“[Feed stores] need to move it and keep the supply so [hay] comes from everywhere. Even if the owner of the feed store wants to do it right, it is very difficult,” explained Dr. Joao Vendramini, associate professor and forage specialist at the University of Florida. When possible, your best bet is to purchase directly from a hay grower who is knowledgeable and trustworthy. If hay is not grown near you, you can have it shipped in, but that will only work if you have enough horses to eat it before it goes bad and a dry place to store it. The only way to verify the nutritional value in your hay is to have it tested at a reliable lab. Testing can be done through private companies, some county extension (continued on page 36)
Where hay is grown, how it was cut, how long it sat before baling, weather and how it is stored all have an affect on it.
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(continued from page 34)
agencies or agricultural departments of some universities. Dr. Vendramini, explained, “You need to test the forage. They label forage such as T&A, peanut and bermuda grass. There is a lot of perception that those labels are associated with some nutritive value. And that is the biggest mistake ... there is no way to predict how good or bad it is. “Mainly people ... send the sample because they think something is wrong. Their horse is not eating, is losing weight or something. Then its probably too late.” Keep in mind, you may have one shipment analyzed and the next shipment, even from the same supplier and grower, may still be different. When purchasing hay, it should look and smell good. Green color indicates it has been dried properly. Yellow color may be an indication it was not cured properly or it may be old. If hay has any moldy smell to it, discard it. Dusty hay may be safe to feed if the dust easily shakes off and the hay itself smells clean. In that case, wet the hay first before feeding it. When you open a bale of alfalfa, the leaves should look like they have been pressed between the pages of a book. This indicates there is enough moisture. If the leaves are brittle or turn dusty, the hay is not good. Hay may not smell too bad, but it may still have low nutritive value and if your horses turn up their noses, even though it looks OK, it is probably not very good. Sometimes debris can make its way into your bales. You may find large sticks, stones or stems of thistle when you open up a bale. Large stems of thistle tend to grow when there is a lot of rain. You will sometimes see balls of fluff on the side of the bale when there is thistle inside. Hard spots or a stripe on the side of the hay are indications the hay is cooked, meaning there was too much moisture, which causes it to heat up and mold. Dr. Vendramini said, “These are the types of thing you should avoid. Variation in material is a bad sign. [Again], try to get a relationship with a reliable [hay] source.” Growing hay is not an exact science since it is dependent on the weather. Planting a 50-50 mix of alfalfa and timothy seeds don’t always produce a 5036 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
The only way to know what nutrients are in hay is to have it tested in a lab.
50 mix of hay. A rainy season will produce more timothy, while a drier season will produce more alfalfa. And even if early growing produces a 50-50 mix, it can change before cutting time if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Dr. Vendramini explained, “Sometimes the [hay] guy actually wants to do it right, but he can’t. It’s too wet.” The soil can also have an effect on the hay so alfalfa grown in Canada may not be the same as alfalfa grown in Texas, Kentucky or California. Weather is a big factor in the quality of hay. If rain prevents the hay from being
Blister beetles feed off alfalfa and can be found in alfalfa hay. Whether dead or alive, they are toxic to horses.
cut, it can become too mature. Or if it rains after it has been cut, it may not have enough time to dry. Rain my also wash away fertilizer or prevent it from being applied, which will be a factor in the outcome as well. The cutting of the hay is also a factor. The protein is mostly found in the leaves rather than the stem so a first-cutting of Timothy will tend to be stalkier and thus have less protein but more fiber. Secondcuttings tend to be leafier so it will have
more protein and less fiber. Flowering is an indicator of maturity so the more flowering found, the more mature the hay is, meaning it will have less nutritional value. For instance, if you see those pretty purple blooms in your alfalfa, then the protein is dramatically increased because it has all gone to the blossoms. While alfalfa is a good source of energy, it can be too high in protein and too rich for some horses. If horses are not used to eating it, it can cause digestive upsets and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration. Some players will look for alfalfa with some bleaching in it, indicating it has been properly dried and is ‘toned down’ a bit. Blister beetles feed on alfalfa flowers and secrete cantharidin, a chemical substance toxic to horses. Blister beetles have been found in baled alfalfa hay, and, whether dead or alive, can be fatal to horses. Touching them can be enough to cause blistering. Ingesting them can cause inflammation and ulcerations in the mouth, stomach and intestines, and in the worst cases, death. Always examine alfalfa hay for the presence of blister beetles before feeding it. The beetles are usually up to an inch long and can be black, gray, or brown with yellow stripes. Beetles can be found in any state, but how the hay is processed can make a difference in whether they end up in your bales. According to the Hayusa.net website, some hay producers use mechanical conditioners to crimp the hay to create a soft green texture by removing moisture within a matter of hours. This process kills beetles and traps them in the hay. Dead beetles are more toxic than live beetles. Hay can be purchased in small or large square or round bales. Small square (actually rectangular) bales can vary in size from about 40 pounds up to about 150 pounds. The lighter bales generally come with two strings, while the heavier ones come with three strings or wire. Comparing costs when purchasing hay can be tricky. You can’t rely on size alone since weight can vary depending on the density of the bale, moisture content and even the cutting. Earlier cuttings tend to weigh less, while later cuttings tend to weigh more. Periodically weigh random bales to be sure you are getting what you paid for. Dr. Vendramini explained,
Flowering is an indication hay has matured, which means it has less nutritive value.
“There is a benefit to really knowing the weight because that is where people get ripped off the most.” When buying by the truckload, the load is weighed so you know how much you are paying per pound. Large square bales can weigh anywhere from about 800 to 1,500 pounds, while round bales can vary from 700 to 1500 pounds. Your typical 4-foot wide by 5-foot diameter round bale of bermuda will generally weigh about 800 pounds. Round bales are often put out in a paddock for horses to self feed. They require less labor, however you cannot control how much each horse is getting and a lot can go to waste, particularly at the bottom that is in contact with the ground. “In Florida, because of the weather, you can lose up to 50 percent [of round bales]. But the average is about 20 percent,” said Dr. Vendramini. Larger bales require heavy duty equipment to move them around so they are often not practical for small-scale operations. How hay is stored is important in preserving its quality. For best results keep it dry and out of the elements. If it is stacked tightly it will keep the dust down and lessen the chance of animals, like possums or racoons, getting into it. Moisture will cause hay to heat up and allow mold to grow. Storing it on pallets over smooth concrete flooring helps. Dr. Vendramini recommends keeping it off the ground. Good quality hay, properly stored, can last up to about a year. “If hay is in the barn, not touching the ground and has good circulation of air, fall hay can easily be stored for a year,” says Dr. Vendramini. “But, if you buy summer hay, which sometimes has more
moisture, you are going to see that by six months, it starts to get mold. ... Some [growers] use propionic acid on summer hay [to inhibit mold growth].” Deciding what type of hay to feed is something you should discuss with your veterinarian. Look at the amount of exercise your horse is getting and build its diet around that. If horses have access to rich, grassy pastures, they will require hay with less nutritional value. In general, many polo farms feed a mix of alfalfa and grass hay, such as timothy or orchard grass. Again, allowing them to eat throughout the day is optimal to keep them busy, help prevent ulcers and allow their digestive systems to keep moving so if you feed an alfalfa mix twice a day, you may want to offer a grass hay for your horses to pick at in-between. Always have plenty of clean fresh water available to your horses while they are eating hay. The water will aid in the digestive process. Without access to clean, fresh water, horses are more susceptible to impactions. When feeding horses outside, they will search for the tasty hay leaves and in the process may eat dirt or sand, which can cause colic. Some people feed hay in hay nets, however small leaves can still fall to the ground. Horses are made to eat off the ground, which encourages airway drainage. With their heads elevated, they are more likely to inhale dust and hay particles, which can cause respiratory problems. It is best to use a manger or feed in an empty water trough to keep the hay off the ground. Hay cubes and pellets offer an alternative to baled hay. They allow for more consistency since manufacturers guarantee the amount of protein, fiber and fat listed on the outside of the bag. This makes it much easier to know exactly what nutrients your horses are getting. Cubes and pellets are also better for horses that can’t tolerate dust on hay. The down side is you can’t offer free choice like you can with baled hay. Dr. Vendramini said, “Because I could not have consistency [with the hay] I found around my house, I switched completely to alfalfa cubes. Now, I know the nutritive value, I know the amount, so it is easier for me to control.”
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Head strong
Recognizing and preventing concussions With Dr. Jacklyn Casab
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olo can be a dangerous sport so injuries and falls should not be taken lightly, even if the injured player says he is fine.
Polo is a full contact, aggressive and competitive sport, which requires power, balance, skill, coordination, quick reflexes, decision making and strategy. The importance of safety for polo players is crucial and needs to be addressed in advance of play. Minimizing life-changing injuries, such as concussions, includes wearing a secure helmet. U.S. Polo Association rules require a protective helmet or cap with a chin strap worn in a manner specified by the manufacturer, however, there are currently no requirements for meeting specific safety standards. Polo is considered a high-risk sport, but there is a paucity of studies regarding injuries, such as concussion. Apparently, one study showed the incidence of injury at 7.8 per 1,000 playing hours, however, 64 percent of these injuries were considered serious. Arm and head injuries were most common and were frequently associated with falls. Sports-Related Concussions Sports-related concussions have impacted an estimated 300,000 to 3.8 million people annually in the United States. Concussions are a major cause of death and disability, and 153 people every day in the U.S. die from head injuries. Many people who experience a concussion can face effects that last a few days, or the rest of their lives. The effects of concussions can include impaired thinking or memory, movement, sensation or emotional functioning. Preventing concussions for polo players starts with buying the safest helmet available. Polo helmets last, at 38 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
most, five years, and should be replaced after a fall regardless if damage to the helmet is visible. Most importantly, a polo player’s helmet needs to fit correctly in order to provide maximum protection. Every three months, polo players should check their helmets, as straps stretch out, padding settles and the fit changes. Always follow your helmet manufacturers recommendations for proper fit.
Signs of Concussion • Can’t recall events prior to or after a hit or fall • Appears dazed or stunned • Forgets an instruction, is confused about an assignment or position, or is unsure of the game score or opponent • Moves clumsily • Answers questions slowly • Loses consciousness • Shows mood, behavior or personality changes Symptoms Reported • Headache or pressure in head • Nausea or vomiting • Balance problems or dizziness, or double vision • Bothered by light or noise • Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy or groggy • Confusion, or concentration or memory problems • Just not ‘feeling right’ or ‘feeling down’ — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Equestrian-Related Concussions Horseback riding is one of the leading sports that result in the most traumatic brain injuries. In the United States, approximately 30 million Americans ride horses each year for both recreational and competitive sports. Data from the National Trauma Databank between 2003-2012 found that equestrian sports contributed to the highest percentage of traumatic brain injuries for adults. According to the Department of Neurological Surgery, concussions comprise 9.7 to 15 percent of all equestrian-related injuries brought to hospitals for evaluation. The study also identified how 9-25 percent of horseback riders don’t use helmets, increasing their risk of a brain injury. Equestrian athletes who wear helmets led to an absolute risk reduction for head injury of 40 to 50 percent. Concussion Issues and Concerns The first concern focuses on the use of the safest helmet available, which should be worn at all times (on and off the polo field) and be replaced immediately after an impact has occurred. In 2011, Neurosurgeon Lola B. Chambless analyzed ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials)/SEI (Safety Equipment Institute) and NOCSAE (National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment) helmet standards and determined the NOCSAE standard to be safer for polo based on conditions specific to the sport, such as being hit by a polo ball or mallet, in addition to dangers associated with riding. The USPA had hoped to require
SERGIO LLAMERA
No one is immune from falls and the more you ride, the more likely your are to fall. Wear the safest helmet available any time you are on a horse, replace it after a fall and don’t get back on if you have a concussion.
players to wear NOCSAE-approved helmets, but this proved more complicated than expected. Only two polo helmets passed the standard and neither are being manufactured today. Due to high costs to test and manufacture, and the unlikelihood of making a return on investment, no polo helmet manufacturer seems willing to try to meet the NOSCAE standard, understandably so. With this in mind, the USPA is looking at requiring participants to wear helmets that are ASTM certified, the standard used by the United States Equestrian Federation for its members, as an alternative. The USPA is continuing to test helmets and hopes to see a variety of helmets eventually meet the ASTM standard. An initial round of tests last summer saw half of the eight helmet models from five manufacturers pass some ASTM tests, however the full range of tests were not performed. USPA testing continues and once completed, the results will be made available to USPA members so they can be informed when purchasing a helmet. Since horses are unpredictable, it is inevitable that an individual will fall off at some point during the course of a riding career. Even with a helmet, the chances of suffering a concussion are good; without it, the chances of severe concussion increase significantly.
The second issue is the lack of standardized concussion protocols, even at larger competitions. Typically, there are not trained medical personnel on site during smaller competitions. Therefore, unless the concussion injury is so severe that hospitalization is a given, many riders just get back up and ride. Furthermore, at the more prominent competitions, where an emergency medical technician is typically present, there is still a lack of a standardized concussion protocol that is utilized and enforced. This leaves the decision up to the EMT whether to check for concussion or not, which does not always happen as it should. This also leads to a lack of followthrough to ensure the rider does not just get right back in the saddle again, which tends to be the rider’s first inclination. Getting back on the horse after a fall resulting in a concussion puts the rider at real risk of severe brain injury. The most effective way of preventing severe brain injury is by allowing the previous injury to fully heal. According to Dr. Chambless, if a rider is clear of any other serious injuries, he should expect to rest and not return to athletic activity until all symptoms of the concussion have resolved. For 88 percent of athletes, this will occur within a week of the accident. Once the rider is symptom-free, he should return first to moderate activity (walking) before
engaging in aerobic activity (running, biking, etc.) If no symptoms have recurred, he can then return to riding in a step-wise fashion, slowly increasing the intensity of activity over several days. If at any point during this period his concussive symptoms return, he should take more time out to rest. In addition, physicians who are experienced in treating traumatic brain injury can perform balance and neurocognitive testing, to help athletes determine their fitness for return. Conclusion Polo, equestrian and other sportsrelated concussion numbers are growing each year, and more formalized studies of the incidence of concussion would enhance player involvement. Studies have concluded that most equestrian athletes are either misinformed or unaware of the potential negative consequences of concussive injuries. This is an issue that not only affects individual athletes, it also affects families and communities as a whole. The need for education is evident, and efforts should address the risks, signs, symptoms, guidelines and appropriate management of concussions. With improved protocols and sports injury prevention, equestrian sports will ultimately be safer for all who are involved. POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 39
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BY ERNESTO RODRIGUEZ
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TAKING THE FIFTH Home team takes Argentina’s Interior Handicap Championship PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANITA VOLLENWEIDER/AAP
R
io Cuarto Polo Club officials had two missions for 2017: organize and win Argentina’s Interior Handicap tournament, the main tournament of Argentina’s provincial clubs. With a lot of effort and sacrifices, both tasks were fulfilled. The organizing club had to face the downfall of sponsors and other logistical inconveniences but still hosted a great competition. And it wasn’t easy to keep the fields in good shape with the 11 teams that came out, offering a tough battle. “It was a titanic task to receive teams from all over Argentina. We did it all with our hearts. And, luckily the bet went well,” said Fernando Reynot Blanco, president of the club and captain of the team. The contest began on Monday, May
1 and lasted until Saturday, May 6. The dozen participating quartets were initially divided into four groups. Group 1 was a provincial affair because Rio Cuarto had to define the first place against San Gonzalo, the other team from Córdoba. The local squad knew to take advantage of the efficiency of Santino Magrini in the penalties, and the strategic ability of his father, Matías, to advance to the semifinals. In the definition of the Group 2, Tapia Polo received two goals on handicap against CCM Palo Santo. It defended that advantage with tooth and nail until the bell closed the six chukker to score a victory by a tight 7-6. In Group 3, Los Sauces recovered from a poor start against Roldan JC (losing 4-3 in the first half), but in the next three chukkers the four players scored an 8-0
Rio Cuarto’s Santino Magrini tries to flick the ball over to his father, Matias, while being ridden hard by an opponent in the final of the Interior Handicap Championship.
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run for a win, which put them in the top four of the tournament. The remaining semifinalist would be the defending champion, Chapaleufú Melicurá Escorihuela, who appeared with the same crew that a year before had raised the Sesquicentenario de la Revolución de Mayo Cup (Alberto Garzarón, Nicolas Garzarón, Iván Lariguet and Andrés Lariguet). The experience and good chemistry of the La Pampa team, founded by the Heguy family, allowed it to pass unbeaten the initial phase scoring 33 goals from the field and only two penalties in its two presentations. The tournament features three cups: the main Sesquicentenario de la Revolución de Mayo Cup for teams topping their Group; the Roberto Cavanagh Cup for runners-up in each group; and the Amistad Cup for third place teams. Semifinals and finals are held for each cup. The semifinals’ of the main cup offered a rematch. Los Sauces had lost the 2016 final against Chapaleufú Melicurá Escorihuela. But revenge came one year later. With a tough game and an outstanding performance by Iván Maldonado (seven goals, including an amazing penalty conversion from almost 100 yards), the team from San Luis scored an 11-6 win in a match that closed with a notable demonstration of fair play. In the sixth and final chukker, Ezequiel Sánchez (Los Sauces’ No. 2) suffered a fall and had to leave the game. His team had no substitutes, so Chapaleufú Melicurá Escorihuela decided to leave one of its players out so as not to take advantage of the unfortunate situation despite being down by five goals. Thus, the remaining four minutes passed
with no new scores until the final bell decreed the 11-6 win for the Sánchez family quartet. The other clash allowed the home team to pass to the final, with some suffering. Rio Cuarto gave two goals to Tapia Polo because of the handicap difference. It wasn’t until the third chukker when Rio Cuarto managed to take the lead, 7-4. It managed to hold on to the lead to defeat the team from Tucumán, 12-9. In the other semifinals, CCM Palo Santo edged San Gonzalo 10-9 and C9 defeated Hípico Gualeguaychú 14-11 for the Roberto Cavanagh Cup. La Illusión de Roldán JC slipped SP Cartagena de Indias Combustibles del Norte SA 10-9 and El Desafío Mountain Resort downed Team Militar 11-5 to advance to the final of the Amistad Cup. The first cup disputed on finals day was the Amistad Cup. El Desafío Mountain Resort took an initial advantage thanks to the efforts of Gastón Moore. While La Ilusión de Roldán JC managed to equalize the score at 5-5 during the third chukker, El Desafío, representing Neuquén province, got the prize after completing a 10-8 win. Next came the Roberto Cavanagh Cup final. After CCM Palo Santo gave C9 a handicap goal to begin, it took the first half for the team to equalize the score at 5-5. From there, Salvador Ulloa (author of eight goals, six of them coming from penalties) began to shine. He managed to take control of the match and triumph by 12-10. The big final did not start the way the locals expected. Los Sauces received three goals to start because of the handicap difference and scored two more to go to the first break with the 5-1 advantage. Little by little Rio Cuarto recovered, guided by Matías Magrini, and leveled the score at 77 at the half. Río Cuarto took control in the fifth (12-10) thanks to two goals from Santino Magrini. The last seven minutes of the
Río Cuarto’s Juan Eduardo Harriot, Santino Magrini, Fernando Reynot Blanco and Matías Magrini won the Interior Handicap Championship.
tournament where all or nothing. Los Sauces abandoned its strong defensive style, shifting to offense in an attempt to find the goal. But, in doing so, it left spaces for two more conquests by the home team. Juan Carlos Sánchez found the goal but it wasn’t enough and the match ended 14-11, giving the host club its
Río Cuarto’s Matías Magrini was MVP.
fifth CAIH title. Though it celebrated wins in 1990, 1995, 2001 and 2007, this was the first time achieved on its own field. For two of the players the win was especially joyful: Matías Magrini was part of the quartet that won the first title 27 years ago in Santa Fe, while Fernando Reynot Blanco was part of the victory achieved a decade ago, at the Ascochinga Polo Club. In addition to the trophies, there was time for personal awards. Iván Lariguet (Chapaleufú Melicurá Escorihuela) was distinguished with the Alberto Cossio award, given to the best player of the tournament. Santino Magrini (Rio Cuarto) was awarded as the top scorer of the competition (26 goals), his father and teammate Matías was chosen MVP and Iván Maldonado (Los Sauces) was recognized as the “revelation” player. Regarding the horses exhibited, the best mounted player award was for Agustín Von Wernich (C9), while the Argentine Polo Association and Polo Horse Breeders’ Association chose Chapa Heidi, played by Santino Magrini, as the best mare. POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 41
From April 28-May 7, Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly hosted some of the best European teams for the FIP World Championship Zone E Playoffs and the very first Women’s European Championship. Four teams competed in each event at the prestigious club in Apremont, France. Chantilly hosts zone playoff, ladies championship Located in the heart of PHOTOS COURTESY AGENCE R&B PRESSE the picturesque Château de Chantilly state forest, the club was founded by Patrick Guerrand Hermés in 1995. However, polo dates back to 1920 when Baron de
DESTINATION: FRANCE
Rothschild organized the first polo match on the land now occupied by the club. The FIP action got underway with the ladies tournament on April 30. In the first match, France took on Germany. In a rough start for the French, Germany jumped ahead by three goals in the first seven minutes on its faster horses. France regrouped, shifting to defense, which allowed it to take control. The pressure rattled Germany, causing it to make costly mistakes. France converted four penalties added to a field goal by Lea Siboni, while holding German to a single goal for the last three periods. France prevailed 5½-4.
France’s Caroline Anier jumps on the line in the final of the first FIP Women’s European Championships against a tenacious Italian team.
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I N T E R N A T I O N A L
S P O T L I G H T
Italy marks the French team closely in the final of the Women’s European Championship.
A member of the Italian team celebrates the victory as the final horn sounds.
Italy fell to England 7-3 in the second match of the day. The second round of matches saw France defeat Italy 8-4, while Germany
edged the favored English team. While England was led by a pair of 5-goal professionals in Lottie Lamacraft and Lucy Coddington alongside two
FIP’s president Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers, far left, and CEO Alex Taylor, far right, present gold medals to the Italian team, winner of the first Women’s European Championship.
inexperienced players, a more balanced Germany effectively covered the two pros while taking the lead. In the other match, Italy had a strong first period, but in the end couldn’t keep up with the balanced French attack. All four players contributed goals in the 8-4 win. The third round put Italy and France in the final after France downed England 5-2 and Italy edged Germany 3½-3. If France had lost, a penalty shootout would have been necessary to determine the finalists. France took no chances After being knotted 1-1 at the end of the first chukker, France took a page from Germany’s playbook and double-teamed England’s 5-goal pros. Meanwhile, Caroline Anier attacked with well-placed passes to Charlotte Garaud and converted all opportunities from the penalty line. After Italy’s defeat of Germany, those teams, along with England, were tied with 2-1 records, requiring a shootout to determine which team would face France. Italy out shot the rest to advance. France was confident entering the final without a loss. In its last outing with Italy it had doubled Italy’s score, 84, and was hoping for a repeat. But, it was not to be. Italy set a fast pace early in the game, marking Anier closely. The POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 43
WOMEN’S TEAMS
Italian team went on to win 5-3 to take the first FIP Ladies European Championship. FIP ZONE C PLAYOFF In the FIP Zone Playoff’s first match, the French narrowly lost to Spain, 5-4. Spain struck early, leading by two after the first period and held on until the end. France’s Pierre Henri Ngoumou chalked the loss up to being unlucky. He explained, “Spain is a great team. We know how they play. We met them a few times, for example in England and came out with a tie. These are four great players. I don’t think we did something
MEN’S TEAMS
England: Angela Robb Suzannah Harvey Lottie Lamacraft Lucy Coddington
10 0 0 5 5
France: Léa Siboni Caroline Anier Charlotte Garaud Adéle Renauldon
9 0 5 3 1
France: Alexandre Sztarkman Julien Reynes Patrick Paillol Pierre Henri Ngoumou
14 1 3 5 5
Germany: Maximilian Bosch Caesar Crasemann Caspar Crasemann Heinrich Dumrath
12 3 3 3 3
Italy: Constanza Marchiorello Maria Vittoria Marchiorello Ginevra d’Orazio Ginevra Visconti Bassetti
11 4 3 3 1
Spain: Pelayo Berazadi Nicolas Ruiz Guinazu Mario Gomez Jose Trenor
14 5 3 4 2
Germany: Laura Gissler-Webber Maike Hoelty Naomi Schroeder Tahnee Schroeder
12 3 3 3 3
England: Henry Porter Mark Baldwin Will Lucas Satnam Dhillon
14 2 3 4 5
France’s Pierre Henri Ngoumou (front) keeps the pressure on England’s Will Lucas. With just three minutes remaining in the last game, Lucas scored three times to win the match and eliminate France.
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I N T E R N A T I O N A L
wrong. We dominated a lot but we had trouble to finish the action. We were a bit unfortunate and at this level, it all comes down to a few things.” In the second match, England, led by 7-goal Will Lucas, topped Germany 74½. The teams stayed close until the third period when England capitalized on Germany’s fouls and opened the game up with fast runs, which was
Germany’s undoing. In the next round, France beat Germany 7-5½ while England got the best of Spain 10-7. After its first round loss, France reorganized, switching positions with its No. 1 Julien Reynes and Back Alex Sztarkman, and it seemed to work. Reynes said, “Everything went smoothly today. We have changed our tactics. I switched positions with Alex,
Spain moves on to represent Zone C in the FIP World Championships in Australia after finishing with a 1-1 record. France had the same record but narrowly lost to Spain in its first match.
England topped the Zone C playoffs to advance to the World Championships.
S P O T L I G H T
England came from behind to defeat France in the final match of the FIP Zone Playoffs.
who went up front. ... we were much better organized.” It was a much more efficient game with Sztarkman more at ease as he scored perhaps the most impressive goal on a neck shot. “We weren’t under as much pressure. When we played our first game, it had been a while since we had played in a competition and it was a little bit stressful for us to enter such a tournament without any preamble,” Reynes said. “Today we were not afraid of losing and felt more comfortable than on Monday. As a matter of fact, we were much more relaxed.” The second loss for Germany eliminated it from the tournament. England put on another brilliant performance against a worthy adversary in Spain. There were pleny of long balls hit, nice plays and back shots. After Spain initially led, 5-4, the teams were leveled at 7-7 after the first 14 minutes. In the third period, Lucas shot balls forward from the back position and struck the final blow. The top two teams in the tournament would advance to the FIP World Polo Championships in Sydney, Australia in October. With one loss under its belt, France had no room for errors in its last game. It would need to beat England to eliminate Spain and stay in the running. It was neck and neck throughout the match and with just three minutes remaining, France held the 6-5 advantage. But, it was then that Lucas struck, hammering in three goals to put England on top 8-6 and the game out of reach for France. England and Spain move on to represent Zone C in Australia. POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 45
POLO REPORT DISPATCHES FROM THE WORLD OF POLO SOUTHWESTERN
MARINE CORPS PREVAILS IN PATTON JR. TOURNEY
Army’s Ariel Rodriguez moves in to hook Marine Corps’ Javier Insua in the final of the Gen. George S. Patton Jr. Tournament.
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he Central Texas Polo Association, a consortium of three USPA polo clubs—ATX, Heart of Texas and Texas Military—recently held a USPA General George S. Patton Jr. tournament. With five teams representing the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force there were 20 players (from Austin, Poteet, South Padre Island, Lockhart and San Antonio Texas) and a lot of horses. Robin Sanchez and Doug Brunet umpired the
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matches. There were also a good number of spectators, mainly for the planned asado after the match. The two-day tournament opened on a warm and muggy Saturday, June 3. Luckily, officials were able to dodge the scattered rain storms in the area. Games were moved to ATX Polo Club in Manor, Texas as the storms had made the fields too soft at Heart of Texas Polo Club in Lockhart, where they were originally scheduled.
The draw resulted in Marine Corps (Grayson Greening, B; Leigh Fulkerson, -½; Javier Insua, 2; John Greening, A) taking on Navy (Reuben Brooks, B; Karl Hilberg, A; Marlon Pimienta, ½; Gustavo Maldon, 1) in the first match. Navy’s Karl Hilberg struck first, but Marine Corps’ Leigh Fulkerson, Javier Insua and Grayson Greening followed with goals to end the chukker with Marine Corps leading 3-1. Hilberg took the ball from the opening throw-in of
P O L O
Marine Corps’ Leigh Fulkerson, Grayson Greening, John Greening and Javier Insua won the Gen. George S. Patton Jr. Tournament.
the second chukker and passed to Gustavo Maldon for a score. But that would be all Navy could muster. Marine Corps picked up two more in the second chukker, three in the third and five in the final to win the 13-2 runaway. The remaining three teams dueled in a round robin. The first round had Army (Kyle Brown, B; Keller Henderson, A; Pud Nieto, 1; Ariel Rodriguez, 1) facing Air Force (Lara Semmelman, B; Glen Voorhees, 1; Mike Lancaster, 1; Javier Maldonado, 1). Air Force was the first to put a point on the board, with Javier Maldonado converting a Penalty 4, quickly answered by Pud Nieto scoring a goal from the field. The second chukker saw a number of penalties. Air Force was able to convert two while Army came up empty. With the 3-1 win, Air Force was able to rest and watch the next two chukkers between the Army and Coast Guard (Ursula Pari, ½; Gal Shweiki, ½; Jack Crea, 1; Patrick MacLeod, B). Like the last chukker of the previous round, Army and Coast Guard each had a number of opportunities from the penalty line. Army was able to convert a Penalty 3 while Coast Guard missed a Penalty 4. The second chukker continued the pattern with each team playing strong defense and holding the other from scoring. This time, Coast Guard converted a Penalty 3 to end the match even at 1-1, forcing a one-person shootout. Coast Guard’s Jack Crea
R E P O R T
Karl Hilberg presents MVP to Grayson Greening.
missed his shot, but Army’s Ariel Rodriguez found the mark, leading to a 2-1 Army win. With both Air Force and Army each having one win, the last round determined who would advance to the championship match to face Marine Corps. Air Force returned to the field to face Coast Guard. The first chukker saw several penalties but neither team was able to score. Coast Guard came alive in the second with quick goals by Ursula Pari and Jack Crea scoring from the field. In the last chukker, with both teams playing strong defense, Coast Guard was whistled on a play with just a minute left. Air Force sunk the Penalty 2 to come within one, 2-1, but couldn’t get any closer and Coast Guard sailed away with the victory. But it wasn’t quite over yet. The three teams each finished with 1-1 records so a shootout was required to see which team advanced to the final. After each player took a turn, Air Force and Coast Guard had one goal, while Army had two. Ariel Rodriguez scored the winning shot for Army in the final round. Rain forced Sunday’s championship match to be postponed until the following Saturday. Army and Marine Corps returned to the field with the same players, with two driving in from the South Padre Island area. Umpiring the match were Doug Brunet and Karl Hilberg.
Karl Hilberg presents the Best Sportsman Award to Gal Shweiki.
In the first chukker, Marine Corps’ Javier Insua scored from the field, quickly followed by Army’s Ariel Rodriguez. With a number of minor penalties by Army breaking up the flow of the play, the Marine Corps closed out the chukker with its second goal to lead 2-1. Strong defense by both teams, resulted in a scoreless second chukker. After the half, both teams came out charging with Ariel Rodriguez sinking two for Army while Leigh Fulkerson responded with a pair of his own. John Greening scored his second of the game to put the Marines ahead, 5-3. The fourth chukker was all Marine Corps with Javier Insua scoring his second and third goals of the game and John Greening scoring his third as well. Strong defense by Grayson Greening and Leigh Fulkerson held Army scoreless in the final chukker, leading to the 8-3 Marine Corps victory. Greyson Greening was named MVP; Gal Shweiki was Best Sportsman; and Paola, owned by Ariel Rodriguez, was Best Playing Pony.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 47
R E P O R T KAYLEE WROE
KAYLEE WROE
P O L O
ERG’s Valentino Echezarreta, Milo Dorignac (subbing for Scott Wood), Michel Dorignac and Marcos Alberdi with the Livingston family
ERG RALLYS TO TAKE LIVINGSTON MEMORIAL
The Houston Polo Club in Houston, Texas closed out its spring season with powerhouses Tonkawa and ERG going toe to toe in the final of the 12-goal Livingston Memorial. From the first throw in, both teams were flying with Tonkawa’s Matt Coppola drawing first blood. ERG’s Marcos Alberdi was quick to respond with a nice run from midfield to tie it at 1-1. Michel Dorignac put ERG on top at the end of the chukker. Tonkawa jumped ahead in the second with unanswered goals by Coppola, Cody Ellis and Jeff Hildebrand, but ERG matched those in the third chukker to go into halftime leading by one, 5-4. Tonkawa started the second half strong thanks to good team play from Coppola and Ellis, putting the team up by two midway through the fifth period. But, ERG’s team captain Michel Dorignac showed his experience, directing his troops and bringing his team within a goal going into the final period. The teams battled it out in the sixth chukker, running and gunning. ERG tied the score and with time ticking down it looked like the game would go into overtime, but with 10 seconds left, ERG broke the tie to seal the victory.
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Rocking P’s Anson Moore, Grayson Price, Carter Nix and Bridget Price with Lone Star Ford’s GM Brian Faistenhammer
Cody Ellis was named MVP and Matt Coppola’s homebred stallion, Sun Dance, took home the Best Playing Pony blanket. In the subsidiary tournament, the David Yurman Classic, Horsegate’s Sloan Stefanakis, Jeff Blake, Anson Moore and Nick Stefanakis took the trophies presented by David Yurman’s Nènè Soumaré. The tournament was named for Daren Livingston, 55, who suffered a fatal heart attack aboard his favorite polo pony on April 29. At the time of his death he was vice president of marketing for DRI Logistics, a provider and vendor for drilling rigs and oil field equipment. Over the past 30 years, Daren worked in the polo industry training horses, coaching and playing. He was manager of the Houston Polo Club for 15 years. He also enjoyed raising funds for student scholarships through the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Born in Los Angeles to Bud and Ann Livingston, Daren graduated from Tulsa Memorial High School and attended the University of Oklahoma, earning a degree in finance. He is survived by his wife, Tammy of Brookshire, Texas; and mother, Ann; brother, Buddie; and sister Dana, all of Oklahoma. The same weekend, the club hosted six teams in the National Youth Tournament Series. Horsegate (Lance
Stefanakis, Grace Mudra, April Galindo, Sloan Stefanakis) and Rocking P (Bridget Price, Anson Moore, Carter Nix, Grayson Price) topped their respective round robins to advance to the final. As the teams paraded around the field, an energetic crowd cheered on the young players. Both teams had a set of siblings on them, Horsegate, with brothers Lance and Sloan Stefanakis, and Rocking P with Grayson and Bridget Price. Rocking P came out with a strong offense against a flat-footed Horsegate, winning the first two chukkers 4-0 as the teams took a quick halftime break. Horsegate’s captain, Sloan Stefanakis, attempted to pull his team back into the game, scoring two unanswered goals in the third. However, Grayson Price proved to be too quick for the Horsegate defense, sneaking in another goal in the fourth chukker to end the game with Rocking P ahead 5-2. The players all showed outstanding sportsmanship and incredible skills. Chino Payan, Vaughn Miller Jr., Anson Moore, Valentino Echezarreta, Sloan Stefanakis, Grayson Price, Courtney Price and Milo Dorignac were named All-Stars. Grayson Price’s London was Best Playing Pony while American Quarter Horse Association’s Best Playing Pony went to Will Mudra’s Thing 2.
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R E P O R T
CHICHI UBINA
P O L O
whole new game. Postage Stamp seemed to have the In the final, momentum coming back into the Airstream’s Tomas fourth and increased the lead by three Garcia del Rio sunk with goals by Kampsen and Ganon, the first goal. A while holding Airstream silent for the Penalty 2 by Tommy second straight chukker. Biddle and a goal by Biddle got Airstream moving again Marcos Garcia del with a pair of goals in the fifth to Rio increased the come within one but Ganon struck lead to 3-0, leading again to put Postage Stamp Farm up 8some to wonder if 6. Phillips found the mark in the sixth Airstream would but Biddle had the answer. As time dominate once slipped away, Airstream was unable to again. gain any more traction. Postage Stamp It didn’t help Farm held on for the 9-7 win. when Tomas Garcia Joao Paulo Ganon was named MVP del Rio increased the and was awarded a pair of Beats lead early in the headphones. Best Playing Pony honors second before a went to Machitos Bonanza, played by Postage Stamp Farms’ Joao Paulo Ganon, Brandon Phillips, Penalty 3 conversion Brandon Phillips and owned by Will Tomita and Kris Kampsen won the Monty Waterbury. from Kris Kampsen Postage Stamp Farm. put Postage Stamp Farm on the board. Cavalleria Toscana (Mike Davis, Joao Paulo Ganon added another for Toro Ruiz, Matias Magrini, Lucas Diaz NORTHEASTERN Postage Stamp to bring the score to 4Alberdi) earned its first win after 2. Will Tomita, subbing for an injured topping Work to Ride (Joseph Annabelle Gundlach, scored early in Manheim, Nick Manifold, Mariano the third. Brandon Phillips tied the Aguerre, Mariano Gonzalez), 7-6, in score to go to halftime level at 4-4. the consolation. Postage Stamp Farm came away with the title in the Monty Waterbury final at Greenwich Polo Club in Greenwich, Connecticut on June 25. Four teams rounded out the event, with Postage Stamp Farm (Annabelle Gundlach, Brandon Phillips, Joao Paulo Ganon, Kris Kampsen), Airstream (Chris Brant, Marcos Garcia del Rio, Tomas Garcia del Rio, Tommy Biddle) and Work to Ride (Joseph Manheim, Nick Manifold, Mariano Aguerre, Mariano Gonzalez) finishing with 2-1 records. A shootout between the teams determined the finalist with Postage Stamp Farm and Airstream advancing. The final was a rematch of the first game in the tournament when Airstream downed Postage Stamp Airstream’s Tomas Garcia del Rio gets the backshot off despite pressure from Postage Stamp Farms’ Kris Kampsen. Farm 14-11. But, this time it was a
50 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
CHICHI UBINA
POSTAGE STAMP ACES MONTY WATERBURY
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COACHING POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 51
CENTRAL
ARRANMORE EARNS BEST TEAM TITLE
TIME STOPS PHOTOGRAPHY
Oak Brook Polo Club in Oak Brook, Illinois kicked off its summer season with a 12-goal match featuring teams vying for the “Best Team in the Prairie State” title. It was the first time in over 10 years polo of that caliber has been played at the club. Arranmore’s John Greene, Del Walton, Tod Rackley and Maco Llambias took on Oak Brook’s Jim Drury, Horacio Onetto, Tomas Obregon, Mariano Gutierrez. Dannielle Allen, season 14 winner of NBC’s “Biggest Loser,” sang the national anthem prior to the match. A Penalty 3 by Onetto put Oak Brook on the board early in the game, but Walton matched that with a Penalty 3 for Arranmore. Over 400 spectators were in attendance amidst the 90-degree heat to enjoy the polo action, in addition to participating in contests such as the Barrington Saddlery’s Mallet Challenge, Best Hat Contest, Polo Trivia and the traditional halftime “Divot Stomp.” Players ran the ball several times up and down the sides of
52 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
the field to give spectators an up-close understanding of the speed and urgency of a 12-goal polo game. “Despite the temperature, an enthusiastic crowd came out to enjoy a thrilling match of 12goal polo, which has not been seen in over a decade at Oak Brook,” explained Drury. “We saw record attendance in our club and sponsor seating areas and everyone expressed excitement at seeing the new Arranmore’s John Greene, Del Walton, Maco venue configuration and Llambias and Tod Rackley won the “Best Team in amenities, including elevated the Prairie State” title in Chicago. stadium seating, Room & Board patio furniture, the Pimm’s Chukker The winning goal was shot by Del Bar and more.” Walton who had 10 goals total and
TIME STOPS PHOTOGRAPHY
R E P O R T
TIME STOPS PHOTOGRAPHY
P O L O
Above: MVP Del Walton scored 10 goals for Arranmore. Left: Oak Brooks’ Horacio Onetto waits for the ball to settle while Arranmore’s Tod Rackley moves in.
received MVP honors. Oak Brook’s Onetto and Obregon tied with four goals each. Best Playing Pony went to Onetto’s Peacemaker. “Jim Drury and the Oak Brook Sports Core have done an amazing job with the field and bringing it back to where high-goal, competitive tournament polo can be played again,” added Greene.
R E P O R T
Why Not’s Santi Trotz, Felipe Vercellino, Hana Grill and Jim Wright won the USPA La Martina Intra-Circuit trophy.
PAC I F I C C OA S T
WHY NOT UNSTOPPABLE IN INTRA-CIRCUIT FINAL
Why Not ended its season with a bang, capturing the coveted USPA La Martina Intra-Circuit trophy against Klentner Ranch at Santa Barbara Polo Club in Carpinteria, California on June 25. The last of the 12-goal series featured five competitive teams. Though Klentner Ranch (Jake Klentner, Jesse Bray, Santi Wulff, Justin Klentner) proved to be a tough team throughout the 12-goal season, Why Not (Hana Grill, Jimmy Wright, Felipe Vercellino, Santi Trotz) turned on the magic for its final match. Bray scored the first goal for Klentner Ranch, but Why Not took control, scoring five unanswered goals in the first 14 minutes. Klentner Ranch came back early in the third chukker with three goals, one by Jake Klentner and two by Santi Wulff, to come within one of their opponent. However, two costly fouls gave Why Not a pair of Penalty 2s, which Trotz easily converted to increase the lead to 7-4 at halftime. Trotz added a field goal early in the fourth, but a goal each by Bray and Wulff helped Klentner Ranch stay in the game, narrowing the gap to two points. Play was fast, furious and open
Why Not’s Hana Grill busts the cane of her mallet during a duel with Justin Klentner in the final of the USPA La Martina Intra-Circuit.
throughout the fifth chukker. Why Not’s Jimmy Wright and Felipe Vercellino combined for three goals before Bray scored for Klentner. Santi Wulff led the comeback for Klentner Ranch in the last period, scoring three consecutive goals, while his teammates pushed hard on the defensive front, holding Why Not scoreless. A final attempt to tie the score with seconds remaining fell short. Why Not took the 11-10 victory. Santi Trotz was awarded Most Valuable Player and received a custom La Martina helmet. Mambo, played by Hana Grill and owned by Jasmin Trotz, won Best Playing PonyAmateur. Santi Wulff’s mare, Emilia, named after his daughter, won Best Playing Pony-Professional. After a fun season of competitive polo, the teams cast their votes for the season MVP Award and the Best String Award. Mariano Fassetta from Farmers & Merchants Bank was recognized as Season MVP and Santi Wulff and Santi Trotz tied for the Best String Award. In other action, the club’s Pro Pool and Coaching Leagues are gaining popularity. Imagine a perfectly manicured high-goal grass field with the Pacific Ocean as the backdrop and a 5goal professional passing the ball right to the mallet of an awaiting player. This idyllic scene at the club and the quality of the professional players available
DAVID LOMNSKA/POLOGRAPHICS
DAVID LOMNSKA/POLOGRAPHICS
DAVID LOMNSKA/POLOGRAPHICS
P O L O
Santi Trotz and Santi Wulff tied for the season’s Best String.
turned the Coaching and Pro Pool Leagues into one of the most popular offerings for amateur players looking to improve their game. The club is committed to providing a clear and fun progression for amateur players who love the sport of polo and want to be more involved. The new Santa Barbara Polo Academy, led by Certified Polo Instructor Jeff Scheraga, offers individual polo lessons, clinics and weekly arena leagues. Once players are confident in their riding and swing, they are able to take a gentle step up into the Coaching League played on Saturday and Sunday mornings on the grass field. Each team is comprised of three amateur players and a professional player who serves as the coach for the team. Players advance their game by focusing on field positioning and learning the rules in a safe and fun
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 53
R E P O R T
DAVID LOMINSKA/POLOGRAPHICS
P O L O
Cory Williams, right, getting hooked by Dayelle Fargey in the Pro Pool, started in the Coaching League and is now a competitive player in Pro Pool and women’s polo.
54 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
tournament games that afternoon.” The Pro Pool runs concurrently with the 12-goal season in May and June and the 8-goal season in September, allowing 3- to 5-goal professionals to also take part in the Pro Pool. Santi Wulff, a 5-goal player from Argentina, is a family favorite with the Bossoms. Andrew Bossom, the patriarch of the family, sees the Pro Pool as an opportunity to play with his two sons. “For us, as a family with a 15-year-old and an 11-year-old boy, the Pro Pool brought us together in an educational, but also competitive forum, where we were able to learn and play polo. What SBPC provided is a scenic backdrop, on DAVID LOMINSKA/POLOGRAPHICS
environment. Cory Williams, a member of the Central Coast/Santa Barbara Interscholastic team, began playing in the Coaching League and is now a star of the Pro Pool and a competitive player in the annual Santa Barbara women’s tournament. Williams attributes her quick progress to playing with a variety of professionals. “I loved playing with different professionals throughout the summer. I was able to see many different styles of play and strategies that I could apply to my own game. Playing the Pro Pool has really helped advance my polo because it provided a consistent opportunity to play safe, fun polo that was also competitive.” While youth players are a common site on the field, the Pro Pool also has a large following amongst amateur adult players from all over California. Dominique Mielle also began playing in the Coaching League and has quickly graduated to Pro Pool. Mielle enjoys the ratio of amateur players to professionals on the field. “Being able to play with half a dozen high-goal pros, compare their style and hear their advice is what makes playing here unique. It is wonderful to see the players I was on the field with in the morning, play in the high-goal
world class fields, playing with high-goal professional players who not only made the experience enjoyable, but provided valuable coaching. The professionals realization that the league is not about ‘watch me’ but ‘learn from me’ is hard to find in any games where winning is the sole priority, with learning and levity taking a back seat.” “As a family we would especially like to thank Melanja for helping us schedule around our work, and school commitments,” said Amza Bossom. The mother of Bayne and Piers keeps the boys organized from the side with a smile on her face. Polo is truly a family affair and the Pro Pool exhibits some of the best attributes of polo. The competition may be hot on the field, but the camaraderie and friendships formed off the field contribute to the overall experience. Monthly barbecues encourage players to take time to make friends off the field and provides another venue for amateur players to interact with the professionals they play with on a weekly basis. The Santa Barbara Polo Club aims to provide fun, competitive polo for players of all ages. The Coaching League and Pro Pool have proven to be a shining example of how anyone with a passion for horses and a love of the game can get out on the field and play. —Hayley Heatley
Taylor Alcott tries to slip the hook of Dan de Meyer in the Coaching League.
P O L O
City Fire’s Mikhal Newberry, Paige McCabe, Nick Johnson and Francisco Bilbao won The Villages Insurance 8-goal.
FLORIDA
CITY FIRE TRIUMPHS IN TWO VILLAGES’ 6-GOALS City Fire continued to burn up the polo field in the second part of The Villages Polo Club’s spring season. The club is in The Villages, Florida. On April 30, City Fire (Mikhal Newberry, Paige McCabe, Nick Johnson, Francisco Bilbao) edged Fross & Fross (Greg Hinkson, Nico Harriott, Pedro Lara, Alan Martinez) 10-8 in The Villages Insurance 8-Goal. City Fire began with a handicap goal and Nick Johnson struck first but Alan Martinez responded for Fross & Fross. Francisco Bilbao added another for City Fire, but Martinez answered again. Martinez scored early in the second, but Bilbao had the answer with two in a row. Fross & Fross stole the show in the third with goals from Nico Harriott and Pedro Lara that went unchallenged, to level the score at 5-5 at the half. A lone goal by Bilbao in the fourth put City Fire on top. Martinez knotted the score early in the fifth and Lara put Fross & Fross ahead briefly, but Bilbao scored a hat trick to give City Fire a 9-7 lead. Johnson and Lara traded goals in the sixth, leaving City
R E P O R T
McLin Burnsed’s Charly Cendoya, Francisco Llosa, Joe Watkins and Miguel Lis Planells won the McLin Burnsed 6-goal.
Fire with the win. The following week McLin Burnsed (Miguel Lis Planells, Joe Watkins, Francisco Llosa, Charly Cendoya) edged Arden’s Jewelers (Susan Doyle, Jason Cashin, Diego Ferriera, Jamie Mirikitani) 8-7 in the McLin Burnsed 6-goal. Jason Cashin put Arden’s Jewelers on the board just after two minutes had passed. Ninety seconds later Francisco Llosa responded for McLin Burnsed. Llosa struck again to start the second and Charly Cendoya added another just before the 30-second horn while Arden’s was silent. Arden’s bounced back in the third with a lone goal off the mallet of Susan Doyle. McLin Burnsed couldn’t reach the goal, but still led 3-2 at the half. The teams battled back and forth in the fourth period until Llosa and Cendoya combined for three goals. Cashin converted a Penalty 2 just before the bell to stay in the game. Doyle and Cashin added goals early in the fifth to come within one but Joe Watkins scored for McLin Burnsed. Jamie Mirikitani sunk a Penalty 4 with under a minute left in the chukker to cut the deficit to one going into the final period. Cendoya split the uprights for a security goal seconds into the sixth. Arden’s desperately tried to connect with the goal, but its efforts were
stopped each time. It wasn’t until there were just two seconds on the clock that Doyle found the mark, but it wasn’t enough and McLin Burnsed had the win. On May 14, Arden’s Jewelers had better luck in the Arden’s Fine Jewelers’ 6-goal with a whole new team. Arden’s Jeweler’s Laura Willson, Joe Watkins, Diego Ferreira and Luis Saracco took on City Fire’s Robert Gray, Chavello Briones, Jason Cashin and Francisco Bilbao. Arden’s began with a handicap goal, which Bilbao wasted no time in neutralizing. Briones added another before Ferreira converted a penalty to tie the score at 2-2. Ferreira scored two more early in the second but Bilbao and Gray answered to knot the score at 4-4. Briones split the uprights and Cashin sandwiched goals around one from Watkins to give City Fire a 7-5 lead. Watkins scored the only goal of the fourth to come within one 7-6. Cashin scored the only goal of the fifth to give City Fire a two-goal lead. Luis Saracco sunk a penalty early in the sixth and five minutes later Watkins knotted the score at 8-all. Willson score the game winner on a penalty conversion with a just a minute left to take the trophies. Next up was The UnitedHealthcare 6-goal. City Fire (Miguel Lis Planells, Justin Baisch, Lord Lyall, Francisco
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 55
P O L O
R E P O R T
Arden’s Fine Jewelers’ Laura Willson, Joe Watkins, Diego Ferreira and Luis Saracco won the Arden’s Jewelers 6-goal.
City Fire’s Miguel Lis Planells, Justin Baisch, Lord Lyall and Francisco Bilbao won The UnitedHealthcare 6-goal.
knot the score at 8-8. The match ended similarly to how it started, with Lis Planells knocking in a Penalty 2 just seconds into the last chukker, giving City Fire the 9-8 advantage. The teams failed Citizen’s First’s Andy Moran, Paige McCabe, Lord Lyall and to reach the goal Jamie Mirikitani won the season-ending Sharon Studio 6-goal. or even the end Bilbao) and McLin Burnsed (Andy line for the remainder of the chukker Moran, Paige McCabe, Jason Cashin, leaving the trophies in City Fire’s Luis Saracco) faced off in the final on hands. May 21. The match also was one of the last Just a minute into the match, in the 30-year polo-playing career of McLin Burnsed was whistled on a play McLin Burnsed’s Andy Moran, who and Lis Planells converted the ensuing announced he was soon hanging up penalty. Andy Moran converted a his mallet following the close defeat. penalty of his own, but a goal by Lord “Today was a great day and a great Lyall gave City Fire the 2-1 edge. weekend as a whole,” Moran said. “A Bilbao and McCabe traded goals in the bunch of great guys and gals, and like second and Lyle and Moran traded always, we had a good time here goals in the third, leaving City Fire together.” ahead 4-3 at the half. The season concluded on May 28 The teams continued to keep pace with the Sharon Studio 6-goal between in the second half. Baisch and Lis Citizen’s First (Andy Moran, Paige Planells scored early in the fourth, but McCabe, Lord Lyall, Jamie Mirikitani) Cashin and Saracco had the answer. and Barbados (Chris Evelyn, Marc Baisch traded goals with Cashin and Atwell, Adam Deane, Harry Manning). Lyall traded goals with Saracco in the Barbados began with a half-goal fifth, but Cashin got in the last word to handicap and goals by Adam Deane
56 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
and Marc Atwell put it up by two and half before you knew it. Jamie Mirikitani split the uprights for Citizens to end the chukker 2½-1. Paige McCabe scored the only goal of the second to bring Citizens within a half goal. But Atwell and Deane gave a one-two punch in the third, while Citizen’s was scoreless. Andy Moran brought Citizen’s closer with a goal in the fourth and final chukker. But, costly fouls were the final nails in Barbados’ coffin as Mirikitani and then Moran converted penalties to take the 5-4½ win. The mood on the Barbados side afterward was anything but disappointed. “It’s much bigger than just a game of polo,” said Deane, the match’s most valuable player. “There’s been such a long relationship here between the two teams. They host us, accommodate us, they do everything for us—and we try to reciprocate for them when they come to Barbados, too.” “I was 7 years old when this started,” McCabe said. “So we’ve really grown up together. They’re some of our best friends. We get to see them only twice a year—once up here and once down in Barbados—so it’s really, really special. It’s sort of like an old home week, getting everyone back together and reminiscing on it all together.”
P O L O INTERNATIONAL
HOME TEAM WINS AGUA ALTA TOURNEY Players from USA, South Africa, Argentina, Colombia, Portugal, Italy and Mexico came to the Costa Careyes Resort in Careyes, Mexico from April 8-15 for the 18th Annual Agua Alta Tournament. Alberto Ardissone, creator of the tournament, has been in polo for 40 years in both Mexico and Italy. Ardissone named the tournament after his villa in the Careyes Resort, a private gated community on the Pacific Ocean south of Puerto Vallarta. Ardissone brainstormed with Giorgio Brignone, president of the club and member of the family that founded Careyes, to create a special event to highlight the sport of polo and the players, aficionados, and horse lovers. The event has become the place to be during Semana Santa Holy Week–the week before Easter. A first for Agua Alta was having five women playing in the tournament. Sukey Forbes was playing her first 6-goal tournament; Elizabeth Welborn played on the Ameyalco/Stick&Ball team; Kim Garsed played on the El Careyes team; Sarah Magness played with her husband Gary on Team Magness; and Andrea Bleier played with husband Martin on Careyes/Bocheritos. The format for the teams was that all played each other, giving each team five games with the final played on the last day. Finalists were the two teams with the best win-loss records. Action in the 18th Annual Agua Alta tournament between the home team and George Sandhu’s PISO 51 team. Agua Alta took the title after a spirited game.
The games were so close, the finalists weren’t decided until the last game was played. In that match, Agua Alta was pitted against Careyes/Bocheritos. Agua Alta edged Careyes by a half goal to advance to the final against PISO 51, which had a 4-1 record. Games were umpired by USPA umpire Chad Kraml as well as
Alberico Ardissone, Manuel Matos, Diego Gonzalez and Luis Perez won the Agua Alta.
Rodrigo Salinas and Ignacio Deltour. Announcer throughout the tournament was Octavio Munguia. The final pitted Alberico Ardissone of the Agua Alta team playing against his younger brother,
R E P O R T Milo Ardissone on the PISO 51 team. George Sandhu, owner of PISO 51, a private business club in Mexico City, also played on the team with 5-goal Columbian Federico Uribe and Forbes. With both sons playing, Alberto Ardissone was a winner no matter which team won. Action in the final started fast with Alberico Ardissone striking first for Agua Alta. Luis Perez added another before Uribe scored a pair for Piso 51, added to a half-goal handicap. The next chukker, Perez was hot on the penalty line scoring three, while Piso 51 was held to one from Kissling, ending the half with Agua leading 5-3½. A low-scoring second half saw the teams swapping goals, ending the game 6-4½ in favor of Agua Alta. High scorers for the tournament were Nico Millan for the professionals and Alberico Ardissone for the amateurs. Sarah Magness and Andrea Bleier were tied for the highscoring ladies. Martin Bleier, 3-goal player from Columbia, said, “There is no place in the world like Careyes, great fields, horses, sponsors and a very friendly environment for everyone. [It was] a positive experience and I must return.” Agua Alta—Alberico Ardissone, Manuel Matos, Deigo Gonzalez, Luis Perez; Careyes/Bocheritos—Martin Bleier, Andrea Bleier, Juan Carlos Galan, Giorgio Brignone; Piso 51—Sukey Forbes, George Sandhu, Benito Hernandez/ Conrad Kissling, Federico Uribe; Ameyalco/Stick & Ball—Elizabeth Welborn, Diego Aguilar, Rodrigo Anaya, Guillermo Li; El Carayes—Kim Garsed, Miguel Gomez de Parada, Jesus Solórzano, Rodrigo Mosquera; Magness—Sarah Magness, Gary Magness, Joe Henderson, Nico Millan.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 57
C
A
L
E
N
D
J U LY 1 - S E P T E M B E R 2 Low Goal Challenge Southampton, Watermill, N.Y. J U LY 15 - AU G U S T 5 Hamptons League (6) Southampton, Watermill, N.Y. J U LY 2 3 - AU G U S T 13 USPA Club Championship (10) Southampton, Watermill, N.Y. J U LY 2 5 - AU G U S T 6 USPA National Arena Handicap Aspen Valley, Carbondale, Co J U LY 2 8 - AU G U S T 6 America Cup (16-20) Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA AU G U S T 1 - 5 International Kids Camp Denver, Denver, CO AU G U S T 1 - 6 Polo Camp, Session 5 Central Coast, Los Osos, CA AU G U S T 2 The Seattle Polo Party Seattle, Enumclaw, WA AU G U S T 2 - 5 Moncrieff Cup Flying H, Big Horn, WY AU G U S T 2 - 13 Forbes Cup (4-8) Myopia, South Hamilton, MA A U G U S T 2 - 19 Rocky Mountain 20-goal Columbine, Littleton, CO AU G U S T 3 - 6 USPA Congressional Cup (0-2) USPA Amateur Cup (0-2) Central New York, Ithaca, N.Y. AU G U S T 4 USPA Intra Circuit Cup (8-10) St. Louis, Chesterfield, MO AU G U S T 4 - 6 USPA Landhope Challenge Cup (4-6) Brandywine, Toughkenamon, PA High Alpine Cup Aspen Valley, Carbondale, CO The Whitney Cup Saratoga, Greenfield Center, N.Y.
58 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
A
AUGUST
R
AU G U S T 4 - 13 Roenisch Memorial Cup Calgary, Alberta, Canada Lexington 4 Goal Lexington, Lexington, KY AU G U S T 5 MPC Family Tournament Day Mashomack, Pine Plains, N.Y. Miguel Torres/World Gym Tourney Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA Tom Akers Cowboy Cup Memorial Oxmoor Farm, Louisville, KY AU G U S T 5 - 6 The Polo Classic Twin City, Maple Plain, MN A U G U S T 5 - S E P T E M B E R 17 Fall League (4) Southampton, Watermill, N.Y. AU G U S T 6 Kurt Luplow Memorial women’s game Big Horn, Sheridan, WY Archie MacCarty Cup Flying H, Big Horn, WY Mallets for Melanoma Denver, Littleton, CO A U G U S T 6 - S E P T E M B E R 17 Southampton Cup (8) Southampton, Watermill, N.Y. AU G U S T 7 Kimo Cup Calgary, Alberta, Canada AU G U S T 7 - 12 USPA Presidents Cup (8) Tinicum Park, Erwinna, PA AU G U S T 8 Koru Kiwi Cup Honolulu, Waimanalo, HI AU G U S T 8 - 15 Arena World Cup Aspen Valley, Carbondale, CO
AU G U S T 9 - 13 USPA Congressional Cup (0-4) Bliss, Columbus, GA AU G U S T 9 - 2 0 USPA Constitution Cup (4) Mashomack, Pine Plains, N.Y. AU G U S T 10 - 12 Interscholastic Clinic & Tourney Virginia Polo, Charlottesville, VA Big Rock Cup Calgary, Alberta, Canada AU G U S T 10 - 13 USPA Sportsmanship Cup (0-4) Central New York, Ithaca, N.Y. WCT Flight A (12-16) Flight B (8-10) Virginia International, Upperville, VA AU G U S T 10 - 2 7 Pacific Coast Open (16) Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA A U G U S T 11 - 1 3 Mount Sopris Cup Aspen Valley, Carbondale, CO The Barrantes Cup Saratoga, Greenfield Center, N.Y. Sportsmanship Cup (4) Skaneateles, Skaneateles, N.Y. AU G U S T 12 USPA Seniors Cup Denver, Littleton, CO AU G U S T 12 - 13 Ladies Tournament South Bay, Gilroy, CA Dog Iron Tournament Will Rogers, Pacific Palisades, CA AU G U S T 13 Imai Samurai Cup Honolulu, Waimanalo, HI Connell & Montaylor Ranch Cups Big Horn, Sheridan, WY
AU G U S T 9 ChukkerTV Arena Challenge Aspen Valley, Carbondale, CO
A U G U S T 16 - 19 Skeeter Johnston Memorial Cup Flying H, Big Horn, WY
AU G U S T 9 - 12 Bozeman Trail Cup Flying H, Big Horn, WY
A U G U S T 16 - 2 7 USPA Governors Cup (4-8) Myopia, South Hamilton, MA
PEYTON HOGE
A U G U S T 17 - 2 0 USPA Congressional Cup (6-8) Maryland, Jarrettsville, MD AU G U S T 18 - 2 0 Rocky Mountain Open Aspen Valley, Carbondale, Co The Ylvisaker Cup Saratoga, Greenfield Center, N.Y. Weekend 2 Goal Lexington, Lexington, KY PTF Senior’s Cup Skaneateles, Skaneateles, N.Y. AU G U S T 18 - 2 7 Calgary Cup Calgary, Alberta, Canada A U G U S T 19 - 2 0 Binger Cup Twin City, Maple Plain, MN Benson’s Best Cup (0) Black Diamond, Alberta, Canada Seattle Cup Seattle, Enumclaw, WA A U G U S T 19 - 2 7 2- to 4-Goal League Will Rogers, Pacific Palisades, CA AU G U S T 2 0 Shane Winkler Memorial Big Horn, Sheridan, WY InterClub Tournament Skaneateles, Skaneateles, N.Y. AU G U S T 2 0 - 27 USPA Intra Circuit (8-10) Denver, Denver, CO A U G U S T 21 - 2 7 USPA Amateur Cup (0-4) Hawaii, Waialua, HI AU G U S T 2 3 - 2 6 Rocky Mountain Cup Calgary, Alberta, Canada Flying H Cup Flying H, Big Horn, WY AU G U S T 2 3 - 27 USPA Sportsmanship Cup (0-4)
Chukkers for Charity will be held at Riverview Farm in Franklin, TN on August 26.
Honolulu, Waimanalo, HI Women’s Challenge Cup (WCT) Tinicum Park, Erwinna, PA
AU G U S T 2 7 - S E P T E M B E R 10 East Coast Open (16-20) Greenwich, Greenwich, CT
AU G U S T 2 4 Arena Challenge Denver, Littleton, CO
AU G U S T 2 9 - S E P T E M B E R 2 USPA Sportsmanship Cup (3-6) Tinicum Park, Erwinna, PA
AU G U S T 2 4 - 27 National Arena Delegates Cup (5-8) Las Canchas, Villa Canales, Guatemala
A U G U S T 31 - S E P T E M B E R 4 NYTS Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA
AU G U S T 2 5 - 27 Polo Ponies Memorial (6-8) Brandywine, Toughkenamon, PA
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POLO THROUGH THE AGES The sport and its rules differed throughout the Northwest Frontier
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he transborder tribes of the Northwest Frontier—Hunza, Astor and Little Tibet—and those living in the great area we designate under the general name of Central Asia—are sociable and friendly, but they can be treacherous as well, and they have periodical fits of fanaticism, brought on by religious zeal. Polo, of course, appeals to all those people whose naturally dashing character makes them good players. I often discussed with the various chiefs and nobles the rules and regulations affecting the game in their individual states. These rules are an interesting study; for they show certain divergences in the modes of playing customary with different races. The Pathan or Turkoman worries not at all, to be sure, about trifles; nor is he severly logical. His acquaintance with the rules governing polo is meager, and I must add, when success in the game requires him to be lax, his observance of elementary, or, indeed, of any, rules is none too rigid. Hampered as they are by physical obstacles, the tribesmen usually choose the village street as a playing field. Flat ground is so rare that a cultivated terrace may be annexed, provided it measures about 200 yards by 30 or 40. Apparently the goal posts have always been 24 feet apart in most countries, but the distance is by no means uniform with the descendants of the old Central Asian raiders, who are satisfied if the posts are only a dozen feet or less apart. Themselves endowed with a fair share of ability to ride, they rely upon that and hard hitting to crush their opponents. Polo sticks have also varied, but now there is by common 60 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
A miniature shows the 16th-century Mogul Emperor Akbar playing polo at Agra as the Emperor makes a nearside backhander. A noted chronicle of Akbar’s day sums up Mogul polo rules.
consent the form of stick to which we are all accustomed. The ball is of wood. It is usually made from the willow root, the Tibetan word (pulu) for which, as we have already observed, has long been used to designate the game. The number of players on a side varies. Sometimes there are seven, sometimes
five or four, divided into goal keeper, back and forwards. Akbar, the Mogul Emperor, usually had five on a side and favored two kinds of play—one, the ordinary dribbling and keeping possession of the ball, and the other, hard hitting with a cyclonic effort to win through. Nowadays, among the wild and enthusiastic
The royal polo field in Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan, Iran built by King Abbas I in the 17th century. This match is similar to those described by Etherton in Hunza where teams of 15 players lined up on opposite sides. The ball was thrown in to the center before players descended from each end.
players of the Northwest Frontier of India and the Central Asian plains, the numbers depend on place and circumstance; I have seen as many as 30 on a side, a medley of yelling warriors who crossed one another, made a hobby of the most outrageous fouls and kept up their chukkers for periods of a half-hour and more, until both riders and ponies finally halted from sheer fatigue. Despite the variable number of players on a side, the teams must be of equal strength and must line up at opposite ends. When they have done so, the captain of one side, the local chief or the most important guest, careers down the center of the field, perhaps, hurls the ball and, yelling wildly, is followed by the entire mob of players. As a matter of fact, the game may be started in one of three ways. If the ball is not merely thrown, it may be tossed into the air and given a flying hit or it may be placed at the center of the field and hit off. Among the tribes of the Hindu Kush and Karakoram Mountains, in Northern India, and in Manipur and Burma, the flying hit is the most favored, because it gives the side leading off an initial advantage in getting away with the ball toward the opponent’s goal. While on a visit to Hunza, I saw a polo match, played no doubt in the style that followed in this state a thousand years ago. Hunza is one of the world’s most romantic corners; it has several peaks of
25-thousand feet and upwards and glaciers covering hundreds of square miles. Its people are Moslems of the Maulai sect, whose spiritual head is that well-known figure the Aga Khan. It is curious to think that this wild and remote tribe, to whom a pilgrimage to the eastern headquarters of the Aga Khan at Bombay means far more than a journey to Mecca, should have as overlord this genial sportsman, most of whose time is spent in London, Paris, Monte Carlos and Deauville. Before the game, the Mir, or Raja, of Hunza, showed me over his fortress home, which has been the abiding place of his family for more than 1500 years. It commands magnificent views down the valley, with Mount Rakapushi in the background, 26-thousand feet in height. At the polo ground the Raja’s bodyguard was on duty, sturdy ruffians dressed in scarlet jackets, blue trousers and soft goatskin shoes. The commander of this picturesque squad wore the full-dress uniform of a lieutenant in a British infantry regiment. The polo ground was an open, terraced field, about 300-yards long by 30 wide, with goal posts of stone. The opposing sides each numbered 15, and they entered from one end of the ground. When they had taken up positions, the Raja signaled, and out from the center of one team came the captain like an arrow. He threw the ball into the air and, as it descended, gave it a terrific whack that sent it bounding
down the field. At once there came an avalanche of pounding horsemen from each end. From the opposing goal post a burly ruffian, mounted on an Afghan pony, charged straight at the leaping ball and into the midst of the players. Riding like a madman, he extricated himself from the yelling, struggling mass, waving his stick triumphantly, with the ball leaping and bounding in front of him. From one end of the ground to the other the players surged, the ball speeding up and down and occasionally landing amongst the spectators. At every goal the band broke into a frenzied crash, to which was joined the applause of the crowd. There was a brief rest, and the players came thundering down the field again. Out shot the great chamberlain of the Raja’s household. The commander-in-chief charged straight at him, the Raja’s son saved, the head of a clan up the valley gained the ball, a longdark-haired warrior with the scowl of murder in his eyes. Taking it from him, the heir-apparent struck a goal with a blow that sounded like the crack of doom. It was fast and thrilling, that game in Hunza. Coincident with the spread of polo to Central Asia was its introduction into Greece and Turkey. Old records tell us that the Grecian Emperor Manuel Comnenus, with his Byzantine princes and nobles, was playing in the 12th century. As many as 40 players participated, with, POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 61
A miniature from a 15th-century copy of the Persian epic “Shahnamah,� showing the Persian Prince Siawush playing in the great international polo match between his team and the Turkoman team of King Afrasiab.
of course, equal sides. The ball used was of stuffed leather. The sticks terminated not in a hammer-like head but in a hoop having stretched over it a small net in which it was possible to catch the ball. This represents an interesting stage in the evolution of the polo stick. Polo was popular in Turkey in olden days, but it did not remain so, probably on account of the incessant conflicts in which Turkey engaged. Some 30 years ago, a polo club was established in Constantinople and flourished for a time; then came the World War. Turkey seems too busy now with reconstruction to pay much heed to games. It is Central Asia, the home of the old Turkoman kings and nobles, where 62 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
polo has always continued to hold sway. From its original home in Persia, the game followed, as we have seen, the line of march of the Islamic conquerors of India, the lavish magnificence of whose courts attracted adventurers from far and near. Amongst them was a certain raja Pakungba from Manipur, who was fond of travel and had wandered down from the hills of Manipur in northeastern India, to the plains of Hindustan. On his return to his native hills and valleys he told the Manipuris about the game of polo, and, being excellent horsemen, they straightway took to it. As evidence of the conservatism of these people, it should be said that the rules have not altered since
Pakungba’s time. When the late chieftain came on to the ground, he would have a golden saddle with gilded leather flaps and a bridle adorned with a mass of golden cords. But there was less ceremony than in the Central Asian states. The chief, if he was not playing, would seat himself on carpets spread on the ground; then the game would start. In 1891, Manipur, a heavily timbered mountain country, fell foul of the British, who occupied it. It was restored in 1907, and later on the chief was raised to the rank of maharaja. Subjects as well as ruler of this Indian State are passionately fond of polo. At all important Manipuri gatherings
there are seven players on a side, but in the ordinary course any number may join in, provided the teams are equal. Manipuri polo is exceptionally fast with very strong hitting. The sticks are seasoned cane with a hard wooden head, and the size of the ground is about the same as in Hunza and Central Asia. The actual start is the throwing of the ball, which is made of bamboo root, among the players, who are lined up facing each other in the center of the field. So keen and accurate are they that the ball is almost invariably hit before it touches the ground, and then all are off like a whirlwind. A player is never allowed to spoon the ball along the ground; he has at least seven yelling opponents behind him who afford no chance for such play. They are a picturesque sight as
they thunder up and down—in coats of scarlet, blue, yellow or whatever color the respective sides have adopted—their long hair streaming in the wind, the embroidered saddle flaps of the ponies and the white woolen gaiters worn up to the knees giving added dash and brilliance to the scene. Since the Manipuri hits so hard and aims a trifle indiscriminately, the ponies are sometimes covered with balls of white cotton to reduce the force of impact from a stick. When a goal has been hit, the players all go back to the center and start again, the band meanwhile strumming mightily. There is only one rule that is constant; if the ball is sent off the field, it is thrown back into the center opposite the point of exit. All hill tribes love a gamble, and the Manipuris have prizes at their polo
matches. These are displayed at one end of the field, and whichever side loses has to pay the price of awards to the winners. Following the vast land frontier of India northward from Manipur, we come to Little Tibet, where the inhabitants live, at an average elevation of 12-thousand feet, amid the Himalayan solitudes. There, in the intense loneliness of the eternal snows, polo is played with great enthusiasm. When and how it came into the country none can say with certainty, but you are told that the Chinese armies, which swept across Asia from the Yellow Sea a 1000 years and more ago and occupied the country, enjoyed it as a pastime in the intervals between peace and war. I found size of field, number of players and rules the same as elsewhere in the primitive countries along and adjacent to POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 63
Polo in Japan was played on a smaller field with a goal made of a net at one end, like half-court in basketball. The mallets were more like lacrosse sticks with nets at the end. All players on each team began with a ball in their mallet matching the color of their team. On a signal they shot for goal until one team scored seven goals. Games were limited to a half hour.
the Indian border. But the method of starting the game was individual; a boy was blindfolded and given a number of sticks, corresponding to the number of players, which he handed out right and left alternatively. When both sides had lined up in the center of the field, the chief player took the willow ball in his left hand, dropped the reins on his pony’s neck, hurled the ball into the air and hit it before it reached the ground. Then the scrimmage began in earnest, and the players flew up and down at break-neck speed. Slap-dash, opposing sides cannoned into each other, all roaring like devils. I can see the spectators now, leaping about as if they were harlequins in a pantomime and, when the winners were acclaimed at the end, yelling and tom-tomming with wild excitement. A 150 years ago this part of trans-India was still in Chinese possession. The Son of Heaven exacted tribute from it, and his armies may very well have brought in polo, as the people assert. In all, some 10 64 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
missions are said to have passed between Persia and China during the fifth and sixth centuries, in the period of the great Sasanian Empire. Shên Ch‘iian-ch‘I, an eighth-century Chinese poet, refers to a polo game played before the Emperor and his court in 710. The journey from Persia to China would have been a long and hazardous one, and, arrived there, the travelers would not at once have wished to start back to their native land. A stay of some length gave them opportunities for polo, which the Chinese, a most receptive people, no doubt observed attentively. Being a fit imperial pastime, the game was adopted at court; even the women took to it on donkey back. According to what seems to me the most tenable theory of its course (some writers hold that the Chinese actually learned it from the Tatars), it spread from Peking (Yu Chou) to Mongolia, where I found it well played by the Kalmuks and Kitan Tatars in the form in vogue in Central Asia. Polo did not always meet with the
approval of Chinese statesmen. In the 10th century a chief minister remonstrated with his august master on the grounds that, whoever was victorious, the game brought contention between emperor and mere man. It would, he argued, engender evil in the mind of a subject who lost and exultation in that of the emperor if he won; it brought ruler and subject together on terms too intimate and occasioned a loss of dignity, since the emperor was above all earthly creatures; finally, it endangered the life of the Son of Heaven. To Japan polo came, brought probably by Chinese travelers, about the same time as to China. It was soon a favorite pastime at court. Though it survives in Japan as an aristocratic game, it is by no means common. It has undergone great modification at Japanese hands. The ground in Japan is only about 100-yards long by 30-yards broad, and the goal is a net placed in a screen at one end. Each player has a ball of the color worn by his side. The stick differs from ours in that it has a frame at the end, about four inches wide, on which is stretched a silken network. It is not unlike our lacrosse stick. The balls are small pebbles wrapped in bamboo fiber, with an outer layer of paper fastened on. The players take post, each with a ball in the racket net, and at a given signal they lead off, trying for a goal in the net screen. The object of opposing sides is to score seven balls of their own color, each game limited to a half hour. At the end of this preliminary stage the second phase begins; a single ball is thrown in, the only one now in play, and, when it is shot into goal, the game is won. Passing, striving to gain possession and maneuvering at the ball all add to an excitement that the first phase lacks. At the close of play the winning side rides out to the crash of drums and gongs, while the losers file out on foot, leading their ponies, the final touch to a picturesque game. Adapted from an October 1931 article in Asia. This is the second of three parts.