AUGUST 2019
P L AY E R S’ E D I T I O N
A solid foundation: Training polo ponies
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CONTENTS
P L AY E R S’ E D I T I O N
AU G U S T 201 9
VOL. 22,
FEATURES 28 Water sport
NO. 12
DEPARTMENTS 6
by United States Polo Association
Rain washes out Women’s East Coast Open
32 Mind and body by Alice Gipps
Association News
USPA Bulletin Governor spotlight
12 Instructors Forum
Successful trainer has improved methods
with Pablo Dorignac
14 Full Moon
by Sam Morton
16 Equine Athlete AUGUST 2019
TION P L AY E R S’ E D I
OUR COVER Polito Ulloa moves a herd of cows with a young horse at his Estancia Lavinia in Argentina.
A solid foundation: Training polo ponies
Photo by Alice Gipps
by Heather Smith Thomas
18 22 24 40
Polo Scene News, notes, trends & quotes Polo Development Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Polo in the Pampas
42 60 62 46
Polo around the Globe Calendar Yesteryears Polo Report
by Ernesto Rodriguez
ML Bar Ranch aces USPA Officers Cup
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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
Bronzes by (not only) Polo in Bronze for over 30 years Rich Roenisch is a long time polo player and a lifetime cowboy, which brings authenticity to his pieces. His bronzes have an international reputation. A wide variety of subjects in a wide range of prices. Delivery times will vary. Rich Roenisch Walking R Holdings Box 113 Longview, Alberta, Canada T0L 1H0 ph/fax (403) 652 4053 email: walkingr@xplornet.com
www.richroenisch.com (Front section of) "BANKS OF THE BOW"
L36" x W19" x H24 Detail of maquette for monumental sculpture "By the Banks of the Bow" (by Rich Roenisch and Bob Spaith). Total of 15 horses in full maquette. Limited edition of 20
Certified Equine Appraisals Professionally certified equine valuations for: Donations • Purchases • Sales Injury or death • Bankruptcies • Disputes & litigation Liquidations • Audits • Insurance • Fraud
P L AY 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
Peter Rizzo, ASEA Certified Equine Appraiser 561.777.6448 or email: rizzo.poloworks@gmail.com
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E-mail: info@poloplayersedition.com ©Copyright 2019 by United States Polo Association.. 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 ©2018 and are reprinted by permission of Paul Brown Studios, Inc., P.O. Box 925, Hedgesville, WV 25427. Subscription rates: $45/one year, $78/two years. Other countries (air mail), $78 drawn on U.S. bank/one year, $144 drawn on U.S. bank/two years. (GST:134989508). Subscription problems call (561) 968-5208. VOL. 22, 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
U S PA B U L L E T I N
USPA Polo Network Get ready to watch live polo from the comfort of your own home! The USPA Polo Network will livestream three USPA high-goal polo tournaments beginning this month. Both arena and outdoor tournaments will be featured, providing fans with the best of both worlds. Livestreamed games will be available via uspolo.org, Facebook (United States Polo Association), Twitter (@PoloAssociation) and YouTube (USPA Polo Network). Please refer to the tournament schedules below and visit uspolo.org for more details. Please note, schedules are subject to change. •Silver Cup: July 24– August 11 (Aspen Valley Polo Club, Carbondale, Colorado) •United States Arena Handicap: August 1–30 (Aspen Valley Polo Club, Carbondale, Colorado) •Pacific Coast Open: August 15–September 1 (Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club, Carpinteria, California) •National Youth Tournament Series Championship Cecil Smith Cup semifinals and final: September 5–8 (New Bridge Polo & Country Club, Aiken, South Carolina) •U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship semifinals and final: September 9–15 (Country Farms Polo Club, Medford, New York) Gauntlet of Polo returns to IPC The International Polo Club Palm Beach is pleased to announce its 2020 high-goal polo tournament schedule. The season will commence on Sunday, December 29, 2019 with the Herbie Pennell Cup final and culminate on Sunday, April 19, 2020 with the U.S. Open Polo Championship final. The Gauntlet of Polo series will return for its second year to the U.S. Polo Assn. Field on Sunday, February 9, with the start of the C.V. Whitney Cup tournament. IPC will also be welcoming back the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship final, benefiting Susan G. Komen Florida, to its championship field on Saturday, March 21. The 2019 season proved to be an especially exhilarating one, with an unprecedented number of teams participating in the tournaments. Spectators were able to witness one of the most coveted horsemanship events of the year with the CaptiveOne U.S. Open Polo Championship final, as well as team Pilot 6 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
claiming the inaugural Gauntlet of Polo prize of $1 million. During the 2020 season, fans can expect to experience more adrenaline-fueled matches between the world’s top polo players and ponies. Information regarding tickets and other hospitality packages will be available soon. For more information, please visit internationalpoloclub.com. Governor-At-Large Slate Ballots with all eligible candidates will be sent by regular mail and email to each registered player member 18 years old or older in good standing. The 2019 governor-at-large election will officially close on Tuesday, August 20 at 5 p.m. ET. Members are encouraged to participate in the election process. Retired Racehorse Project The Retired Racehorse Project’s mission is to facilitate placement of Thoroughbred ex-racehorses in second careers by increasing demand for them in equestrian sports and serving the farms, trainers, and organizations that transition them. To that end, the Thoroughbred Makeover & National Symposium is a training competition designed to showcase the trainability and talent of off-the-track Thoroughbreds, and inspire equestrians across a variety of disciplines to consider the Thoroughbred as a competitive or recreational partner. The $100,000 Thoroughbred Makeover, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, will be held on Wednesday, October 2 through Saturday, October 5, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Welcoming trainers from 10 disciplines, including polo, the makeover showcases the training of horses off the track no more than 18 months, with 10 months or less of retraining for a second career. Professionals, juniors and amateurs are welcome to compete, and new for 2019, entries may also compete as a team. Polo has enjoyed great success at the makeover. Old Tavern, trained by Charlie Caldwell, won 2017 America’s Most Wanted Thoroughbred, selected by audience vote. In 2018, the addition of a sevenminute chukker in the finale had the crowd cheering and was immensely popular with competitors and spectators alike. Polo will take center stage on Thursday, October 3, with 24 competitors. Also taking place during this year’s event is the Makeover Marketplace horse sale, which will feature hundreds of off-the-track Thoroughbreds for sale and adoption. For more information please visit tbmakeover.org.
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efficient cooling. The following rule of thumb has been devised as a guide. If the sum of the temperature and humidity is: • Less than 130 — no problem; • Greater than 150 — use caution, especially if the humidity is greater than half of the total; • Greater than 180 — use extreme caution, since normal cooling is almost ineffectual and horses may suffer heatstroke. DAVID LOMINSKA/POLOGRAPHICS
Stay Cool This Summer As summer polo heats up around the country, we encourage you to keep an eye on your horse’s temperature and health. Learn more about signs of heatstroke in horses and reference the useful Equine Heat Index Warning chart (above) to determine if it is too hot to exercise. Heatstroke is a potentially deadly condition that can come on suddenly with little warning. Heatstroke occurs when heat production outpaces heat loss. A horse’s normal temperature is 100 to 100.5 degrees fahrenheit. Temperatures beyond 103.5 challenge their metabolic processes. Beyond 105 degrees, horses may show signs of subtle incoordination or lack precision and regularity in their paces. The horse may be fretful and irritable, less attentive and sluggish in its work. If its temperature stays over 105 for longer than a few minutes, the horse’s sweating mechanism starts to shut down, and it loses interest in eating and drinking. All that internal heat dulls its brain’s cognitive functions, leading to disorientation. If the temperature is not brought down within five to 10 minutes, or if it rises to 108 or beyond, the horse likely will collapse, suffer convulsions and die. At temperatures over 111.2 degrees, tissues can literally break down. Heat production even during gentle exercise can increase by 10 to 20 times over resting values. Sprinting results in an increase of 40 to 50 times over resting values. At work levels of 150 heartbeats per minute, a horse’s temperature will go up 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit every three minutes. Working your horses in a steamy climate significantly increases their susceptibility to heatstroke. High humidity compromises the evaporative process because up to two-thirds of the heat-releasing sweat will roll off of the horse’s body before it can evaporate and cool the horse. This means efficient sweating is not always synonymous with
Club News and Results Is your club hosting a USPA tournament? We would like to promote polo being played across the country at all levels in our weekly newsletter. If you have a results article from a recent tournament you would like to submit please email the text and photos to Jewel Connelly, communications coordinator, at jconnelly@uspolo.org by Friday at 5 p.m. ET for consideration in the following week’s newsletter. Additionally, please email your USPA tournament results and photos if you would like them included on the website’s tournament calendar. • Published by the United States Polo Association Offices at 9011 Lake Worth Rd., Lake Worth, Florida 33467 • (800) 232-USPA Chairman: Chip Campbell President: Tony Coppola Secretary: Stewart Armstrong Treasurer: Sam Ramirez Chief Executive Officer: Robert Puetz
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 7
U S PA B U L L E T I N
Participants in the Marlan Farms Middle School Tournament
Intercollegiate/Interscholastic I/I Teams: make sure to keep an eye out for startof-the-season information! You will be receiving emails on requirements and dates in the coming weeks. All information will also be posted on the I/I page at uspolo.org. If you are interested in starting an interscholastic or intercollegiate team, please contact Ali Davidge at adavidge@uspolo.org to get started. Deadline to add new teams is Oct. 1.
ed its first USPA NYTS qualifier. All-Stars from the tournament included Zak Coleman, Hunter van der Burgt, Kenzie Ridd and Kat Gaulin. Four teams competed in the AFlight of the Maryland Polo Club (Monkton, Maryland) USPA NYTS qualifier with Parker Pearce, Summer Kneece, Sophie Grant, Aiden Meeker, Jenna Tarshis, Louisa Huber and Lila Bennett being named all-stars. In the B-flight, Zoe Bivalaqcua, Grace Fleishman, Josie Dorsey and Madelyn Blum were recognized as all-stars. Louisville Polo Club’s (Louisville, Kentucky) twoteam tournament had four all-stars selected, including Jack Whitman, Patricio Fraga, Stuart Boland and Angus Middleton. Vlad Tarasansky, John Dencker, Connelly Cashen and Matteo Chaux were named all-stars at the Gardnertown (Newburgh, New York) qualifier.
National Alumni Tournament The Feldman Cup, the I/I program’s national alumni tournament, will be held Aug. 23-25 at the Detroit Polo Club in Howell, Michigan. To qualify, a player must have participated on either an intercollegiate or interscholastic team. To find out more information head over to the I/I page on uspolo.org or contact Amy Fraser at afraser@uspolo.org.
Middle School Do you have a group of youth players in fifth through eighth grade? If so, sign up now to host a middle school tournament at your club from September to November. Contact Amy Fraser at afraser@uspolo.org. Players and parents, if you are interested in participating in a Middle School League tournament, keep an eye out for the tournament schedule at uspolo.org!
National Youth Tournament Series The Buffalo Polo Club in Ontario, Canada, host8 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
The Feldman Cup will be held this month in Michigan.
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Bill Kirton Equipping Hawaii’s youth
L
eaving behind Salt Lake City, governor. Before I took on this Utah, and saying aloha to the role, my predecessor, Chris lush idyllic island of Maui in Dawson, asked me if I would be 2006, USPA Hawaiian Islands interested in serving as the Circuit Governor Bill Kirton was lieutenant governor so I could unaware of the polo paradise his come to the meetings and learn family would soon play an integral the process. This would enable me part in shaping. to make an informed decision if I Prior to vacating the mainland, would like to run for circuit Kirton put his degrees in business governor. and political science (University of The direction Dawson was Utah) to work, establishing himself heading, which encouraged me, as a successful investment banker was based on the question, how do and simultaneously embracing his we ensure that people are playing entrepreneurial spirit in the cattle polo in Hawaii 50 years from now? Bill Kirton industry. A keen businessman, That thought really motivated me Kirton liquidated all his assets in to look to the future and that’s 2005, taking advantage of a steady market, deciding what drew me in, serving and helping that cause. to embark on a new adventure offshore. What is your equestrian background and how did Supporting the equestrian passions of his you become involved in polo? youngest son, Johnny, Kirton found himself not only Prior to getting involved in polo, I ran and owned becoming a part of the polo community, but running cattle feeding operations in Utah, Wyoming, Idaho the very club in Makawao, Hawaii, where he and his and Nevada, so I owned a lot of horses to manage the son saw their first game. Discovering the sport by movement of cattle. While I enjoyed horses for many happenstance and immediately investing his years working in the cattle industry, I never resources, Kirton selflessly reenergized youth polo understood the discipline of polo. I remember the one island at a time, setting into motion a wave of first time I sat in a polo saddle, I felt like there was kids eager to pick up a mallet. nothing under me because I was so used to a western Tapping into the tourism industry, Kirton saddle! utilized his entrepreneurial skill set to open three My son, Johnny, has been interested in horses local businesses: Paia Gelato, the Hana Picnic since he was little so we enrolled him in riding Lunch Company and Sand & Sea. Serving the island lessons in Hawaii. He learned to jump and was really a taste of Italy in the form of gelato, Kirton’s familyfocused and dedicated to that discipline until one day owned authentic Italian gelateria and other in 2011 we were driving home from one of his lessons businesses are situated on the edge of the Hana and saw a sign for a polo match at Maui Polo Club. I Rainforest in the small coastal town of Paia. Kirton pulled in and as I was paying, he jumped up on the not only caters to the needs of visitors, but dashboard, looked out on the polo field and said, additionally, the interests of the USPA as part of the “Isn’t that cool? I wouldn’t have to ride around in a Finance, Nominating, Constitution and Junior Polo little oval anymore.” Committees. Sitting down with Kirton during the We bought two horses that week and hired a pro, USPA Board of Governors Spring Meeting, he but when the following Sunday came, there weren’t elaborated on the necessity of youth to the future of many kids around to play with him. I continued polo and how Hawaii’s cultural emphasis on ohana buying horses and I went to Johnny’s school [Carden (family) may be the key for leveraging longevity in Academy of Maui] and said, “Anybody who wants to the years to come. learn to play polo, it’s on my dime, so come out and What attracted you to the role of circuit governor? play with us.” A lot of kids took us up on that offer, This is my second term as Hawaiian Islands circuit so in no time we got a bunch of kids in his class to POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 9
U S PA B U L L E T I N
Bill Kirton playing against a young polo player in Hawaii.
start playing polo. The first year we started free and the next year the participants had to bring a bag of feed to each practice as their tuition. Due to the growing popularity, after that, they had to buy or lease a horse because there were kids coming behind them who wanted to learn. Then Maui Polo Club handed me the keys to the club in 2013 and said they’d like me to become club president.
What is the biggest goal you hope to accomplish for the Hawaiian Islands Circuit? Player development and getting more families involved in polo is our biggest initiative. First, you have to understand that Hawaii is a place where a lot of people grow up and leave to pursue higher education and experience the world. The teenagers like to use the term ‘growing up on the rock.’ They are very eager to get off the rock because in their minds they are isolated from the world. As a result, we grow a lot of players in Hawaii that end up on the mainland, so while the number of players in the circuit remains approximately 200, we are helping to grow the sport in other places. The players that we have developed are playing in other locations, in college or they settle to raise a family and return to polo later in life. In Hawaii, we’ve been able to grow polo substantially by focusing on the youth and consequently, we have really strong youth programs. When you look at the long-term membership of polo, you see a lot of families and generations represented. Often, when you invite youth to play, you see the 10 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
whole family get involved, so one of the exciting things for me is to see families embrace polo like mine has. I’m hoping that we are growing long, deep roots for polo whether it returns to Hawaii or remains on the mainland.
Talk about each of the three businesses you currently own on Hawaii. At Paia Gelato we make fresh ice cream everyday and because we are located in Paia, at the rainforest’s entrance, we get traffic from tourists who spend the day exploring the Hana Rainforest. Our most popular flavor of gelato is the Big Island coffee crunch, which has Big Island coffee, cacao nibs and chocolate squares, but my personal favorite is the chocolate hazelnut. The Hana Picnic Lunch Co. offers breakfast, and our specialty is packed picnic lunches for people going out into the rainforest. We also have a giftshop called Sand & Sea in the same town where we sell all kinds of Maui-made products and souvenirs crafted by local artisans.
What have you already accomplished for the Hawaiian Islands circuit that you are most proud of? It’s been really fun developing youth programs on additional islands besides Maui and watching that grow. There’s a group at the Mauna Kea Polo Club in Kamuela, Hawaii, (Big Island) that’s moving forward with an interscholastic team. I’m very happy that we were able to host our first Western Interscholastic Open Regional in Maui. We have always been active
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since the beginning of NYTS to host qualifiers and play tournaments on Maui. We also started doing some Polo Training Foundation exchanges (Johnny Kirton and Connor Jenkins played in New Zealand) and all of this focus on the youth in the last five to 10 years has been something new. There was a lot of polo being played in Hawaii, but there wasn’t as much youth polo and its growth has been really satisfying to see. Also, recently we had 60 youth players and families on Maui between West Coast teams, Big Island teams, Oahu teams and our local Maui teams. It was fun to host a NYTS qualifier of that size and have that many people come to Maui to play polo.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of focusing on building youth polo? When I introduce youth players to polo and watch them score their first goal, I’m as happy, and cheering as loudly, as their parents because I feel so connected after watching them develop from leadline to walk/trot to canter/gallop to playing adult polo. There were so many youth playing at Maui Polo Club when I first started running it that I had many of the members saying I turned it into a kid’s club. But as soon as the kids started playing adult polo, those same members started vying to have those teenagers on their team because they were such good players. When I talk about player development, it’s fun for me to see someone morph from learning to ride into low-goal polo and have the adult club members embrace them as they progress.
Why are you so passionate about polo? I love the horses, but I truly love the opportunity polo creates to be on the field with my family and to invite others to play polo together as a family. To watch the whole rainbow of people experiencing polo at every level is something I enjoy. I feel the family is so important to the future of polo because if the family isn’t supportive of them as they join the sport they will stop at some point for reasons such as expenses or the amount of work required. Our approach in Hawaii has been to include as many people in polo as possible and work on initiatives that weren’t about us, but instead focused on the future of polo. It’s not about my game today, it’s about getting as many people as I can on horses, trying it for themselves and catching the spirit of polo. To make sure this happens we have to be willing to sacrifice our own time, money and energy.
Bill Kirton, center, congratulates Maui Polo Club’s NYTS qualifier all-stars Maya Miller, Kaiana Holland, Alana Benz and Daniel Miranda.
Bill Kirton, front, attends the 2017 USPA Board of Governors and Annual Member Meeting.
If you’d like to get in contact with Bill about your club or get the scoop about polo in Maui, he can be reached at b.kirton@hotmail.com. • POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 11
INSTRUCTORS FORUM
All about that base Better riding skills improve your polo skills With Pablo Dorignac
When it comes to improving your polo, whether it is hitting the ball better, being stronger on defense or interacting with teammates, the most important aspect is to learn to ride better. Over the years, I’ve instructed many different amateur players. Often, they ride a horse like they are riding a Harley—with their legs so far forward. Strong legs are so important because you use them a lot. The only way to enjoy polo is to have a solid base, and that means having strong legs and good balance. When you hit the ball, you need to stand, which requires balance. When you stand on the ground, your legs are not in front of you, they are underneath you. That is how they should be when you ride. Your legs help you balance, so if they are in the wrong position, you will fall forward or back when you try to stand. Many people think that because they have played for a long time they already know how to ride. A strong riding base comes from riding regularly. No matter how long you’ve played, if you ride on the weekend but don’t ride again until the next weekend or the next month, it isn’t enough. Riding regularly keeps your legs strong and gives you more confidence. It is like if I jump on a motorcycle. I know how to ride one, but if I haven’t ridden one in a while, I need time to get my confidence back. With horses, it is the same. Without good balance and strong legs, you may do OK if you are cantering along at a slow pace, but if you are in a little more action your focus will be completely on riding instead of the game. You will likely be worrying about if the horse is going to make a tiny mistake. Good balance and strong legs will keep you in place if the horse stumbles, spooks or turns too quick. Muscle memory will make it easier for your legs to grab quickly if they need to. Polo is like every other sport—you need to practice. It doesn’t matter if you are practicing outdoors or in an arena, the time in the saddle will help you and your polo. Ride every day even if it is just for 10 minutes. That is going to make a big difference in how you play. Try standing in your stirrups while your horse is [cantering] without balancing yourself with your reins, keeping your precision right there. Remember, no grabbing the reins or anything else, just balance 12 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
using your legs. Once you can do this for a minute or two without losing your balance, it proves your legs are strong enough and you are riding well. There is a lot of stopping and turning in polo. Players who don’t have strong legs tend to go forward with their upper bodies when they stop. Everyday when you are riding, practice stopping and turning six or eight times. Keep your legs tight, avoiding going forward with your upper body. Good polo riders have a light hand and do not hold onto the horse’s mouth; most of the direction comes from their legs. They check the horse before they turn or stop and always make sure the horse is on the correct lead. If the horse is not on the correct lead when turning, it can be dangerous—the horse can get hurt and the player can get hurt. This is something I always work on when instructing an amateur player. Before asking the horse to turn, check a little bit so the horse knows you are going to ask for something and then press the horse’s side with your legs. If you want to turn left, press the side with your right leg and if you want to turn right, press the side with your left leg. When a rider constantly pulls on the horse’s mouth, or alternates pulling with kicking, the horse will be confused and is less likely to respond well. When I am giving lessons, players will sometimes say, “See, I’m good with my legs.” I challenge them by having them put a $50 bill under each leg while they stick and ball. If the bills fall out while they are stick and balling, their legs are not gripping the saddle tight enough (and we use the money for the barbecue after!). Usually, in two seconds the $50 is on the ground. Once your legs are strong enough and you have good balance, you will feel so much more comfortable on the horse, making it easier to get in position to hit the ball. You feel more comfortable when you have tight legs and it changes everything. If you only play seasonally, and are unable to play for months at a time, keep fit in the gym or by playing other sports. I play all sorts of sports. Riding bikes and take spinning classes will help keep your legs working and tennis is also very good. The moves are similar to polo, its aerobic and you work your legs. If you know someone with horses that you can ride
in the off-season, even if they are not polo ponies, that will help you too. I always recommend warming up a horse no matter if it is one of your own or one someone is loaning to you, regardless of how quiet you think the horse is. If it is a windy day or you are a little nervous and the horse picks up on it, the horse may not act like it normally does. Always make it a practice to warm each horse up. Circle for a few minutes in each direction, then canter in a straight line, stop and turn in each direction before going out on the field. You can also practice your stick work with a foot mallet and a tennis ball in the off season. Your eyehand coordination will improve and it will be easier to hit the ball when you are back on the horse with a full-size mallet. Trying hitting the ball out of the air. It will be difficult at first, but after a few days you will begin to hit it out of the air. If you do that enough, when you are on a horse it will come more naturally and a bouncing ball will not be a problem. I see a lot of people holding their mallets with their thumbs in the air, like they are holding a hammer. Grip the mallet with your thumb on one side of the mallet handle (not on top) and the index finger on the other side. The grip is important because the mallet is a continuation of your arm. If your grip is in the wrong position, it will effect your swing. When you stick and ball, spend the most time practicing your worst shot. If you are weak on your nearside, continually practice nearside shots until you are comfortable making them in practice as well as in games. A lot of players may be able to make backshots but they usually can’t control where the backshot goes. Practice backing the ball to different parts of the field with different angles. Practice at different speeds. If you are always going slow, when it comes time for a game, you won’t be able to hit the ball at a faster speed. You don’t need to run full speed but go a bit faster than normal for about two minutes. It allows the horse to put air in its lungs and you can work on your timing at the speed you play games. If you are given the opportunity to play a practice or game with better players, take it. When you make shots on the stick and ball field, always hit to a target. It may be a discoloration on the field, a penalty line or a goal post. Look at the target and decide how many shots you are going to try to hit to reach the target. Try sending the ball 50 or 60 yards each time you hit. Aiming for a target repeatedly eventually will help you control ball direction better. I like putting goal posts or even orange cones in the center of the stick and ball field. Keep 10 or 15
SHELLEY HEATLEY
INSTRUCTORS FORUM
balls around the field and shoot to the goal from all different parts of the field. It will help you practicing taking all types of shots. If your shots are not going where you want them or are not going as far as you’d like, keep practicing. Good shots are all about timing and the only way to improve your timing is with more practice. One exercise that is helpful is to have a bucket of 50 balls and someone to help you. Go out on the field and practice penalty shots, with your helper setting up the balls on the penalty lines. Start with 30-yard shots, then move to 40-yard shots, then 60-yard shots. If you do this on a regular basis, sooner or later you are going to find your perfect timing. Remember, you don’t have to be strong to hit 80 yards. Timing is more of a factor than strength. It is helpful for every player on the team to know how to take penalties. The team that scores all its penalty shots usually wins. If one player is having a bad day or is on a horse that won’t settle, other players on the field should be ready to step in to take the penalties. When I play with a new team or work with a player, I look at what each player has to offer. I see what each player can do and I work with him so he can do even more. •
Good polo riders have a light hand and don’t hold onto the horse’s mouth; most of the direction comes from their legs.
Pablo Dorignac is a 5-goal professional player (7 goals in the arena). He manages Hobe Sound Polo Club in Hobe Sound, Fl where he also teaches the sport. He also plays and teaches polo at Saratoga Polo Club in Saratoga, New York in the summer. POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 13
FULL MOON
Quiet history Random facts surrounding the U.S. Open By Sam Morton
Jimmy McHugh’s Brandywine team won the U.S. Open in 1956. It included William Mayer, Buddy Combs, Ray Harrington and Raworth Williams.
Since 1904, the U.S. Open has fielded the top teams in the United States and has since become the most coveted tournament on the continent. A summer polo community, Big Horn, Wyoming, (population 720) has recently had its forth sponsor win the Open. The first was Jimmy McHugh’s Brandywine team that won in 1956, although McHugh wasn’t in the lineup. McHugh founded the Wymont Ranch polo breeding and training operation outside Beckton, Wyoming. In 2002, Gillian Johnston won the Open with Coca-Cola. It was the last time a team with three Americans won in what was arguably the best field of teams to date. Tommy Boyle, who owned a ranch outside Parkman, Wyoming, won the Open the next year with his C Spear team. This year, Curtis Pilot, after having played at the Flying H for several years, won the Open led by professionals Facundo and Gonzalito Pieres. Team Pilot ran through the tournament undefeated and took home the most coveted trophy on the continent. Here are a few facts to consider: It was the first time a hall of fame member had two sons win multiple U.S. Open’s together (2009, 2019). The Pieres brothers win was the 25th time brothers won the Open but only the fifth time siblings had won multiple times. The Guests (1932, 1934), Gerrys
14 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Curtis Pilot won the $1 million prize for winning the Gauntlet of Polo. He later announced he would donate the money for cancer research in memory of his daughter.
(1939, 1940), Gracidas (1982, ‘84, ‘85, ‘87,’88, ‘92, ‘94) and Merloses (1990, 1998) have also accomplished the feat. In over 100 years there have been over a dozen host centers for the U.S. Open. Meadow Brook Polo Club in Westbury, Long Island, New York, has hosted the event 30 times, more than any other club. The town of Wellington, Florida, has now hosted 22 Opens, tying it with Oak Brook, Illinois, for second place. As an individual club, International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington has hosted 16 consecutive U.S. Opens. Oak Brook has hosted it 22 times, but only 10 consecutively. A side story to this year’s U.S. Open tournament reflects some of the character in polo that doesn’t get written about enough. It was the first year that $1 million was put up as prize money for the winner of The Gauntlet (the C.V. Whitney, Gold Cup and the U.S. Open). Curtis Pilot’s team not only won all three but did it sweeping through each of the playoffs and ending the season 16-0. To end with class, Pilot gave away the entire check to be used for cancer research, following the death of his daughter Nikki to the disease this past February. The act not only put everything in perspective but reminded us of what the sport must strive to project
FULL MOON
as its base—a game played by true sportsmen. In a perfect world, sportsmanship and integrity is what the sport will project over all else—more than wins, level of play, image or money. Who and what polo is has to stand for something with substance and that substance must remain the undercurrent of the sport. But, before the warm feel of morality washes over us, let us not forget the other side of the coin. For a tiny membership compared to most sports, we’ve had our share of ejections, protests and incarcerations. There have been enough polo players to wear horizontal stripes to field two teams with enough left over for umpires. One year, the Open winner owed so many people money that the pony lines after the game looked like Footlocker at the release of a new brand of Jordans. People were grabbing horses, tack and anything else they could take after suffering through non-payment throughout the season. In a high profile sport ripe with images of wealth, tradition and romance, sometimes sportsmanship gets left by the wayside. If you look at the United States Polo Association Blue Book, the circuit Sportsmanship Award is one of the few awards that in some years is listed as ‘Unawarded.’ What the polo crowd doesn’t know or talk about is the quiet integrity that someone rode off the field with after her last U.S. Open game this year. It was her 21st consecutive U.S. Open, the longest streak of any patron. Quietly and without fanfare, over two decades of competing in the top tournament in the United States was done without protests, yellow cards, red flags or ejections. As part of a family that has played in 34 U.S. opens in at least seven different host centers and in several finals, their combined resume includes chairman of the USPA, a Hall of Fame member, three Hugo Dalmar National Sportsmanship Award winners, a director of youth polo in Florida and one national Distinguished Benefactor award. When Gillian Johnston rode off the field this year after the U.S. Open, neither she nor any of her teammates, grooms or family members had any idea she was the longest-standing Open amateur in one of the oldest tournaments in the United States. When she won the 2002 U.S. Open with Coca-Cola, it was arguably the best field of teams ever assembled and maybe the greatest performance by a patron in this century. At least I’ve never seen one better. It was also the last time three Americans played on the winning team and the last time the winning team had three players handicaps raised after winning. Since then it has become a point of contention with some that winning Open teams be allowed to play
the following season if they assume the handicap increase. Playing in a sport her family’s grandfather started in the 1930s in McDonald, Tennessee, Gillian has quietly set an example of how to compete at a high level with both composure and sportsmanship. For 80 years, starting with Summerfield Johnston Sr., Summerfield Jr. (Skey), Summerfield III (Skeeter), Gillian and her nephew Will, there has been nothing short of exemplary behavior on the field at all levels. Their unblemished record under fire, commands, not demands respect. Asking Gillian about her streak, she responded, “I think I can remember my strings of ponies more than I can the entire teams I played with.” One of her earliest horses she played was a horse named Blaze, one her father had played in the Open. Today, Gillian breeds fewer horses and retires more. The number of retired equine U.S. Open veterans at her father’s Bendabout Farms in Tennessee is starting to rival the amount of horses in their breeding program in Banner, Wyoming. Maybe it is ironic in a sport that has been referred to as gentlemen’s sport, that a young lady has set an example for sportsmanship for such a long time. It is a reputation that neither money nor wins can buy; it has to be earned. So, even after a disappointing season for her Coca-Cola team, she rode off the field maybe a head above her competitors. In the words of another Tennessean named Grantland Rice, “It’s not whether you win or lose but how you played the game.” Well done Gillian Johnston! •
Tommy Boyle’s C Spear team won the U.S. Open in 2003.
Gillian Johnston has played in 21 consecutive U.S. Opens, more than any other amateur.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 15
E Q U I N E AT H L E T E
Shoe flies Dealing with loose and lost shoes By Heather Smith Thomas
LOSING A SHOE can be a disaster, especially if it
Reasons for lost shoes “There are many situations in which a horse might pull a shoe,” says Allen. Some horses repeatedly lose shoes because of poor hoof walls that won’t hold nails, or because of their conformation and the way they move, with one foot coming too close to another foot. A base-narrow horse with feet too close together may accidentally step on a front foot with the other one if the shoe is sticking out too much or when the horse is stomping flies. A horse with long hind legs or a horse with a short back and long legs may forge, hitting a front shoe with the approaching hind foot. Young horses in training sometimes hit their front and hind shoes together because they are not yet balanced while carrying the extra weight of a rider. They may not be fit enough yet to handle themselves with agility while being ridden, or are still growing ALEX PACHECO
happens during a match or just before your next match, and even more so if the hoof wall is damaged when the shoe is pulled off. If the shoe is still on the foot, it must be tightened (if possible) or removed (if it is dangling or out of position, with risk of injury to other feet or legs or damage to the foot if it pulls off). Then you’ll need to protect the foot until your farrier can deal with it. Todd Allen, a farrier in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, advises clients to have some kind of boot on hand to put on a bare foot. A hoof boot can protect the shoeless foot out in the pasture or pen, or in the stall until the farrier can replace the shoe. (Not all feet are shaped the same. Be sure the boot fits the hoof correctly or it could rub and cause sores on the heel or other soft tissue around the hoof.)
Losing a shoe during a match can be a disaster, especially if the hoof wall is damaged when the shoe comes off.
16 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
E Q U I N E AT H L E T E
(taller at the croup than at the withers) with hind legs overreaching the fronts and sometimes grabbing a front shoe. “Some people blame poor riding as a cause of lost shoes. We know that a horse traveling heavy on the forehand is more likely to pull a shoe than a horse traveling well balanced underneath the rider,” says Allen. “A horse with sore hocks may keep his hind feet under his body more than normal, and front legs farther back than normal, in compensation. Then the odds are increased for shoe loss. A horse that is sore in his front end acts similarly. A back-sore horse may also compensate for discomfort. A comfortable horse will have less trouble traveling in a normal movement than an uncomfortable horse,” explains Allen. “If an older horse with arthritis takes a misstep on uneven ground, this creates joint pain and he tries to compensate and get off that limb quicker. Timing is thrown off, and ping goes the shoe! If a person is walking barefoot and steps on a rock, it changes our stride and we may stumble as a result of that dramatic compensation. Horses do similar missteps,” he says. A common cause of shoe loss is shoes being left on too long, or the horse ridden so much that the shoe is wearing out and getting loose (nail heads worn off, no longer holding tightly). If it’s been too long between shoeings, the long foot may overgrow the shoe at the heels/quarters, placing too much weight on the hoof wall at the rear of the foot. The wall tends to collapse or break and the clinches come loose. If the shoe gets loose and moves around, the nails may wear in two and break and the shoe falls off. Mike Pownall, a farrier/veterinarian in Campbellville, Ontario Canada (McKee-Pownall Equine Services) feels the main reason shoes become loose is waiting too long between shoeings. The nails start to wear and some may break, or the nail heads wear off. If feet get too long, front shoes are often pulled off by the hind foot stepping on them. “This happens a lot if the horse has a long toe or a long heel. This slows down the
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breakover and the hind feet clip onto the front shoes because the breakover is not timed properly. To try to avoid this problem some farriers make the shoes smaller or cut the heel of the shoe back so the horse won’t clip those shoes off. But the most important thing is just to balance the foot, to help the horse break over the way it should,” says Pownall. Making the shoe too small reduces the necessary support for the foot. Timing of breakover is crucial. “Sometimes when a horse is lame or favoring a leg, that interferes with the stride and timing. This is another reason that shoes may get pulled off,” he says. In other situations the lost shoe is the result of an unfortunate accident such as the horse catching a foot while backing out of a trailer, or pawing a wire fence with a front foot and catching the shoe. If the horse paws at a metal gate he might get the heel of a shoe hooked on the bottom rail. “Or, the horse might be running and bucking around in pen or pasture and just clips himself and pulls off a shoe. Sometimes it’s just bad luck,” Pownall says. “A stall kicker may lose a hind shoe from continually kicking the stall wall and shearing the nails,” says Allen. This is a damaging habit; the horse may injure his feet, joints, hocks, etc. as well as loosening the shoes. Sometimes a horse is more likely to pull a shoe if his stride is altered or feet are out of balance. Heavy shoes may create a longer stride or an exaggerated swing of the leg that adversely affects the natural gait enough to create more risk for stepping on himself. A tired horse may not travel as correctly as he did at the start of the day; he may start hitting himself or stepping on a shoe because his strides are more wobbly. Under normal conditions the front foot is just leaving the ground as the hind foot is coming forward to land, and the front foot gets out of the way in time. “All it takes for a horse to pull a shoe is to misstep or mis-stride and there goes the perfect timing. One step out of time,
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(continued on page 56) POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 17
POLO SCENE
N E W S • NO T E S • T R E N D S • Q U O T E S
SOLDIER HEAD ON Polo event held Subhead at Hawaii’s Fort Shafter
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NATHANAEL CASSION
HE HAWAIIAN INTERNATIONAL POLO ASSOCIATION was honored to be invited to host a special polo event for the guests of the U.S. Army’s Pacific Commander on historic Palm Circle at Fort Shafter, May 20. HIPA is a 501 c3 non-profit whose mission includes perpetuating the cross-cultural appreciation of the rich history of the sport of polo among the Pacific Rim nations and to preserve and celebrate Hawaii’s unique equestrian cultural history. U.S. Army Hawaii and Ft. Shafter soldiers have played a major role in the sport and discipline of polo. As a prelude to the Association of the United States Army’s 2019 world class international LANPAC Symposium & Exposition, Gen. Robert Brown invited the military leadership of our partners and allies throughout the Indo-Pacific theater to gather at Quarters 5 on historic Palm Circle for a “Polo Pa’ina” for an informal gathering or ice breaker. The guests were treated to a little history lesson about the sport of polo in Hawaii and the U.S. Army. Many of the military organizations from the Indo-Pacific region also share many of the same equine and polo experiences from the past and thus they were pleased to learn a little of their hosts’ background and interests. Former Hawaii Islands Circuit Governor Chris Dawson and Honolulu Polo Club Delegate and past Gen. George S. Patton awardee Allen Hoe’s decades-long focus on re-engaging the U.S. Army and the United States Polo Association with their military equine culture and history has sparked many military polo-related events and matches on historic posts such as Fort Riley and Fort Sam Houston. Numerous USPA members who have or are wearing our nations uniform are demonstrating the value of these venues to our civilian and military leadership. HIPA’s continuing involvement and success in hosting important events such as this requires the support of its partner organizations, Hawaii Polo Life and the Honolulu Polo Club. Mahalo to all those who supported this amazing event.
Above: Players compete at Hawaii’s Fort Shafter.
NATHANAEL CASSION
Below, right: Crowds celebrate Hawaii’s unique equestrian cultural history.
18 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
POLO SCENE
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Student lobbies polo officials to play
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FOURTH GRADER PHILLIP JAMES DEANGELIS was disappointed to learn he had to be in fifth grade to play in the Middle School League. He decided he would lobby USPA officials to try to change the rule with the following letter: Dear USPA Managers, I know that polo is perfect, well almost perfect. The one flaw is that Fourth graders can’t play in U.S.P.A. polo games! I know that some Fourth graders aren’t good enough. But if you do make a change where good Fourth graders could play I would love it. Polo will be perfect again! These are my 4 reasons why I think Fourth graders should be able to play in U.S.P.A. polo games and tournaments. First, some Fourth graders are more mature than other people. If you think that is not true, then you are incorrect. I know a Third grader in my class that is more mature than any Fifth grader on my bus. So, if he was a Fourth grader he would be more mature than almost all of the Fifth graders. You may be wondering, “So, maturity doesn’t matter!” Well, it sort of does. Some Fifth graders would throw a fit if he or she didn’t get an award. But if a mature Fourth grader would not get an award, he or she would not have a fit. Would you like to have that in your games? Secondly, some Fourth graders can tack better than other people. I know almost all the pieces of tack. Breastplate, reins, draw reins, girth, overgirth, saddle, stirrups and much more. Some people who are playing don’t even know those pieces, so they can’t tack. Some adults don’t even know. If Fourth graders tack you could get the game going faster. You may be thinking, “Then let them groom!” but some Fourth graders want to play! If they groom, they don’t need to get paid, but be able to play the polo game! Not a discount, but just be able to play. That brings me on to my next reason. Some Fourth graders are just better at playing polo than Fifth graders. So would you like not-good-Fifth-graders or really-good-Fourth-graders on your team. Probably Fourth graders. If REALLY good Fourth graders are wanting to play polo, then they should be able to play. That brings me on to my last reason. Some people want to play. And you can’t take that away from them. If they want to play, they should play. Polo is a fun sport, but if you put an age limit on the games it sucks all the fun out of it. So that is why I think Fourth graders should be able to play in U.S.P.A. polo games and tournaments. They should. But the choice is yours, do you agree with me, or not? From,
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POLO SCENE
OK POLO Club hosts polo clinic and women’s tourney
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HE OKC POLO CLUB in Jones, Oklahoma, just miles from Oklahoma City metro, recently hosted the USPA Women’s Arena Challenge, June 22-23. Despite the heat and looming storm predictions, the chukkers went on as planned, providing a great day of entertainment for all the guests. Players from around the state competed in the all-women’s tournament, including an all-female officiating crew with USPA Umpire LLC professional umpire Robin Welker Sanchez, certified umpire Devan Groves and certified umpire Tess Sabatini. The tournament featured a round-robin tournament with three teams.
The white team was made up of Allison Thomas, Rachel Hanson and Carolyn Downey. The green team was made up of Michelle LaVasque, Sarah Powers and Kiana Nieves and the blue team included Karson Bizzell, Nancy Shaw and Alyssa Ashby. OKC Polo Club owner David Ragland explained, “Each team was anchored by an experienced student player which made each team competitive and exciting for the players as well as a crowd pleaser.” The white team, led by Thomas, Oklahoma State Polo president, won the tournament. The Best Playing Pony award went to Thunder, owned by Ragland and played by Rachel Hanson. Karson Bizzell was MVP and Kiana Nieves received the Sportsmanship award. Players and spectators were treated to a fabulous barbecue afterwards. Earlier in the month, Sanchez assisted Ragland with his polo school. The first two weeks of June were spent introducing a group of 12 students to the sport of polo. Students started out with a variety of discussions about the basics and demos with Robin’s plastic ponies. Her Mary MICHELLE LAVASQUE
Robin Sanchez and David Ragland teamed up to teach 12 new students the game of polo.
MICHELLE LAVASQUE
Umpire Robin Sanchez and club owner David Ragland with teams from the USPA Women’s Arena Challenge
20 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
POLO SCENE
Poppins-like bag contained a variety of horses, balls and symbolic mallets to fit every type of strategy or demonstration she felt would benefit the players. She explained things in an easy-to-understand way. Next, students mounted up and continued to learn about tack, proper horsemanship and the basics of playing. The students worked in the arena and were instructed on the basics of how to play. New player Karson Bizzell said, “The OKC Polo Club’s polo school was an incredibly informative program that displayed the knowledge and effective coaching skills of Robin. She covered everything from hitting with foot mallets, to throw-ins, and penalty shots in chukkers. She was never afraid to point out our mistakes, but she’s also the first person to congratulate you on your successes.” Having this type of educational instruction with a focus on safety is the No. 1 priority of Ragland. He and Sanchez made sure students had a great time while learning how to be safe and effective teammates. In addition to Robin’s time spent with the polo school students, she also organized drills and scrimmages with current members. These practice sessions were a great time for players to hone their skills on back shots, learn more successful throw-in tactics and consider new strategies to give their team the upper hand. Current member Angie Bailey said, “Robin’s hands-on approach is invaluable to her game. The skills and strategies that she shared with us will definitely enable [me] to be a better team player!” Bizzell said “ It’s easy to fall in love with polo when you’re learning from someone as enthusiastic as Robin.” For more information about the OKC Polo Club and upcoming events, please visit www.okcpoloclub.com. •
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P O L O D E V E L O P M E N T, L L C
Family Firsts Interscholastic players discover polo, get hooked By Hayley Heatley
barn. I learned to work, mucking, sweeping, cleaning tack, scrubbing buckets; I would do anything to get time on a horse. I didn’t even know polo existed until just before I started high school. I went to Polo for Heart, an annual charity event at the Toronto Polo Club. A family friend had some extra tickets and knew I liked horses. I watched my first game, took my first lesson a few weeks later and made my way to the dark side. Lila: I got started in polo thanks to a friend of my parents who got my brother and I both hooked on it. He gave us both old foot mallets of his and taught us all about polo. It just kind of catapulted from there. My parents never played, but it was easy for my brother and I to get into because we grew up riding.
Coach Jim Wright, Lila Bennett, Cory Williams, Jenna Tarshis and Olivia Uechtritz celebrate their win in the girls’ NYTS championships in 2018.
First generation polo players Jenna Tarshis and Lila Bennett made a splash winning the NYTS Girls National Championships in Denver, Colorado, last summer. The powerful duo met through the USPA Intercollegiate/Interscholastic program and became fast friends. Jenna calls Toronto, Canada, home and has spent every spare moment in the past few years traveling to play polo. Lila was raised around horses, but was first exposed to polo through the well-known Garrison Forest program. Tell us about your beginnings in polo. Jenna: I’m a first-generation player. No one else in my family has ever ridden, since both my mom and brother are allergic to horses. I started riding when I was 8 at a camp near my cottage, just as something to do and immediately became hooked. I was that weird horse girl all throughout my preteen years—I was obsessed. I competed in show jumping for a while and spent every minute I could at the
22 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
How have the USPA I/I and NYTS programs helped you grow as a player? Jenna: Through the I/I program, I experienced real competition for the first time. During my first year on the Toronto I/I team, I was in 10th grade and it was my second year playing. Preliminaries at Yale and regionals at Cornell were some of the first away tournaments I attended. I learned about horsemanship, sportsmanship, new skills and game strategy. Interscholastic polo played a crucial role in shaping me into the player I am today. I discovered the NYTS program shortly afterwards and started to travel for polo more than ever before. It introduced me to other youth players in Canada and the U.S. who I continue to play with and learn from. Lila: I can definitely attribute all of my skill to I/I and Garrison Forest School where I began my polo career. NYTS has helped me to grow as an outdoor player and helped me gain the connections with people and clubs that I hope will carry me through my polo career. What was your experience playing in the inaugural NYTS Girls’ Championships? Lila: Denver was such an amazing experience. I loved everything about the weekend, from the team I
P O L O D E V E L O P M E N T, L L C
played with to the team I played against; from the people I met to the ponies I played. It was so fun and I will forever be grateful for the experience and everything I learned that weekend. The memories we made and the skills I learned will last me a lifetime. I think my favorite part of the weekend, though, was the “fun day” we had. We all dressed up in capes and got together with our teams and dedicated it to [I/I Tournament Director] Emily [Dewey’s] son who was undergoing treatment [for Leukemia] at the time. It really hit home for me because she was the coach that I started learning under at GFS. Jenna: The Denver championship was one of the best tournaments in which I have participated. I found the publicity of the whole weekend very exciting. It was cool to know my family was watching my game live from home. The fields and facility were unbelievable. Clearly a lot of effort was put into scheduling as the event was very well organized. Although we were there to compete, a lot of time was dedicated to players getting to know each other off the field. This made for a friendly and engaging environment. I now have friends around the globe due to this tournament. Where do you hope to see NYTS and its girls’ division in two to three years? Jenna: In two to three years, I hope to see more NYTS qualifiers in the U.S. and especially Canada. Hopefully, the number of teams in the girls’ division will have increased as well. I’m excited to see the program continue to promote youth in competitive polo. The girls’ championship highlights the growth and development of women in polo internationally. It’s a great environment to showcase young female potential. That being said, it’s also important to show that gender shouldn’t determine how you’re treated or what’s expected of you on the field. Having girls involved in the mixed games and not isolating the two divisions too much is just as important as having a girls’ championship in the first place. Lila: I love that the girls’ division of NYTS is taking off after last year and I hope that it will continue to grow. Eventually, it would be awesome for the girls’ division to have four teams and participate in the full tournament experience with semi-finals and everything. However, I hope this will not segregate the NYTS program in anyway. Are you aiming to play again this year? Jenna: It would be amazing to be invited back to this event!
Lila Bennett
Lila: It would be amazing to be asked to play in the girls’ championships again this year, especially since it’s my last eligible year for NYTS. Based on last year, I can’t imagine the fun and awesome competition we’d have this year, since I know that the program will continue to grow. Where have you traveled to play? Lila: A long time ago, when I was in like seventh grade, our GFS team went up to play the Toronto Polo team in Canada. It was there that I met my best polo friend, Jenna Tarshis, and since then she’s come down almost every year for Maryland NYTS and we even coordinated to go to the Sarasota NYTS this year. It’s so fun whenever we see each other, whether we’re playing or not, and we definitely have polo, and more specifically NYTS, to thank for it! Overall, I’ve met so many great people through NYTS and have been so lucky to travel all over the country to meet the people I’ve played with before and play with them again. (continued on page 59) POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 23
I N T E R C O L L E G I AT E / I N T E R S C H O L A S T I C
College Bound High school grads reflect on interscholastic polo By Emily Dewey
hadn’t yet experienced. Fast forward to the spring of 2019, and those original eighth graders are graduating high school. Fifteen of the original 25 played their senior year of interscholastic competition and five of them competed at the USPA National Interscholastic Championship. I/I staff checked in with a few of the graduating seniors planning to continue their polo-playing careers in college. MIKE RYAN
Lila Bennett, right, at the 2017 Girls National Interscholastic Championships.
In the fall of 2014, 25 eighth-grade players joined 48 fifth-, sixth- and seventh-grade students in the inaugural season of the Middle School League. Designed to provide a venue for younger players to gain tournament experience, many of the eighth graders had already competed in interscholastic games and tournaments. Making the switch from being the youngest player on a team to the oldest likely provided a leadership experience that most
Lila Bennett Garrison Forest School Polo Club ‘19 University of Kentucky ‘23 Is there a specific memory from the middle school tournament you played in eighth grade? I remember how excited I was for the middle school tournament because, as an eighth grader, I was chosen to captain my team. I remember taking this leadership position very seriously as it was the first time I ever led a team. I think my favorite part of the middle school tournament was that we made our jerseys. Ours were bright pink, which I thought was super fun, and it helped to make the whole experience fun for everyone, regardless of who won, which is all I could’ve hoped for. Who was your favorite horse in eighth grade? Who is your favorite I/I horse now? My favorite horse in eighth grade was probably Pancheta and my favorite horse now is Madeline. They are somewhat similar—both fast, handy and go where you want to go before you know you want to go there. Thanks to GFS I’ve had the opportunity to ride some amazing polo ponies throughout my middle- and high-school polo career and they all helped to shape me as a rider and a player, which I am reminded of every time I get on a new horse. What was your favorite memory from playing high school polo? The best times I had playing high school polo were definitely the road trips we took to places like UVA, Cornell and Aiken, and pretty much every away game we had because we’d always find something to do that was so un-polo related it was laughable. We’d
24 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
I N T E R C O L L E G I AT E / I N T E R S C H O L A S T I C Lea Jih-Vieira, in green, in action at Mountain View Polo Club in West Virginia.
either find some place to go bowling before we had to be at the barn or get our nails done or go shopping—all stuff that we just did as best friends because we could. Every game that we played on those road trips were just as fun because we’d come up with something silly that would help us to remember that game and our coach, Kaycie Campbell, would, without fail, turn it into a learning experience for us. Where are you headed to college and how did you choose where to go? In the fall, I will be attending the University of Kentucky. Polo definitely helped me to land there, but also the state of Kentucky as a whole is just a great place and one that I really gravitate towards. The school is amazing, too. For me, it’s the perfect size, has what I’m looking for academically and has great opportunities that I look forward to utilizing. What are you looking forward to most? I think I’m looking forward to meeting new people and getting the most out of my college experience. I loved my high school, Garrison Forest, and was so sad to be leaving it, but the welcoming environment that UK has offered me every time I’ve been there helps me to look forward to the future. Do you know anyone you will be playing with on your college team? I know a handful of people that are involved in
UK polo and I played against almost all of them in middle and high school. I’m excited to play with everyone on both the men’s and women’s teams, especially one of my friends, Louisa Huber, who I’ve known my whole life, and who plays on the UK women’s team. We’ve never been able to play on a competitive team together, so I’m excited that we finally have the opportunity to and I can’t wait! Is there anything else you’d like to add about your experience in I/I polo? I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to participate in I/I as early as I did. Almost all of my competitive polo has been possible because of I/I and I couldn’t imagine what my polo career would be today without it. Thanks guys! Lea Jih-Vieira Mountain View Polo Club ‘19 Cornell University ’23 Who was your favorite horse in eighth grade? Who is your favorite I/I horse now? My favorite horse in eighth grade was a mare from my club (Mountain View Polo) named Francesca. I had recently started riding her, then I had the opportunity to play her in a middle school tournament. She was very new and exciting for me at the time! Now, my favorite I/I horse is another mare from my club named Rosie. I spent the majority of my high school career riding her. In the beginning, I POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 25
I N T E R C O L L E G I AT E I N T E R S C H O L A S T I C
What was your favorite memory from playing high school polo? In my sophomore year, my team played a qualifying game that ended in a tie. We had to do a shootout for the first time in our interscholastic polo careers and my whole team was super nervous. By some stroke of luck, we won the shootout and won the game! It was by far the most intense game we played. Where are you headed to college and how did you choose where to go? I am attending Cornell University as a freshman this fall. Cornell offered both the academic rigor and level of polo I was looking for in a college. I am extremely grateful that my college application process worked out the way it did and that I was given the opportunity to attend my dream school for the next four years. What are you looking forward to most? I am really excited to be surrounded by and Parker Pearce finds an opening in the 2019 National Interscholastic Championship.
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become friends with other students who have completely different academic and extracurricular interests from me. I look forward to stepping out of my comfort zone and meeting many new people. Do you know anyone you will be playing with on your college team? I didn’t know anyone personally on my college team before I met them during my college visit in April. I also never played against them in high school either. I am looking forward to playing with them because I will now have a new community of players within the sport of polo to play with, play against and learn from. Parker Pearce Maryland Polo Club ‘19 University of Virginia ‘23 Is there a specific memory from the middle school tournament you played in eighth grade? I remember playing in the tournament but not too many details from it. The one part I do remember is that I played with Abbie Grant and we instantly had
KAYLEE WROE
was awful at playing her but now she is one of my best horses at every game.
I N T E R C O L L E G I AT E / I N T E R S C H O L A S T I C
fantastic teamwork that made our win possible. Who was your favorite horse in eighth grade? Who is your favorite I/I horse now? As far as I/I horses go, Kelly Wells’ José was my favorite horse and he will always have a special place in my heart. I’m not sure I could even name a favorite now. What was your favorite memory from playing high school polo? My favorite memory from high school polo was my team’s first national championship win because, at that moment, we all knew that the countless hours of hard work we had put in finally paid off. Where are you headed to college and how did you choose where to go? I will be going to UVA for a number of reasons including polo, but mainly for the great business education and the location. What are you looking forward to most? The biggest excitement for me about going to
college is finally being able to use the skills I learn in a practical way instead of simply learning for a grade. Do you know anyone you will be playing with on your college team? I am very fortunate that both of my long-time teammates are currently on the team at UVA and I will be reuniting the team. Is there anything else you’d like to add about your experience in I/I polo? If there was one thing I learned from I/I polo, it was how to ride. Not just how to sit on a pony and swing a mallet, but how to understand a horse. This was essential as we constantly were given horses we had never even seen before and over time I learned that a connection can be made with any horse just in those crucial few minutes before a chukker. If you have a fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth grade student interested in competing in the 2019 Middle School League or your polo club would like to host a Middle School Tournament, contact Amy Fraser at afraser@uspolo.org. •
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Water sport Rain washes out Women’s East Coast Open By United States Polo Association • Photos by Jacqueline Miller
The historic Newport Polo Club in Newport, Rhode Island, is known for its water as it is located a stone’s throw from Sandy Point Beach, which offers cool ocean breezes throughout the summer. But it was water of a different kind that was on everyone’s minds in the East Coast Open Women’s Polo Championship, which returned after last year’s successful inaugural tournament. A deluge of rain took center stage, washing out the final June 29. Fittingly, Heron Luxury Charters, a team named for a charter boat company, ultimately floated to the top. The action began with the semifinals on Wednesday, June 26. Returning for the second consecutive year, four teams filled the rosters in both the Open and Handicap sections. In the first Open match, Stage Hill (Amanda Poor, Alyson Poor, Anna Winslow, Cecelia Cochran) just barely fell to Heron Once the skies cleared, kids made the most of the wash out.
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Luxury Charters (Jennifer Williams, Erica Gandomcar-Sachs, Slaney O’Hanlon, Dawn Jones), which came back in the fourth chukker to earn its place in the final, 5-4. Also securing its spot late in the game, Merican Girls (Minnie Keating, Heather Souto, Paige McCabe, Hope Arellano) outscored Maui Girl (Tiamo Hudspeth, Izzy Parsons, Tiffany Busch, Terri Campbell) in the final minutes of play, winning by a narrow one-goal margin, 4-3. Due to heavy thunderstorms and flooding on Saturday, June 29, the final was cancelled and decided on net goals. Tied with Merican Girls on net goals, Heron Luxury Charters ultimately took the top spot, secured the championship with one more gross goal and getting its name etched on the Sunny Hale trophy. Splitting the grand total of $3,200 in
Heron Luxury Charters’ Erica Gandomcar-Sachs, Jennifer Williams, Slaney O’Hanlon and Dawn Jones
prize money between the two finalist teams, each took home a $1,600 check. An advocate for the growth of women’s polo and a two-time East Coast Open Women’s champion, Dawn Jones spoke about the tournament. “Newport Polo Club is a great place to have a tournament of this size and importance and I think it will inspire a Women’s Pacific Coast Open in California and a Women’s Texas Open in Texas,” Jones said. “It will certainly be nice preparation for the players who want to compete in the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida, next March.” Heron Luxury Charters’ Erica Gandomcar-Sachs
Spectators ran for cover when the skies opened up.
was named Most Valuable Player. The Best Playing Pony blanket was awarded to Hope Arellano’s Peppermint Patty (Lord Lizard x Anzac), a 7-year-old mare played in the third chukker of the semifinal. An Insinya homebred, Peppermint Patty’s dam was bred from one of former 10-goaler Owen Rinehart’s best mares, Angie. When Arellano found out she would be competing in the women’s tournament she made sure the mare would be fit to play. Originally purchased last spring by Julio Arellano, the mare was turned out shortly after, following her father’s traumatic brain injury. Although only having a chance to practice on her twice before the first game, Arellano immediately knew she was a great horse, “I instantly fell in love during those practices and it was very special to play one of Owen’s homebreds,” she said.
Hope Arellano’s Peppermint Patty, a 7-year-old Insinya homebred, was Best Playing Pony.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 29
Khaleesi, a 20-year-old mare owned by Stage Hill Polo and played by Alyson Poor, was Best Playing Pony.
San Ysidro wins East Coast Handicap Vying for the East Coast Handicap Women’s Polo Championship, San Ysidro (Summer Beinhorn, Camille Beinhorn, Tiamo Hudspeth, Isabelle Parsons) and Husaria Damska (Grace Grotnik, Jenna Davis, Alyson Poor, Zoeline Keating) emerged from a field of four impressive teams to compete in the final on Sunday, June 30, at Myopia Polo Club in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. In a game characterized by excellent defense on both sides, San Ysidro fought to evade its opponents, scoring the only goal of the second half to secure the win, 3-1½. It held up the Anne Hutchinson trophy. In the semifinal round, Husaria Damska advanced over Harvard Polo (Jennifer Williams, Kelsey O’Connor, Eliza Bird, Marion Dierickx), 11-4, while San Ysidro got the best of LBL Polo (Lauren Bilsky, Anna Winslow, Alison Patricelli, Rebecca Clark), 7-2. “This year, there were some key people who are huge supporters of women’s polo and I think that’s how we are going to bring our women’s tournaments
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to a higher standard and on par with mixed tournaments. When you have this many talented and passionate women involved in the same event, it’s always going to benefit women’s polo,” said Hudspeth, a member of Team USPA. After receiving a half-goal handicap, Husaria Damska’s lead did not hold for long as Hudspeth sunk a Penalty 3 conversion in the opening chukker. Davis scored Husaria Damska’s first and only field goal in the second but it was matched by Parsons, ending the half, 2-1½, in favor of San Ysidro. Despite its best efforts, Husaria Damska was unable to break through San Ysidro’s defense in the second half, going scoreless for the remainder of the game. Striking for the second and final time in the third, Parsons doubled her opponents’ tally, winning the title, 3-1½. Parsons, a member of the winning Heiades International team in the 2018 East Coast Handicap Women’s Polo Championship, was named Most Valuable Player. Best Playing Pony honors were awarded to
San Ysidro’s Summer Beinhorn, Camille Beinhorn, Tiamo Hudspeth and Isabelle Parsons won the East Coast Handicap.
Khaleesi, a 20-year-old mare owned by Stage Hill Polo and played by Alyson Poor in the fourth chukker. “We purchased her five years ago from a retired sponsor in Virginia. She’s an oldie but a goodie, and she is definitely the boss of the barn and our favorite on the field,” Poor said of the spunky mare. Participating in the 2018 East Coast Open Women’s Polo Championship and in both the Open and Handicap this year, Hudspeth has witnessed how the
level of these tournaments is benefitting women in polo. “I played with Camille and Summer Beinhorn, the family I work for and we have a small breeding and training operation,” Hudspeth explained. “All the horses that we played in this tournament were ones from our operation which we raised and trained. This was the sisters’ first USPA women’s tournament and I couldn’t be more proud of them and all of our horses that enabled us to win the final.” • MVP Izzy Parsons leads the way in the final of the East Coast Handicap.
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Mind and body Successful trainer has improved methods Words and Photos By Alice Gipps
Riding is a very special way to perceive the world, very different to seeing it on foot. —Polito Ulloa
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A true horseman, Carlos ‘Polito’ Ulloa is one of the most famous polo pony trainers in Argentina. Together with his wife Monica, he lives on a beautiful estancia, situated in Lincoln, 185 miles South West of Buenos Aires, called Lavinia. Their four children—Hilario, Salvador, Toli and Esmeralda—all play polo. Hilario is the most well known as one of the world’s few 10 goalers. Polito’s family has been involved with polo for many years. His grandfather, Gastón Peers, a lawyer, won the Argentine Open for the San Carlos team in 1901 with three local gauchos as his teammates. Back then polo was just a hobby, very different to the huge organizations and teams that play today. Although Polito’s father played, it was his mother, a successful trainer and competitive pony carriage driver, that passed on her passion for horses. He never took up polo professionally even though he reached a 2-goal handicap. For him, his greatest love was always horse training, much to the disapproval of his family who was hoping he would follow a career in the city. Forty years ago it was unheard of to be able to make a good living as a horse tamer. Fortunately, Polito followed his heart which has led him to become an icon and a great influence in Argentina, changing views on the way young horses are started for the better. Over the years, he has developed his own style by gathering knowledge from the greatest horsemen all over world. He is not shy to say that he is continuously learning, reading and researching new ideas with an open mind. He believes everyone has something to offer and some of his greatest influence comes from the Western reining horse trainers as they require similar movements to polo. USA-based Stacy Westfall, Martin Black and Andrea Fappani have all been an inspiration, along with the Mexican Manuel Campos.
The Portuguese riding techniques have also been an influence. In his younger years, growing up on the farm, horses were used for everything from cutting the polo field to making hay. Polito first learned to start young Criollo horses with the gauchos, training them for riding and also the tropillas (a large group of loose horses that follow the mounted trainer and an individual mare being led). That taught him useful traditional methods used many years ago when gauchos lived on the plains of Argentina with wild horses and no corrals. The Tropillas allowed a gaucho to travel with many horses in wide open spaces and the herd would stay close by at all times. Combining fascinating knowledge from age-old traditions alongside many new techniques from abroad resulted in an eclectic mix of training methods that work really well together. Often, simple methods help the horse understand and learn without fear. For instance, Polito uses gaucho shears to clip the manes off the young horses before electrical clippers are introduced. The results speak for themselves and now there is a huge shift in Argentina towards the way young horses in polo are trained. Throughout his career Polito has accomplished many great achievements. The first time he entered the famous polo pony show, La Rural, in 1990 with his wife Monica competing by his side, they won both Grand Champion Macho and Hembra. They achieved this impressive feat three times and, individually, he has won this competitive show at least 19 times so far. He’s trained over 100 ponies to play the Argentine Open, many of them famous horses such as Cambiaso’s Cuartetera, Buenaventura and Lapa. He’s seen mares he has trained win Best Playing Pony awards in Palermo and the U.S. Open. Mariano Aguerre’s Califa, who won the Polo Excellence Awards 2005 Horse of the Year in the U.S., was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016. “He was not as easy,” explains Polito about Califa, “geldings are always a little slower to train.”
He’s also made horses for La Aguada, such as Neblina, Puma and Pincha, as well as many for the Pieres’ Ellerstina operation. Chimento was one of the best and most memorable horses he’s ever ridden from Cambiaso and he says Cuartetera was a natural. Open Emotionada, a mare
belonging to Pablo Mac Donough, won the Susan Townley Trophy. Polito recalls one of his most memorable moments was a game during the Open at Palermo between La Aguada and Ellerstina, and at one point, realizing all eight horses on the field had been trained by him. For the past 10 years he hasn’t trained any more horses for the Novillos or Cambiaso as they have their own tamers,
Carlos ‘Polito’ Ulloa and wife Monica. Polito has developed his own style of training, influenced by other riding disciplines.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 33
Polito is at the barn by 6 a.m. everyday. He tacks for himself and does most of the specific training work.
however, he still trains about 20 horses a year for Ellerstina, and Curtis Pilot’s organization sends him 15-20 to start a year. In fact, when Hilario Ulloa played against Pilot, led by Facundo and Gonzalito Pieres, in this year’s U.S. Open final, at least a dozen horses were started by Polito. The only clone he has trained to date is from Califa for Mariano Aguerre. He said it had come from the U.S. very spoiled as a 2-year-old. It would bite and kick, however, when ridden it was very similar to and just as talented as the original. With his own breeding he has mounted his sons on high-goal ponies around the world. Now on their farm in Lincoln, they have a successful
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breeding program with their own stallion, Naipe, who was played by Hilario in the Open. Polito bred Naipe who is out of Ruletta (SPC) by Ellerstina Picaro, both horses he also trained. Picaro won La Rural and went straight to breeding as there were very few good stallions at the time when the Polo Argentino breed was just starting. Also at that time, people thought it wasn’t possible to play a stallion successfully. Ruletta was a mare from Polito’s breed that Gonzalo Pieres saw when he came to visit and wanted to buy. At first Polito declined but he later agreed to let Gonzalo play her in the Argentine Open, the first Polito-trained horse to do so. Later, she had a career-ending
knowledge can easily spoil a good horse and it can be an expensive error to disregard this important stage of the horse’s education. Horse training is a consuming passion, which Polito says was a vocation followed since he was 20 years old, literally living and breathing horses to achieve his dreams. The most important qualities he believes a horse trainer needs to be successful are hard work, patience and consistency. He tries to start every horse that comes to him without looking at the passport or worrying about
The Ulloa’s stallion, Naipe, was trained by Polito and played by son Hilario in the Argentine Open.
injury in the paddock and went on to breed, producing Naipe three years later. Even with all his achievements so far, he is always looking to improve the process rather than counting success. When it comes to producing a top polo pony, genetics make a huge difference, as does the piloto (rider) who continues the work Polito has started, playing a young horse in its first chukkers. However, having a chance at being the best it possibly can depends on how it is started and how much time it has been given. Time is essential, as a talented horse that is not given time will not turn out well. This is the crucial part. A trainer without POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 35
Polito keeps the horses relaxed while they learn. He does a lot of groundwork and makes sure not to overwork them.
bloodlines. This prevents any preconceptions of how it should perform. Generally it will take around six to eight months to start a young horse and teach it all the moves it will need to play polo. Then he passes it back to the owners to start stick and balling and playing in young horse chukkers. In addition to the physical training, he likes them to eat well and also learn to live in a stable for short periods of time. He gets them used to being brought in to stables at night and turned out in paddocks in the day. His stables are bedded with hay, not straw or shavings, so there is no need to muzzle the young ones. They may eat as much bedding as they wish and even outside, always have access to roughage, which is how the horse is designed to function and prevents many problems and vices. It is also more sincere to the owner if the horse is trained while eating a proper diet. Polito explains, “You know you can trust in how it will turn out and that it is not just quiet because the horse is lacking energy or is sad. Their mind set also changes, allowing them to be stronger and more willing to want to work.� There is a team of helpers on the farm who clean the stalls and bring in horses each day from the paddocks. There are also always two or three young domadors (trainers) who help and learn from him, however, he is still at the barn every day at 6 a.m. without fail. He tacks for himself and does most of the specific training work. Over the
years, the apprentices move on after a time, but Monica is his rock. She has a wealth of knowledge and is also very talented at training young horses, as are their children. When horses have been handled as youngsters they are more open-minded, which allows them to relax and be worked with more easily. The key is to keep them relaxed while learning. In general, the horses are worked Monday to Saturday for only 510 minutes schooling per horse per day unless they go out to work cattle or on trail rides to keep the young ones interested in their work. This is so they enjoy the experience and learn. He works roughly 12 horses in the morning and 10 in the afternoon. At any one time he’ll have around 50 horses in training, which he says is easily done with three domadors helping everyday. 36 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
He has even designed his own saddle, which is a mix between an Argentine and English style with high withers and a U.S. Western seat. He believes a lot in groundwork. He’ll start a young horse at 2 years old, slowly working on the ground to observe and assess their personality, having them walk, trot and canter in a round pen with no halter. He teaches them to reduce speed and increase speed on cues. “Argentines are complex,” he says. “Many believe they are cowards if they do ground work and do not get straight on [their backs]. They have an amazing natural ability to ride but lack training techniques that other disciplines use, such as reining and dressage.” It can take up to two months or longer to know if a horse will be talented, but even then, with
genetics, many times some difficult ones may succeed given time. It’s also vital horses do not get overworked and sour or they will not want to perform to their best. He says, “Training horses is half teaching their body and half teaching their mind.” Each horse is different and part of the skill as a trainer is to know when to ask more and when to let them rest. The most valuable assets of any horse trainer is experience and intuition. Neither a whip nor rebenque (thick rawhide strip) are used in the teaching stage, as he does not want the horses to be afraid. He explains that if you use a whip to help turn, you will go faster but then you will likely have problems with the horse jumping around instead of making a smooth turn, which is what is needed in a top horse. Instead, leg
Polito uses simple methods to train without fear. For instance, he uses gaucho shears to cut manes before electric clippers are used.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 37
At any one time, Polito has 50 horses in training. He has trained some of the best horses in polo.
aids are fundamentally important during training and he often also uses two reins. Another important factor is to teach young horses to self regulate so they can return to a calm state of mind after a fast work out or gallop. Unlike other equine disciplines, there are not a huge number of books or YouTube videos to use as a reference for training polo youngsters. While years of experience and practice are invaluable for learning how to communicate effectively and applying your intuition, trial and error can be costly both in time and horses. There is no magic formula to training a horse, however, increasing knowledge about the principles of training and how to apply methods
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experts, such as Polito, use can rapidly increase your chances of success. Each horse is individual, there is no one recipe that is the same as the next, but once you know the basic principles behind the methods, you can discover techniques that will work for each new situation. No matter how much you already knew, there is always more to learn. It takes time and passion but the results are so rewarding it is no wonder Polito has dedicated his life to becoming such a master of training polo ponies that so many people admire. Very quiet and reserved in nature, he is far from a showman. The best opportunity to delve into his vast knowledge is to attend a young horse clinic demonstration where you can see him at work. •
With his own breeding program, Polito has mounted his sons, including 10-goal Hilario, on high-goal ponies around the world.
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P O L O I N T H E PA M PA S
Champion Lineage Cruz Heguy leads his school to victory By Ernesto Rodriguez • Photos by Sergio Llamera
St. Catherine’s Moorlands A retained the Santa Paula Cup with the leadership of Cruz Heguy, third generation of champions in the most traditional collegiate tournament in Argentina.
Cruz Heguy, front, is the third generation to win this cup. He led his team with five goals. Manuel Novillo Astrada reaches to hook him.
Heguy is already a registered trademark of quality polo around the globe. The lineage was founded by patriarch Antonio in the mid-1930s. His sons, Horacio and Alberto Pedro—members of the inimitable quartet of Coronel Suárez that dominated the scene, raising Palermo’s cup 21 times between 1958 and 1981—continued the legacy with their sons. Horacio’s sons Bautista, Gonzalo, Horacito and Marcos and their cousins, Alberto Pedro’s sons Pepe, Nachi and Eduardo won the most important contest on the planet, the Argentine Open, almost a dozen times between them with their Indios Chapaleufú and Indios Chapaleufú II teams. The fourth generation, led by Eduardo’s son Cruz, has already set foot on Palermo’s hallowed grounds, the “Cathedral,” and for the second consecutive year, lifted the Santa Paula Cup, the most traditional school contest that takes place in Argentina.
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Cruz Heguy was the leader of the defending champion St. Catherine’s Moorlands A team. A year ago, he won it with Mía Novillo Astrada, Alejandro Agote Jr. and Nicolás Díaz Alberdi. This season, Mia Novillo Astrada, the daughter of Miguel Novillo Astrada (2003 Triple Crown champion with La Aguada), had aged out so her place was covered by Lucas Ferrari Torres, with the same result. The contest began on Tuesday, April 9, at the property the Argentine Polo Association has in Pilar (35 miles northwest on the outskirts of Buenos Aires) with the dispute of nine teams divided into three brackets to determine the four semifinalists (the winners of each bracket and the best runner-up). For Bracket A, Los Robles Amarillo (José Riglos 2, Benjamín Bargalló 2, Luquitas Criado 2 and Javier Guerrero 4) won its two games against Los Robles Azul (11-7) and Los Médanos (12-9) to advance. In Bracket B, the best was St. Catherine’s Moorlands A (Lucas Ferrari Torres 1, Nicolás Díaz Alberdi 3, Cruz Heguy 3 and Alejandro Agote Jr. 4), which exceeded the B squad of the same institution, 17-8, and later, Colegio del Pilar, 13-9. In Bracket C, Cardenal Newman A (Javier Uranga 1, Santiago Llavallol 2, Santiago Di Paola 1 and Manuel Novillo Astrada 3) stood out for its victories against Newman B, 14-5, and Miguel Di Gerónimo School, 11-3½. The fourth semi-finalist was Colegio del Pilar (Salvador Pagano 0, Hilario Gallegos 0, Tomás Bayugar 0 and Felipe Gallegos 0), after achieving the best goal difference between the three runners-up. On Friday, April 12, also in the AAP’s Alfredo Lalor complex, the finalists were defined. St. Catherine’s Moorlands A had no problem recovering the huge handicap difference given to Colegio del Pilar and ended up winning by a clear 13-8½. In contrast, the clash between Cardenal Newman A and Los Robles Amarillo went to a nail-biting finish and was defined by just a single goal, 6-5, for the Cardinals. The finalists of the subsidiary Zeus Cup were also defined: Los Médanos (Fermín Prado 0, Tomás Delfino 0, Baltazar Jauretche 0 and Manuel Prado 1) beat Cardenal Newman B (Santiago Martín 0, Martín Pasman 0, Juan Soldati 0 and José Díaz Herrera 1),
P O L O I N T H E PA M PA S
7-4, while Miguel Di Gerónimo (Mora Erdozia 0, Máximo Lanz 0, Ignacio Arbelbide 3 and Facundo García Grossi 0) had to make an extra effort to defeat Los Robles Azul (Patricio Leonard 0, Juan Cruz Gallegos 0, Juan Guerrero 1, Matías Mac Donough Jr. 0) by half a goal: 6-5½. On Tuesday, April 16, Palermo received flocks of schoolchildren who made their way to the traditional stage to encourage their fellow students. Field No. 2 sounded and looked like a high school playground. The day opened with the final of the Santa Paula Cup, featuring a beautiful trophy donated in 1951 by the Reynal brothers in tribute to their mother, Paula Llauró de Reynal. As in the semifinals, St. Catherine’s Moorlands A had to give up goals for its highest rating as a team. This time it was a 3½-goal advantage for Cardenal Newman A. But the difference was settled by the end of the second of five periods of play. In the third chukker, Cruz Heguy showed the penalty shooting precision of his father to put his team in front of the
score, an advantage that would not be lost for the rest of the match. St. Catherine’s Moorlands A took the 64½ victory, giving the school, located in the traditional Buenos Aires neighborhood of Belgrano, its 13th title in this deeply-rooted youth competition. “It is very nice to have won this cup. I know that my grandfather and my great uncle won it with Champagnat in the 50s, and dad and his brothers and cousins too. Now it’s my turn and it’s an incredible feeling to be able to maintain this tradition. In addition, the love of my friends at school makes this an unforgettable afternoon,” said the 15-year-old Heguy, top scorer of the afternoon with five conversions. The day was completed with the clash between the two schools from Trenque Lauquen, a city located 280 miles west of Buenos Aires, for the Zeus Cup. Los Médanos defeated Miguel Di Gerónimo, 7½-2 after receiving a 1½-goal handicap. The key was the outstanding work of Manuel Prado, author of all of his team’s goals. •
Lucas Ferrari Torres, Nicolás Díaz Alberdi, Cruz Heguy and Alejandro Agote Jr.
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POLO AROUND THE GLOBE
Surrey, England Scone wins Queen’s Cup at Guards Photos by Alice Gipps
The Scone team, making its debut in England, defeated the favored Park Place to win the Cartier Queen’s Cup at Guards Polo Club at Windsor Great Park in Surrey, England, June 16. Twelve teams competed, with play starting on May 21. While Park Place got off to a great start in preliminary play with wins over Monterosso Polo (98) and Casa La Vista Ibiza (9-6), Scone struggled, trying to find its groove as it fell to Murus Sanctus (98) and La Indiana (13-8). The losses made it seem like the team would need more time to come together. But, the third time was the charm for Scone as it narrowly edged Emlor, 10-11. Days later, Park Place counted its first lost to Talandracas (1511). In its final preliminary match, Scone edged Monterosso (10-9) while Park Place got the best of Emlor (13-11). Both teams earned their way into the quarterfinals, with Scone downing Talandracas, 11-7, while Park Place narrowly edged UAE, 9-8. In the other quarterfinal games, VS King Power advanced over Dubai, 13-10, while La Indiana slipped La Bamba de Areco, 9-8. The semis saw Scone top VS King Power, 7-5, while Park Place sent La Indiana packing, 10-8.
Park Place’s Hilario Ulloa keeps his eye on the ball while being chased by Nico Pieres and James Harper.
42 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Defending champion La Indiana, had looked good early, going undefeated in the preliminaries and edging La Bamba de Areco in the quarters before being eliminated in the semis. Fans were looking forward to the final between Park Place and Scone on The Queen’s Ground at Guards. After the usual pageantry, with the Life Guards performing, the action got underway. The teams got to work with one side getting the ball only to have it turned around by the defenders, who ran with it only to have it turned around once again. The first stop in play was halfway through the chukker when James Harper was whistled, giving Park Place an opportunity from the 60-yard line. Hilario Ulloa’s penalty shot was stopped by Scone. A minute later, Ulloa got another opportunity from the 60-yard line that was also stopped. The first goal came late in the chukker when Ulloa, on a powerful horse, grabbed the ball from his own 50-yard line and ran past Nico Pieres, who gave chase. Ulloa hit it out of the air and finally through the posts. With less than a minute remaining, Ulloa picked up another loose ball and sent it through the posts to end the first, 2-0. Park Place was on a roll and carried the momentum into the second as Ulloa dropped the ball at midfield for Juan Britos, who eased it between the posts, giving Park Place the 3-0 lead. It looked like Park Place would have an easy afternoon but a Penalty 2 in favor of Scone put the team on the scoreboard and broke the ice. Soon after, Pieres wove through his opponents and found an opening 100 yards out. He pulled the trigger, hitting the target and moments later, with just 30 seconds left, scored another to end the second tied, 3-3. With three minutes left in the third, James Beim switched to his nearside and flicked the ball nearly off the backline and between the posts, giving Scone a first-time lead. Later in the chukker, Britos tried the same play but switching to his nearside to avoid his opponent sent the ball just wide. The half ended with Scone ahead, 4-3. A minute into the fourth, Ulloa shot from midfield, finding Audrey Borodin at the 30-yard line, who found the mark to tie the game at 4-all. Park
POLO AROUND THE GLOBE
Place sent the ball close to goal on two more occasions but Scone successfully turned it away each time. Park Place also continued to struggle from the penalty line, failing to convert a pair of Penalty 4s. The teams headed into the fifth still knotted 4-4. The fifth chukker turned out to be the turning point when the wheels started to come off the Park Place bus. Beim scored early to take the lead. Soon after, Ulloa caught the umpire’s whistle, giving Scone a Penalty 2, which Harper easily converted. Trailing by two, Park Place worked hard to get back in control but things weren’t going its way. In one play, Ulloa and Benjamin Urquiza both miss hit backshots and Beim jumped on the opportunity, splitting the posts with a difficult angle. Harper followed with a goal despite constant pressure from Britos on his hip. And just like that, Scone had doubled up Park Place’s score, 8-4. Park Place had its chances. It wasn’t able to take advantage of a Penalty 6 and Urquiza, put on the spot after Ulloa and Britos had trouble from the penalty line, sent a Penalty 2 just wide. Park Place couldn’t be counted out. It had the
An event website encouraged Cartier Queen’s Cup guests to come dressed in their glamorous summer attire.
Scone’s James Harper, David Paradice, Nicolas Pieres and James Beim won the Queens Cup. HM the Queen presented the trophies. POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 43
POLO AROUND THE GLOBE
The Life Guards, the senior regiment of the British Army and part of the Household Calvary, performs before the Queen’s Cup final match.
James Harper scores from a difficult angle while being hustled by Juan Britos.
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horses and the talent. Thirty seconds into the sixth, Ulloa sent the ball toward goal but it rolled wide. The struggles continued with miss hits and broken plays. Halfway through the chukker, Urquiza converted a Penalty 2 to give the team a glimmer of hope. Britos won the ensuing line-up and ran to goal but the ball bounced just outside the post. With just minutes left, Ulloa was whistled on a play and Scone was given a Penalty 4. Pieres calmly walked up to the ball and sent it straight and true to put the game out of reach. With just a minute left, Park Place was unable to convert another Penalty 6 opportunity and time expired with Scone taking the title. It was quite a showing for Australian David Paradice, playing in England for the first time. While it took time to find its groove, the team hadn’t looked back since it won its third game. The match was attended by HM The Queen, who presented the trophies to the players. She was assisted by Cartier’s managing director Laurent Feniou. James Harper was named MVP and Twitter, a 7-year-old chestnut mare owned by Jim Gilmore and played by Harper in the first and fifth chukkers,
POLO AROUND THE GLOBE
La Indiana (4-1) Rodrigo Andrade Facundo Pieres Michael Bickford James Fewster
VS King Power (3-2) Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha Pablo Pieres Marcos di Paola Juan Martin Zubia
Murus Sanctus (1-3) Tomas Beresford Corinne Ricard Gonzalito Pieres Facundo Sola
22 8 10 1 3
22 0 9 7 6
22 6 0 9 7
Scone (5-2)
22
James Harper James Beim Nicolas Pieres David Paradice
6 7 9 0
Emlor (0-4) Alfredo Bigatti Spencer McCarthy Agustin Merlos Frederick Mannix Jr.
Dubai (3-2) Ignus du Plessis Rashid Albwardy Camilo Castagnola Bartolome Castagnola Jr.
Park Place (5-2) Juan Britos Andrey Borodin Byron Watson Hilario Ulloa
Monterosso (1-3) Alessandro Bazzoni Juan Gris Zavaleta Joaquin Pittuluga Ignacio Toccalino
was Best Playing Pony. James Beim led the scoring for Scone with a game-high four goals. Ulloa led Park Place with two and each of his teammates added one. David Paradice’s first foray into British high-goal was stellar. The team got its losses out of the way early and came together at just the right time. Park Place deserves credit for outstanding performances throughout the tournament. It just wasn’t their day and being uncharacteristically unable to convert their penalty conversions (1-6) proved to be its undoing.
22 7 0 8 7
21 8 2 5 6
22 7 0 5 10
22 0 7 7 8
UAE (2-3)
22
Tom Brodie Santiago Toccalino Guillermo Caset Lucas Monteverde Jr.
4 7 9 2
Casa La Vista Ibiza (0-4) 22 Isidro Strada Dr. Hilali Noordeen Martin Podesta Pablo Mac Donough
6 0 6 10
La Bamba de Areco (3-4) 22 Kian Hall Juan Martin Nero Jean-Francois Decaux David Stirling
Talandracas (4-1) Julian de Llusarreta Alejandro Muzzio Francisco Elizalde Hughes Carmignac
3 10 0 9
22 7 7 8 0
In the subsidiary match played earlier in the day, Talandracas edged La Bamba de Areco, 11-8. La Bamba’s David Stirling was injured in the second chukker but toughed it out until halftime when Polito Pieres took his place. The change in line-up impacted the team which failed to score in the next 14 minutes while Talandracas amassed four more goals. La Bamba got into a rhythm in the last chukker but it was too late. Talandracas’ Alejandro Mussio was named MVP. • La Bamba de Areco’s Juan Martin Nero, Pelon Stirling, JeanFrancois Decaux and Kian Hall relax with friends and family before their subsidiary match.
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
KAYLEE WROE
ML BAR RANCH ACES USPA OFFICER’S CUP
ML Bar’s MVP Drew Luplow lets his pony stretch out in the final of the 8-goal USPA Officer’s Cup in Houston, Texas.
T
he Houston Polo Club in Houston, Texas, finished up a busy spring season with plenty of polo at several levels for men, women and children. The club’s 8-goal action had seven strong teams playing off in its USPA Officer’s Cup from May 1-30. BTA (Kelly Beal, KC Krueger, Alejandro Gonzalez, Steve Krueger) and ML Bar Ranch (Fox Benton, Drew Luplow, Cody Ellis, Whistle Uys) showed consistency and strong teamwork throughout the tournament, which
46 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
brought them to the beautiful Pecan Acres polo field for the final. Husband and wife, KC and Steve Krueger both scored goals in the first chukker, putting BTA ahead before Luplow responded with one goal of his own. In the second chukker, Steve Krueger and Alejandro Gonzalez converted two more goals from the field, followed by a Penalty 1 to put BTA ahead 5-1. Each team scored a goal a piece in the third, ending the first half with BTA maintaining a four-
goal lead, allowing it to walk off the field with confidence. ML Bar Ranch regrouped at the half. Benton struck first and spectators sensed things were about to change. Gonzalez responded with another goal for BTA, but from then on it was all ML Bar Ranch. Ellis sent an undefendable Penalty 4 high and through the posts. MVP Luplow scored two points in the fifth chukker to tie up the score. A true comeback, it was now anybody’s game going into
R E P O R T
Celebrity Cruises’ Kyle Bodden presents Officer’s Cup trophies to ML Bar’s Whistle Uys, Cody Ellis, Drew Luplow and Fox Benton.
the last chukker. That’s when Uys came out on Best Playing Pony Tornado, scoring three goals and putting ML Bar ahead for the first time. Ellis added another but BTA wasn’t ready to throw in the towel. Gonzalez scored a beautiful 60-yard field goal in the last few seconds as the final horn sounded. Proving a game isn’t over until its over, ML Bar Ranch pulled out the 11-8 win. In preliminary matches, which began on May 16, W-S (Wesley Sinor, Chino Payan, Juan Gonzalez, Toli Ulloa) beat Pegasus/Propaganda (Paul Hobby, David Andras, Nick Cifuni, Mason Wroe), 11-10; ML Bar Ranch beat Cinco Canyon Ranch (David Marks, Tommy Costello, Bryan Middleton, Geronimo Obregon), 1411; Horsegate (Nick Stefanakis,/Lance Stefanakis, Anson Moore, Shane Rice, Tommy Biddle) beat BTA, 11-10; Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Sheila Lequerica, Jimmy Seward, Juan Martin Obregon) beat ML Bar Ranch, 9-8; Horsegate beat Pegasus/ Propaganda, 9-8; BTA beat W-S, 12-6 and Pegasus/Propaganda, 8-3; and Tonkawa downed Cinco Canyon Ranch, 11-9. In the Livingston Memorial final played on June 8, Horsegate got the best of W-S. ML Bar sat out this tournament, leaving six teams to battle it out.
KAYLEE WROE
KAYLEE WROE
P O L O
Tammy Livingston, with Horsegate’s Mason Wroe, Shane Rice, Nick Stefanakis, Tommy Biddle, Anson Moore and Lance Stefanakis
In the final, Horsegate (Lance Stefanakis, Anson Moore, Shane Rice, Mason Wroe) began with a handicap goal, but a goal by W-S (Jenny Vargas, Chino Payan, Toli Ulloa, Juan Jo Gonzalez) negated it early in the first. A Penalty 3 by Moore and a field goal from Rice put Horsegate back in the driver’s seat. Vargas added her second penalty conversion to end the first with W-S trailing 3-2. Rice found the mark with a Penalty 4 but Ulloa responded from the field. Rice added another goal to put Horsegate up, 5-3. Wroe and Rice found the mark in the third. Ulloa fought back with one of his own to end the half, 7-4, in favor of Horsegate. Ulloa and Rice traded goals early in the fourth and Ulloa and Gonzalez added goals later in the chukker bringing W-S within a goal, 8-7. A lone penalty conversion by Rice in the fifth increased the difference to two. W-S tried to cut the deficit, but Rice matched a pair of goals by Vargas. A Penalty 4 by Ulloa brought W-S within a goal but time was not on its side and Horsegate hung on for the 11-10 win. It was the second win for Horsegate after it also took the Cowboy Cup earlier in the season. In early April, Horsegate (Nick Stefanakis, Lance Stefanakis, Shane Rice, Tommy Biddle) defeated Cinco Canyon Ranch (David Marks, Tommy Costello, Bryan
Middleton, Geronimo Obregon/ Francisco Mera), 9-7. Lance Stefanakis was MVP and Shane Rice’s pretty bay mare Misdemeanor was named Best Playing Pony. Both finalists finished preliminary rounds with 3-1 records. BTA and Tonkawa were not yet in the line-up. W-S and ML Bar Ranch finished 2-2 and Pegasus/Propaganda ended 0-4. Four-goal action began on April 24 with five teams competing for the Chili Pepper Cup. Played in a single elimination, BCI/San Pedro Ranch (Joe Fitzsimons/Cadell Alexander, Taylor Freeman, Cara Kennedy, Chad Bowman) narrowly edged T Squared Energy/Patagonia Grill (Nick Dunbar, Emma Tooth/Madi Outhier, Tommy Costello, Bryan Middleton), 5-4½. On the other side, Sullivan Group (Joanie Jackson, Sarah Prinsloo, Nicolas Gomez, Mark Prinsloo) edged both ML Bar Ranch (Abby Benton, Fox Benton, Drew Luplow, Cody Ellis) and Bearsden/Tylee Farms (Al Pepi, Ignacio Saenz, Carol Farnsworth, Cody Woodfin), 1½-1 and 4½-1 respectively in round-robin play to advance to the final. In the final, Sullivan Group’s Mark Prinsloo scored the first goal of the day, however Kennedy, Alexander and Freeman each answered for BCI/San Pedro Ranch to jump ahead 3-1½. Freeman increased the lead after
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 47
KAYLEE WROE
R E P O R T KAYLEE WROE
P O L O
Range Rover’s Rick McQuillin, center, with BCI/San Pedro’s Cara Kennedy, Cadell Alexander, Taylor Freeman and Chad Bowman
ML Bar Ranch’s Drew Luplow, Cody Ellis, Fox Benton and Abby Benton won the USPA Player’s Cup.
crushing a 60-yard defended penalty shot over the scoreboard. The teams traded goals in the second half but Sullivan was not able to overcome the first-half deficit and BCI/San Pedro Ranch took the 6-3½ victory. Rick McQuillin from Land Rover Houston Central awarded the prizes. Chad Bowman was MVP and Bat Girl, owned by Mark Prinsloo and played by Nicolas Gomez, was Best Playing Pony. The following month, ML Bar Ranch (Abby Benton, Fox Benton, Cody Ellis, Drew Luplow) edged BTA (Chrys Beal, Tiffany Orthwein, Julia Smith, Alejandro Gonzalez) in the final of the USPA Players Cup on May 26. It was the second time the teams faced each other, with the result the same. The teams started out even and
48 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
KAYLEE WROE
KAYLEE WROE
Horsegate’s Tommy Biddle, Shane Rice, Anson Moore and Lance Stefanakis won the 8-goal Cowboy Cup.
T Squared Energy/Patagonia Grill’s Tommy Costello, Bryan Middleton, Nick Dunbar and Emma Tooth
stayed that way through the first seven minutes after Ellis traded goals with Beal. That all changed in the second chukker when ML Bar jumped out front in the second after a barrage of goals from Ellis, Luplow and Fox Benton while BTA failed to find the goal. ML Bar was ahead 5-1 going into the half. Luplow added another early in the third, but Beal and Gonzalez shot back to get in the game. BTA successfully shut ML Bar down in the fourth while Orthwein sunk a Penalty 3. Time ran out with ML Bar in front 6-4. The tournament started at the beginning of the month with six teams vying for the trophy. In preliminary matches, ML Bar defeated Bearsden/Tylee Farms (Al
Pepi, Ignacio Saenz, Carol Farnsworth, Cody Woodfin), 5½-5; BCI/San Pedro Ranch (Joe Fitzsimons, Taylor Freeman, Cara Kennedy, Chad Bowman) beat Sullivan Group (Joannie Jackson, Sarah Prinsloo, Nicolas Gomez, Mark Prinsloo), 6-5½; T Squared Energy/Patagonia Grill (Nick Dunbar, Emma Tooth/Madi Outhier, Tommy Costello, Bryan Middleton) beat BTA/Traveller’s Rest, 4½-4; BTA/Traveller’s Rest beat Sullivan Group, 4-3½; BTA beat Sullivan Group, 4-3½; Bearsden/Tylee Farms beat T Squared Energy, 4-3½; BCI/San Pedro Ranch beat ML Bar Ranch, 4-3; T Squared Energy beat BCI/San Pedro Ranch, 6-3; ML Bar beat BTA/Traveller’s, 5-2; Sullivan
R E P O R T
KAYLEE WROE
KAYLEE WROE
P O L O
Group beat Bearsden/Tylee Farms 6½6; BTA/Traveller’s Rest beat BCI/San Pedro Ranch, 7-6; and ML Bar beat T Squared Energy, 6-4½. In the next tournament, T Squared/ Patagonia Grill (Nick Dunbar, Emma Tooth, Tommy Costello, Bryan Middleton) got the best of Sullivan Group (Joannie Jackson, Sarah Prinsloo, Nicolas Gomez, Mark Prinsloo) in the final of the 4-goal Summer Knockout on June 2. Sullivan Group began with a half-goal handicap but Costello quickly negated that with the first goal of the match. Costello added a second goal in the second chukker and Middleton followed with one of his own before Prinsloo sunk a Penalty 4 for Sullivan. Gomez split the uprights to bring Sullivan within a half goal, 3-2½, at the half. T Squared kept up the pressure in the second half with Costello finding the mark and Tooth converting a Penalty 2 while Sullivan Group was silenced in the third. Gomez and Prinsloo wrapped goals around a Tooth Penalty 3 conversion, but it wasn’t enough and T Squared had the victory. In the USPA National Youth Tournament Series qualifier presented by Bill Fick Ford, six teams were divided into two brackets. Games started on Friday, June 7 with two round-robin games. On Sunday, June
BTA’s Ripley Middleton and Carty Krueger and Sealy Tractor’s Collin Maddox and Allie Eickenhorst KAYLEE WROE
Mark Prinsloo and Steven Armour with Vintage Polo’s Joanie Jackson, Joe Bob Lequerica, Grace Parker and Johann Felhaber
HPC Blue’s Rebecca Middleton and Quinn Van Der Hoeven
9, the final and consolations were played. For most of the players it was their first time playing with their teammates. Ages ranged from 11 to 19 years, with brothers and sisters playing with or against each other, and the sportsmanship and ability of these young players was truly impressive. Sunday polo started with the consolation final between Rocking P (Lily Lequerica, Bridget Price, Daniella Price, Grayson Price) and BCI (Ashvath Bhatia, Cara Kennedy, Vance Miller, Grace Mudra). Grayson Price was the high scorer of the game with four out of his team’s five goals, three of which were open goal penalties. BCI stayed right on the heels on Rocking P and in the last chukker BCI’s Grace Mudra tied the
game 4-4 with only minutes left. Teams pushed to get one more goal on the board, and after strong teamwork from Rocking P, Bridget Price was able to score the winning goal to break the tie and end the game in the last 30 seconds. In the consolation for fifth place, Horsegate (Cipi Echezarreta, Will Mudra, Nicole Speed, Lance Stefanakis) edged Porsche of West Houston (Isabel Artzer, Taylor Morris, Niklaus Felhaber, John Womble), 5-3. In the final game, Vintage Polo (Johann Felhaber, Joanie Jackson, Joe Bob Lequerica, Grace Parker) faced Bill Fick Ford (Athena Malin, Hannah Mitchell, J. Martin Perez, Jack Whitman). Vintage Polo took a commanding 2-0 lead in the first chukker with goals from the youngest player in the tournament, 11-year-old Joe Bob Lequerica, along with team captain Johann Felhaber. Bill Fick Ford started to get the ball rolling with two goals from Athena Malin and one from Jack Whitman in the second chukker. Felhaber responded with his second goal of the game to keep the score tied 3-3 as the teams took a short break before the third chukker. Bill Fick Ford extended its lead to 5-3 in the third chukker with an open-goal penalty from Malin and a beautiful run and goal from the field by
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 49
P O L O
R E P O R T
Lucchese’s Francisco Guinaza, Agustin Molinas, Quinn Evans and John Muse won the USPA Congressional Cup at Willow Bend.
Whitman. However, in the fourth and final chukker, Bill Fick Ford started to get into foul trouble, giving Vintage Polo two open-goal penalty opportunities, which Felhaber converted with authority. The teams were tied at 5-all in the last minute of the game and Vintage Polo was awarded another open-goal penalty to win. Felhaber displayed incredible poise as he converted the winning goal to send Vintage Polo home with the first place trophies. Tournament All-Stars were Joe Bob Lequerica, Athena Malin, Grayson Price, Johann Felhaber, Cipi Echezarreta, Jack Whitman, Vance Miller, Bridget Price and Will Mudra. Primavera, played by Jack Whitman and owned by Agustin Arrayago, was Best Playing Pony. Final AQHA Best Playing Pony went to Bucky, played by Joe Bob Lequerica and consolation AQHA Best Playing Pony went to Mike, played by Lily Lequerica. In the intermediate division, HPC Blue (Rebecca Middleton, Quinn Van Der Hoeven, Tomas Tejera) edged Sands Farm (Judah Altic, Clare Bogart, Mark Prinsloo), 4-3. Judah Altic was MVP and Tangled, played by Rebecca Middleton and owned by Carin and Bryan Middleton, was Best Playing Pony. The Walk/Trot division between
50 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Palo Pinto’s Allen Custard, Robert Payne, Russell Stimmel (not pictured) and Rob Payne won the USPA General Brown Cup.
HPC Green and HPC Orange was decided with a coin toss after the teams tied 6-6. Green’s Mimi Bogart, Cailin Briceno and Mila Coco won the toss over Orange’s Trent Florey, Jose Ramirez and Mark Prinsloo. Mila Coco was MVP and Emma, played by Cailin Briceno and owned by Rocking P, was Best Playing Pony. In the leadline division, BTA’s Carty Krueger and Ripley Middleton edged Sealy Tractor’s Allie Eickenhorst and Collin Maddox, 2-0.
LUCCHESE VICTORIOUS IN CONGRESSIONAL CUP Lucchese topped a four-team lineup to take the 8-goal USPA Congressional Cup at Willow Bend Polo Club in Little Elm, Texas. The tournament was played from May 17-26. After downing the other three teams in preliminary play, Lucchese (John Muse, Quinn Evans, Agustin Molinas, Francisco Guinaza) got the best of Tiburon (Collen Clark, Finley Haislip, Brendon Stenzel, Rob Stenzel), 14-9, in the final. Guinaza’s Ula was Best Playing Pony. Preliminary matches had Mokarow Farms (Clark Mayer, Guillermo MacLaughlin, Todd Offen, Kenny Mayer) beat Tiburon, 11-8; Lucchese beat Palo Pinto (Allen Custard, Rob
Payne, Robert Payne, Paul von Gontard), 17-10, and Tiburon, 11-8; Tiburon beat Palo Pinto, 9-7; Lucchese beat Mokarow Farms, 9-6; Palo Pinto beat Mokarow Farms, 6-5, before Mokarow Farms retaliated with a 12-8 win over Palo Pinto. The following month, from June 916, Lucchese sat out while the other three teams played the USPA General Brown Cup. Palo Pinto had a change in lineup with Russell Stimmel taking over for Paul von Gontard. In the first match, Palo Pinto topped Tiburon, 14-8. Palo Pinto took its second win, edging Mokarow Farms, 12-11. Tiburon topped Mokarow, 11-5, in the last playoff game. The final pitted Palo Pinto against Tiburon, and the results were exactly the same as their first match, with Palo Pinto taking the 14-8 win. FLORIDA
ASPEN VALLEY TAKES USPA PRESIDENTS CUP Aspen Valley (Gene Goldstein, Melissa Ganzi, Marc Ganzi, Juan Bollini) outscored Palm City (Kris Kampsen, Oliver Firestone, Moritz Gaedeke, Esteban Hernandez), 7-4, in the second half, and went on to win, 12-9, at Grand Champions Polo Club in
P O L O
R E P O R T
Aspen Valley Polo Club’s Juan Bollini, Marc Ganzi, Melissa Ganzi and Gene Goldstein won the USPA National President’s Cup.
Dutta Corp’s Jared Zenni, Timmy Dutta, Carlitos Gracida and Kris Kampsen won the Sun Cup, the team’s fourth time winning the title.
Aspen Valley’s Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini and Pablo Pulido won the Spring Challenge Cup in OT.
Raul Roldan presents the Polo Gear Challenge Cup to Sebucan’s Jared Zenni, Pablo Spinacci, Pablo Pulido and Juancito Bollini.
Wellington, Florida, on April 20. Gene Goldstein scored a game-high six goals and was named MVP. Tinder, played by Oliver Firestone, was Grand Champions Best Playing Pony and Paula, played by Esteban Hernandez, was USPA tournament Best Playing Pony. The club’s spring season got underway shortly after. Dutta Corp (Timmy Dutta, Carlitos Gracida, Kris Kampsen, Jared Zenni) defeated Aspen Valley (Pablo Pulido, Juancito Bollini, Grant Ganzi, Alejandro Novillo Astrada) with a thrilling 10-9 overtime victory to capture the Sun Cup on May 5. It was the fourth year Dutta Corp won the title. In a rollercoaster game, the lead changed hands 10 times and was tied
six times. With less than four minutes left in sudden death, Kampsen’s 30yard penalty conversion clinched the victory. Zenni had three goals and played well defensively, earning him MVP honors. Alejandro Novillo Astrada’s Minotaur was Best Playing Pony. On May 12, with 6:06 left in overtime, Pablo Pulido took a pass from Grant Ganzi and broke away to score the winning goal to lead Aspen Valley (Pablo Pulido, Juancito Bollini, Grant Ganzi, Alejandro Novillo Astrada) to a thrilling 9-8 victory over Palm Beach Equine (Brandon Phillips, Juan Bollini, Nic Roldan, Scott Swerdlin) in the final of the Spring Challenge. Pulido was named MVP and his
Limoncello was Best Playing Pony. The following week, Sebucan (Pablo Pulido, Juancito Bollini, Pablo Spinacci, Jared Zenni) won the Polo Gear Challenge Cup, one of the club’s oldest tournaments, with a hard-fought 11-9 victory over Dutta Corp (Carlitos Gracida, Tommy Collingwood, Timmy Dutta, Kris Kampsen) in its spring tournament debut. Bollini scored a game-high five goals, including four in the second half, and was named MVP. M4, a 5year-old stallion bred and owned by Santa Rita Polo Farm and played by Spinacci, was Best Playing Pony. On May 26, Palm Beach Equine (Brandon Phillips, Juan Bollini, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Scott Swerdlin) won a hard-fought 10-9 game
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 51
POLO REPORT
Palm Beach Equine’s Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Brandon Phillips, Juan Bollini and Scott Swerdlin won the Santa Rita Abierto.
against Audi (Lucas Lalor, Sugar Erskine, Marc Ganzi, Jared Zenni). Alejandro Novillo Astrada scored the winning goal with 1:45 left in the game. Astrada finished with four goals and was named MVP. Ava Maria, a 5year-old mare played by Ganzi and owned by Spinacci, was Best Playing Pony. The evenly-matched teams played entertaining, wide open polo for the crowd. Audi led 1-0 and 3-1 after two chukkers. Palm Beach Equine outscored Audi, 4-1, in the third chukker to lead 5-4 at the half. Palm Beach Equine had its biggest lead, 9-7, after the fifth, but Audi tied it back up early in the sixth. The season ended May 27 with Grand Champions U.S. (Grant Ganzi, Sugar Erskine, Nic Roldan, Jared Zenni) winning The Memorial with a 5-4 victory over Grand Champions Rest of the World (Pablo Pulido, Brandon Phillips, Carlitos Gracida, Alejandro Novillo Astrada). Sugar Erskine was named MVP. The South African scored two goals in the four-chukker game, including the game winner with 1:12 left in regulation time. The close game changed leads seven times before Grand Champions U.S. tied it up, 4-4, on Ganzi’s 30-yard penalty conversion in the fourth and
52 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Grand Champions U.S.’s Grant Ganzi, Sugar Erskine, Nic Roldan and Jared Zenni won the season-ending The Memorial.
final chukker. Both teams had scoring opportunities for the remainder of the chukker before Erskine’s heroics. Kris Kampsen’s Nala was GC Best Playing Pony while Grant Ganzi’s Pan Amara was APHA Best Playing Pony. —Sharon Robb
THE VILLAGES WRAPS UP BUSY SPRING SEASON The Villages Polo Club in The Villages, Florida, finished up its season April 21, after eight weeks of play. The winning combination proved to be Francisco Bilbao, Nick Johnson and Paige McCabe. The trio won four of eight events throughout the season, rounding out the team with different players each week. In the opening-weekend, Arden’s Jewelery (Jim Parr, Alfredo Guerreno, Toto Obregon, Alan Martinez) roared back from a three-goal deficit to capture The Villages 12-goal weekend finale with a 10-7 victory over The Villages Insurance (Tim Cheromcka, Dennys Santana, Luis Galvan, Hernan Tasso). Arden’s erased four separate twogoal deficits on the day, eventually rallying with five unanswered tallies in the second half to claim the first victory of the season.
Tasso was named match MVP. The following week, Galaxy Home Solutions (Paige McCabe, Cody Ellis, Nick Johnson, Frankie Bilbao) thought they had won not once, but twice. Turns out there were wrong both times. But the third time was the deciding charm in a wildly entertaining finale to the Salon Jaylee 12-goal Cup. Galaxy sputtered away two separate three-goal leads before finishing strong with two tallies in the final 91 seconds of regulation to claim a 12-10 victory over The Villages Insurance (James Miller, Agustin Arellano, Herndon Radcliff, Costi Caset). The teams wrestled to a 2-2 tie through one chukker, as Galaxy’s Francisco Bilbao knocked home two of his match-high seven goals in the opening period. Galaxy pushed forth towards a 6-3 lead after two periods of play, as the unit slapped three penalty shots through the pipes in the frame. The teams pulled to an 8-all tie midway through the fifth, and to 10-10 with three minutes remaining in the match. Ellis pushed Galaxy over the top, slamming home a rebound with 1:31 to go and later sealing the victory with another tally off an Insurance turnover in the final half-minute. In the soggy Fross & Fross 12-goal final played March 17, the Fross &
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Galaxy’s Francisco Bilbao, Nick Johnson, Cody Ellis and Paige McCabe won the Salon Jaylee 12-goal Cup at The Villages.
Fross team (Paige McCabe, Charly Quincoces, Nick Johnson, Francisco Bilbao) pushed past UnitedHealthcare (Mark Mulligan, Dennys Santana, Marcos Onetto, Hernan Tasso), 10-8. UnitedHealthcare took a 3-2 lead after 14 minutes, and Bilbao knotted the match at 3-3 with a penalty shot before a Quincoces tally gave Fross & Fross its first lead. The team carried a 5-4 lead into the half. UnitedHealthcare fought back to knot the score at 5-all at the end of the fourth, but Fross & Fross amassed a 96 lead midway through the fifth. Tasso and Onetto went back-to-back for UnitedHealthcare in the sixth to make things interesting with 90 seconds left but Quincoces’ third tally of the day seconds later sealed the victory. Santana was named MVP for the afternoon. The following week, Francisco Bilbao scored the game-winner at 2:29 in overtime—his seventh goal of the match—to push UnitedHealthcare (Paul Wadsworth, Paige McCabe, Nick Johnson, Francisco Bilbao) over Fross & Fross (Miguel Lis-Panells, Mark Mulligan, Charly Quincoces, Hernan Tasso), 9-8, in the Properties of The Villages 12-goal Cup final on March 24. March ended with Citizens (Paul Wadsworth, Paige McCabe, Nick
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Fross & Fross’ Paige McCabe, Charly Quincoces, Nick Johnson and Francisco Bilbao won the Fross & Fross 12-goal final.
Johnson, Francisco Bilbao) edging Galaxy Home Solutions (Miguel LisPanells, Jim Parr, Alfredo Guerreno, Alan Martinez), 13-11, in the Citizens First Bank Wealth Advisors Cup final. Martinez found the sweet spot between the pipes 10 times—including three over a 92-second span in the sixth and final chukker—but Bilbao’s eight tallies helped Citizens hold on late for the 8-goal tournament victory. The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center 8-goal Cup kicked off the action in April. Arden’s Fine Jewelers (Midge Ellison, Jim Parr, Alfredo Guerreno, Alan Martinez) and UnitedHealthcare (Paul Wadsworth, Tom MacGuinness, Nick Johnson, Hugo Lloret) kept the action back-andforth in the first half with the result very much in the air. Arden’s outscored United Healthcare, 6-4, in the second half, breaking free from a tightly-contested affair that featured five ties and five lead changes over the opening three chukkers of play. It stormed out of the half with four consecutive goals, utilizing the second-half outburst to run away with a 13-10 victory. On April 14, Arden’s captured a 9½-2 victory over The Villages Insurance in the Arden’s Fine Jewelers Women’s Tournament played over two days.
Arden’s (Rileigh Tibbott, Kylie Sheehan, Dawn Jones, Clarissa Echezarreta) built upon a 5½-1 advantage over Insurance (Sheryl Sick, Midge Ellison, Paige McCabe, Courtney Asdourian) in preliminary action during the round-robin event before Arden’s outscored Insurance, 41, to claim the title. Dawn Jones, who led Arden’s with seven goals over two days, was MVP. Both teams edged Fross & Fross (Anja Jacobs, Kerstie Allen, Mia Novillo Astrada, Kim Von Stade). On April 21, Francisco Bilbao’s nine goals lifted Galaxy Home Solutions (Paul Wadsworth, Paige McCabe, Nick Johnson, Frankie Bilbao) to an 11-9 victory over Citizen’s (Midge Ellison, Jim Parr, Alfredo Guerreno, Alan Martinez) in the Easter Sunday 8-goal. Galaxy got the scoring going early, as Bilbao tallied four of the first five goals of the contest, seizing a 4-1 lead through two chukkers. Martinez brought Citizens back to a 5-all tie at the half, scoring four times in the third chukker, sandwiching a goal by McCabe, highlighted by a neckshot bouncing off the goalpost and going in. Martinez gave Citizen’s a first-time lead early in the fourth and scored two more to take an 8-5 advantage. Bilboa rallied Galaxy, registering three in a
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Galaxy’s Frankie Bilboa, Nick Johnson, Paige McCabe and Paul Wadsworth won the Easter Sunday 8-goal. DAVID LOMINSKA/POLOGRAPHICS
Arden’s Alan Martinez, Alfredo Guerreno, Jim Parr and Midge Ellison won the Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center 8-goal.
row in the fifth to tie the match at 8-all going into the final period. Johnson tallied the goahead goal for Galaxy less than two minutes into the sixth. Bilbao followed with two insurance goals to push Galaxy’s lead to 11-8 late, before Martinez split the uprights just before the final horn. —Cody Hills CALIFORNIA
FARMERS & MERCHANTS WINS 12G INTRA-CIRCUIT Farmers & Merchants Bank deposited $20,000 and took the title in the Lucchese USPA Intra-Circuit at Santa Barbara Polo Club in Carpinteria, California, June 23. It was the last of four events that make up the club’s 12goal spring season. Six teams competed in the tournament for just over a week to determine the finalists. Farmers & Merchants Bank and Bensoleimani.com settled at the top with 3-0 records. The final was played in a ‘skins’ format with the winner of each chukker taking $5,000 and the winner of the overall match taking
54 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Lucchese’s John Muse presents awards to F&M Bank’s Matthew Walker, Luquitas Criado, Felipe Marquez and Danny Walker.
the title and a $10,000 bonus. F&M Bank (Luquitas Criado, Danny Walker, Lucas Criado, Matt Walker) played the tournament without its 7goaler Lucas Criado after he was injured in the final of the Vic Graber Memorial. Felipe Marquez took his place and scored the first goal. Bensoleimani.com (Ben Soleimani, Jim Wright, Felipe Vercellino, Herndon Radcliff) answered with Vercellino scoring back-to-back goals and giving his team a 2-1 lead and the first $5,000. F&M Bank rallied in the second thanks to a strong chukker by Danny Walker. The team ended the chukker ahead, 5-3, and earned its first $5,000. The team carried the momentum into
the third, outscoring Bensoleimani.com, 4-2, and earning another $5,000. The teams battled in the fourth, each held to just a goal. With the chukker tied, the $5,000 was carried over to the fifth chukker. The overall score was in favor of F&M Bank, 106. Vercellino scored a lone goal in the fifth, cutting the deficit to three (10-7) and giving Bensoleimani.com the $10,000 skin. Another strong chukker by Bensoleimani (3-1) in the sixth brought the team to within one, 11-10. While it came up just short in the score, Bensoleimani took the final skin, earning another $5,000 for a total of $20,000. F&M Bank had pocketed two skins worth $10,000 and took the $10,000 bonus for winning the match. Marquez earned MVP honors and Vercellino’s Barbarita was Best Playing Pony. The win meant a lot to Danny Walker. “In this life we have a chance to create a moment and make it a lifetime memory. For me, winning this 12-goal tournament with Farmers and Merchants Bank with my son Matthew is a great moment and now a lifetime memory,” he explained. The subsidiary Western Badge trophy was played between Lucchese (John Muse, Jake Klentner, Jason
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Crowder, Mariano Fassetta) and Novis Insurance (Ivan Wiess, Santi Trotz, Hilario Figueras, Maco Llambias). The teams earned their way to the subsidiary final, and a chance to win $10,000, with 2-1 records. Lucchese came from behind to win the game in the last 30 seconds. Jason Crowder was MVP and Maco 5, owned by George Dill and played by Maco Llambias, was Best Playing Pony. OBITUARY
GERRY ASCHINGER
Gerald “Gerry” Russell Aschinger, 74, died at his home May 17 after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born June 23, 1944 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Helen Triplett and Harold Arthur Aschinger. Aschinger was a businessman, entrepreneur and the consummate horseman. In 2004, together with his wife, Dana, he developed War Horse Place Farm, a boutique Thoroughbred operation on 180 lush acres in Lexington, Kentucky. After breeding the multimilliondollar stakes winning horse, Prayer For Relief, Aschinger attained his trainer’s license and trained Dixiana Elkhorn Stakes winner Dramedy and stakesplaced Lots O’ Lex during the eight years he trained. He kept racing stables at both
Churchill Downs and Tampa Bay Downs and offered horse racing partnerships to those interested in being involved in racing but with less risk. Aschinger was an avid polo player and member of the United States Polo Association for 32 years. He and Dana played in Dayton, Ohio; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Sarasota, Florida, during his active playing years. He was elected USPA governor-at-large and also became chairman of the Club & Membership Development Committee where he started the Polo Plus Program. This program is still active today and enables members to receive discounts on many products used by the membership. In 2008, he was asked to be a board member of U.S. Polo Assn. Global Licensing, and became its
chairman in 2018. “The polo and Thoroughbred world have lost a great man, Gerry Aschinger,” Dave Offen, president and co-founder of the Polo Players Support Group, said. “Gerry was the consummate gentleman on and off the polo field and was loved by everyone who knew him.” In addition to his wife, Gerry is survived by a daughter, Carmen Aschinger Osenbaugh; brothers James Aschinger and Robert V. Dusz; and grandchildren Ginger and Nash Osenbaugh. In respect to Gerry’s wishes, no service was held. Charitable donations may be made in Gerry’s honor to America’s Vet Dogs, Polo Players Support Group or the Permanently Disabled Jockey’s Fund. •
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(continued from page 17)
In normal circumstances, the front foot is leaving the ground just as the hind foot is coming forward to land. A misstep can cause a shoe to be pulled off.
and a lot of problems can happen. A front shoe can easily be pulled by a hind foot,” says Allen. “I heard a statistic at the International Hoof Care Summit stating that 75 to 80 percent of shoes lost were on a higher-heeled foot because of the difference in the function of that limb as a result of the high heel,” he says. “Horses that pace a fence, groups of horses living together—and the actions and reactions that transpire when they are running around or getting away from one another in a small space—are at risk for pulling shoes. A trail horse that trips, stumbles or slides going down a slippery hill, or a horse performing at speed that missteps or slides on loose ground can increase the chance for a shoe to be pulled off. A hunter adjusts his stride to jump a fence, an eventer going cross-country on greasy turf, a cutting horse working in deep ground, a polo horse changing direction at speed—there are all possible causes for loose shoes,” says Allen. “An old wives’ tale that we often hear is that the shoe was sucked off in the mud. I don’t believe that mud can create enough suction to pull off a tight
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shoe, or even a slightly loose shoe. But scrambling through the mud can certainly throw the horse’s stride out of time, and he steps on himself.” Horsemen often blame mud for lost shoes, but the actual cause is generally the horse struggling through deep mud and stepping on one foot with another, pulling the shoe off. Deep footing will hinder the horse’s stride and balance. Horses that run and play in wet, slippery pastures may also grab a shoe with another foot. Pownall says horses with pads do tend to lose shoes in mud more frequently than horses without hoof pads. “If the horse has pads on, it’s like being stuck in the mud with rubber boots on; it can suck them off. It helps if you can avoid having horses in deep mud,” he says. Wet conditions contribute to shoe loss if the feet become so soft they won’t hold nails. A soft hoof wall also tends to spread, and clinches may loosen. Feet that are alternately wet and dry (stalled horses that are hosed daily) may start cracking, and in some cases the hoof wall becomes so compromised that it’s hard to find a solid area to place the nails. “Many horse owners blame the farrier when their horse loses a shoe,” says Allen. “The farrier’s role in keeping shoes on, however, is to do his/her best to keep the horse and feet in balance—front to hind, side to side, and diagonally. We do our best to prevent any foot pain so the horse won’t need to compensate for a sore foot and alter his stride. One of our main goals is to enhance movement, enabling the horse to do his best, with what is presented—without applying any more shoe than is necessary for the job.” Any shoe that has more than enough shoe length for proper hoof support can contribute to lost shoes. “If a horse tends to lose shoes the biggest challenge for the farrier is to not compromise too much and fit the shoe too short, in an effort to keep the shoes on. We can always use a shoe so short in the heel that another foot cannot overreach, grab it and pull the shoe, but this probably isn’t in the horse’s best interest for proper hoof support,” he says. Correcting a problem If a shoe is loose, it needs attention. If it will be a day or two before the farrier can come, the shoe should be secured safely to the foot if it is still in place, or taken off if it’s dangling or out of place. “I worry about the horses that have clips, if the shoe is loose and out of place, because the horse may step on the clips and pull the shoe off,” Pownall says. If the shoe gets jerked off, it may tear up the hoof wall and make it harder to apply another shoe.
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Removing a loose shoe
If the shoe has caught on something and is partly pulled off, or the nails have worn out or are broken on one side, you’ll need to get the shoe back into place and tape it there until the farrier comes, or remove it. “Here in our area the farriers use a lot of side clips to reduce nail stress, and these are almost a necessary evil. One concern if the shoe is partly off and twisted is that the horse will step on a clip with another foot, or the sticking-out clip or an exposed nail might puncture another foot or leg,” says Allen. “If the owner can twist the shoe back into place so it is flat again on the foot, I recommend taping it onto the foot in its proper position.” Several wraps around the edge with duct tape can often hold it there until the farrier comes. “Often the shoe is too out of place or the owner is unable to wrestle it back into place. In this case, the shoe needs to come off. Every horse owner should have a couple of tools. Shoe pullers would be one of the most important tools to keep at the barn or in the horse trailer. There is a trick to pulling the shoe off. Have your farrier give you a lesson in the proper way to pull a shoe, using proper leverage.” You don’t want to put an abnormal twist on the leg/fetlock joint/pastern as you try to pull the shoe off. Start at the heel. Gradually and alternately work down each heel branch to loosen it as you go. “Pull a little, pushing the handles of the puller down—toward the toe and the center of the foot, so the hoof wall doesn’t rip as you pull the nails out,” Allen says. Pownall often demonstrates the proper method of pulling a shoe. “You don’t need fancy tools. Tools for fencing, or even a set of pliers can be used to pull a shoe off. I teach clients how to
Unclinch any nails that remain in place before trying to pull them out. To do this, pry them up, nip them or rasp them off.
pull each nail out as they work it loose. I don’t want them wrenching the shoe off or it may break some of the hoof wall off with the shoe.” If a person can work the nails loose and take them out individually, it won’t tear the wall when the shoe comes off. The shoe is easiest to remove and less likely to break any of the hoof wall during removal if you first unclinch the remaining nails. If they are loose, you can pry them up with a screwdriver or nip them off with a clinch cutter, or rasp them off with an old rasp or file. Then you can pull the shoe off, starting with the heels. If you don’t have a pulling tool or pliers, slip the claws of a carpenter’s hammer under the heel of the shoe, and push the head of the hammer toward the frog to pry the shoe up. Slowly work the claws along the shoe until it comes off. Pull each nail out individually as you loosen it, so it is no longer holding on the hoof wall as you continue to loosen the shoe. You can usually grasp the nail head with shoe pullers or pliers as it starts to come loose, and pull it on out. This will make it easier to continue loosening the rest of the shoe so it will pull off. You need to know the proper angle to pull, for best leverage that won’t put a twist on the horse’s joints or increase the risk of tearing the hoof wall. There is a proper technique involved. “If you pull the shoe off, put duct tape around the edges of the bare foot to minimize risks for breaking the hoof wall. I also advise people to not turn that horse out—especially on hard ground. Keep that horse in until the farrier shows up. You don’t want the hoof wall ragged and torn off, with nothing to nail to, and a lame horse,” says Pownall. That bare foot needs to be protected. A hoof boot is handy to have.
Using hoof pullers, or even a set of pliers, start at the heel, gradually and alternately work down each heel branch to loosen as you go.
Pull the shoe while bracing the foot. The proper angle is needed so you don’t put a twist on the horse’s joints. POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 57
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Call the farrier as soon as possible. “Lost shoes should be a high priority; the farrier doesn’t want your horse to be shoeless. If one of my clients calls me about a lost or loose shoe and I can’t get there in a reasonable time, I try to get another professional to help out. In our area, we can often get a shoe back within the same day. Two days with a shoe off is our maximum time, in most cases. We are in a service business and this is an integral part of it,” Allen explains.
“Depending on when the farrier is coming and how loose the shoe is, you might be able to just wrap that foot with duct tape. This can hold the shoe on and keep it in place until the farrier shows up. But if it is starting to shift on the foot because one side is completely sheared off, you must pull that shoe off,” explains Pownall. You don’t want the horse to step on a nail or a clip with another foot, or bang the opposite leg with the protruding shoe or nails. “If a shoe is lost, make sure the horse did not injure himself in the process,” says Allen. “Then protect the hoof as best you can, until the farrier arrives. You can apply a boot or wrap.” This might mean taping some padding on the bottom of the foot, using duct tape to hold it on and protecting the edges of the hoof wall so they won’t chip and crack or break a piece out before the farrier comes. ALEX PACHECO
If the shoe is flat against the foot, it can be secured with duct tape until the farrier can get there. The foot can also be wrapped if the shoe comes off.
Protruding nails or clips can injure your horse or other horses in close quarters, like the polo field.
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Owners role in preventing shoe loss “Use common sense when deciding when to modify turnout,” Allen says. Don’t turn the horse out in a muddy, boggy pen. “Use properly fitting bell boots that prevent stepping on one foot with another.” Risk for injury and risk for losing a shoe can be one and the same. On turnout, regularity is beneficial. You don’t want the horse bucking and running around like crazy because he hasn’t been outdoors for a while. “Put horses in friendly groups, with other horses they get along with, to minimize fighting and squabbles that can result in injury or lost shoes. Make sure you have enough space for each member in that group. Spread feeding areas adequately so every horse has enough space to eat without being chased by a more dominant herd member. Minimize group numbers, and alpha individuals that boss the others around. Provide the most level ground you can, though sometimes hills are unavoidable,” says Allen. “Some people feel that horses will have healthier feet and fewer lost shoes if they feed supplements. There are differing opinions, but a supplement might be beneficial. I’m not a big believer in hoof supplements unless the horse is not growing a healthy hoof, but in some cases it might help. Just don’t think that a supplement is going to help keep the shoes on; it’s not a cure-all,” he says. •
P O L O D E V E L O P M E N T, L L C
(continued from page 23) Jenna: Through polo, I have made lasting friendships around the continent and internationally. During an I/I tournament, I met Lila Bennett from Garrison Forest and we immediately became friends. The last three years, I have gone to Maryland to stay with Lila and play in the NYTS. We also played together at the championship in Denver last year. NYTS gives us an opportunity to play together everywhere. During my last week in Argentina, Lila texted me and asked if I could play in the NYTS tournament in Sarasota. She was going down there to visit family and I had to fly past Florida to get home, so why not stop and play some polo? We met up and had a great time doing what we love. What has been your most fun polo trip? Jenna: This year I played in Argentina and India and made unforgettable memories. During my month in India I was able to represent my country on sacred polo grounds, backpack around the golden triangle by myself, [meet] the King of Jaipur and [stay] in Prince Charles and Diana’s Apartment of the City Palace and so much more. Six days after I got back from India, I left home again for Argentina. On my way to the airport I bought a Spanish-English dictionary realizing I had 11 hours left to learn how to talk to people. Turns out, I’m not a language person. I never opened that dictionary again. Nevertheless, for the next three weeks I rode every single morning and evening. There was no shortage of incredible horses or highly-competitive polo. I also became close friends with the Argentine team I played against in India, and was able to meet all of their friends and family while I was there. They were beyond welcoming and it is by far my favorite place in the world to play. Lila: Colorado was definitely the coolest place I’ve had the privilege of traveling to for polo. What is your favorite polo memory or experience? Lila: I wish I could pick one, but there are so many and I know I will only continue making more memories. But, my best memories definitely come from I/I and GFS polo and being able to go to practice right after school; and be able to hang out and have fun with my friends while gaining new skills and learning from each other. Jenna: In January, I went to India to play in the 4th Manipur Statehood Day Women’s International
Jenna Tarshis
Tournament. But, one of my favorite polo memories happened just before that trip. I went to Florida for eight days to get some practice time on the grass (a generous TPC member said I could stick and ball his horses in Wellington while he wasn’t there). I flew down and was planning on staying in the groom’s apartment at the barn, however when I got there, the place was already occupied. Thankfully, I contacted another player I knew in the community and was able to stay with them. But, now I was seven miles from the barn and I wasn’t old enough to rent a car. Once I saw there was a bike in the garage, I asked if I could borrow it. I biked on the side of the road with my mallets across the handle bars and my boots in a knapsack almost 14 miles a day. Thank God Florida is flat! Even so, I wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of stick and ball • time! POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 59
CALENDAR
August JUNE 1-SEPTEMBER 1 Women’s Polo League Denver, Denver, CO J U N E 2 8 - AU G U S T 2 5 8-Goal League Oak Brook, Oak Brook, IL J U LY 4 - AU G U S T 2 4 Pro-Am Rincon League (6-8) Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA J U LY 12 - S E P T E M B E R 2 7 Polo at Sunset (Fridays) Hickory Hall, Whitestown, IN J U LY 2 0 - AU G U S T 3 Hampton League (6) Southampton, Water Mill, NY J U LY 2 2 - AU G U S T 2 Interscholastic Polo Summer Camp Gardnertown, Newburgh, NY J U LY 2 4 - AU G U S T 7 United States Arena Handicap (12+) Aspen Valley, Carbondale, CO
Congressional & Amateur Cups Central NY, Cortland, NY AU G U S T 1 - 3 0 National Arena Chairman’s Cup (9-12) Aspen Valley, Carbondale, CO AU G U S T 2 - 4 The Whitney Cup Saratoga, Greenfield Center, NY Sunny Hale Legacy WCT Brandywine, Toughkenamon, PA USPA Arena Women’s Challenge Triangle Area, Hurdle Mills, NC A U G U S T 2 - 14 USPA Masters Cup (4-8) Chicago International, Oswego, IL AU G U S T 3 Mashomack Family Day Mashomack, Pine Plains, NY New England Pro-Am Farmington, Farmington, CT
J U L Y 2 4 - A U G U S T 11 USPA Silver Cup (20) Aspen Valley, Carbondale, CO
AU G U S T 3 - 4 2- to 4-goal League Will Rogers, Los Angeles, CA
J U L Y 2 6 - A U G U S T 11 USPA America Cup (12-16) Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA
AU G U S T 3 - 2 4 Crossman Cup (0-2) Myopia, South Hamilton, MA
USPA Masters Cup NYC, Patterson, NY J U LY 2 8 - AU G U S T 10 East End Cup (10) Southampton, Water Mill, NY J U LY 3 0 - AU G U S T 3 Skeeter Johnston Memorial Flying H, Big Horn, WY J U L Y 31 - A U G U S T 3 Ladies Tournament Southampton, Water Mill, NY J U L Y 31 - A U G U S T 1 8 USPA Constitution Cup (4) Mashomack, Pine Plains, NY AU G U S T 1 - 4 Central Circuit Sportsmanship Twin City, Long Lake, MN
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A U G U S T 3 - S E P T E M B E R 14 Fall League (4) Southampton, Water Mill, NY AU G U S T 4 Archie MacCarty Cup Flying H, Big Horn, WY Piper Cup Banbury Cross, Middleburg, VA Kurt Luplow Memorial Big Horn, Sheridan, WY Sustainable Harvest Celebration Hawaii, Waialua, HI Drake Challenge Cup Oak Brook, Oak Brook, IL A U G U S T 4 - 11 USPA Forbes Cup (4-8) Myopia, South Hamilton, MA
AU G U S T 4 - S E P T E M B E R 15 Southampton Cup (6) Southampton, Water Mill, NY AU G U S T 5 Koru Kiwi Cup Honolulu, Waimanalo, HI The High Alpine Cup Aspen, Carbondale, CO AU G U S T 6 - 10 Bradford Brinton Memorial Cup Flying H, Big Horn, WY AU G U S T 7 - 8 Arena Delegates Cup (6-9) Maryland, Jarrettsville, MD AU G U S T 7 - 18 Chicago Polo Open Oak Brook, Oak Brook, IL A U G U S T 8 - 11 NYTS Qualifier Farmington, Farmington, CT USPA Masters Cup (6-8) Maryland, Jarrettsville, MD AU G U S T 8 - 15 Arena World Cup Aspen, Carbondale, CO A U G U S T 9 - 11 Landhope Challenge Cup (4-6) Brandywine, Toughkenamon, PA USPA Sportsmanship Cup Skaneateles, Skaneateles, NY AU G U S T 10 Pacific Polo Tour Hollywood Cup Will Rogers, Los Angeles, CA President’s Cup (4-8) Tinicum, Park, Erwinna, PA 1st Annual MAB Appreciation Cup Farmington, Farmington, CT Beginner Polo Clinic Mountain View, Charles Town, WV The Seattle Polo Party Seattle, Enumclaw, WA Linfoot Memorial Jr. Tourney Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA
CALENDAR
August A U G U S T 1 0 - 11 Low Goal Challenge Southampton, Water Mill, NY AU G U S T 10 - 15 The Rocky Mountain Open Aspen, Carbondale, CO A U G U S T 1 0 - 17 USPA Congressional Cup (8) Bliss, Levering, MI AU G U S T 10 - 18 USPA Governors Cup (4-6) Lexington, Lexington, KY A U G U S T 11 0-2 Equality Cup Congressional, Rockville, MD Shane Winkler Day Big Horn, Sheridan, WY A U G U S T 11 - 2 5 Dr. Tom Mallory Cup Play Polo, Granville, OH AU G U S T 12 Imai Samurai Cup Honolulu, Waimanalo, HI
Polo Pro Series Clinic Mountain View, Charles Town, WV A U G U S T 17 - 1 8 Dog Iron Polo Cup (1) Will Rogers, Los Angeles, CA Inter Academy Cup Congressional, Rockville, MD Sportsmanship Cup Seattle, Enumclaw, WA I/I Alumni Tourney Maryland, Jarrettsville, MD A U G U S T 17 - 19 The Mount Sopris Cup Aspen, Carbondale, CO A U G U S T 17 - 31 Amateur Cup (0-2) Myopia, South Hamilton, MA AU G U S T 18 Montaylor Ranch Cup Big Horn, Sheridan, WY Charles Hart Real Estate Cup Play Polo, Granville, OH
A U G U S T 1 3 - 17 Gallatin Ranch Cup Flying H, Big Horn, WY
AU G U S T 18 - 2 5 Governors Cup (4-8) Myopia, South Hamilton, MA
AU G U S T 15 - S E P T E M B E R 1 Pacific Coast Open (16) Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA
A U G U S T 19 Nalo Polo League Honolulu, Waimanalo, HI
A U G U S T 16 - 1 8 The Ylvisaker Cup Saratoga, Greenfield Center, NY
AU G U S T 2 0 - 2 4 Flying H Cup Flying H, Big Horn, WY
PTF Seniors Tourney Skaneateles, Skaneateles, NY
Women’s Challenge (0-2) Tinicum, Erwinna, PA
A U G U S T 16 - 2 5 Constitution Cup (4-8) Morgan Creek, Yorkville, IL
A U G U S T 21 Patriot Pony Classic Farmington, Farmington, CT
A U G U S T 16 - 2 6 Players Cup (0-4) Calgary, Okotoks, Alberta, Canada
A U G U S T 21 - S E P T E M B E R 8 Tracey Mactaggart Challenge (8) Mashomack, Pine Plains, NY
A U G U S T 17 25th Heatwave Dog Day Afternoon Dallas, Red Oak, TX
AU G U S T 2 2 - 2 5 Hublot Polo Gold Cup Saanen Airport, Gstaad, Switzerland
Canadian Open Calgary, Alberta, Canada
AU G U S T 2 3 - 2 4 Oyster Cup Cerro Pampa, Petaluma, CA AU G U S T 2 3 - 2 5 Polo Ponies Memorial (6-8) Brandywine, Toughkenamon, PA AU G U S T 2 3 - S E P T E M B E R 8 NYTS Championships New Bridge, Aiken, S.C. AU G U S T 2 4 EPoNA Tournament Congressional, Rockville, MD Newport vs New York Newport, Portsmouth, RI AU G U S T 2 4 - 2 5 Constitution Cup (0, 2) Vancouver, Delta, BC, Canada AU G U S T 2 4 - 2 6 The Carbondale Classic Aspen, Carbondale, CO AU G U S T 2 5 Murph Dailey Trophy Hawaii, Waialua, HI Ambassador’s Cup (0-3) Congressional, Rockville, MD Bank of the West—CHAPS Benefit Big Horn, Sheridan, WY AU G U S T 2 5 - S E P T E M B E R 8 East Coast Open Greenwich, Greenwich, CT AU G U S T 2 8 - S E P T E M B E R 2 Don King Days Big Horn, Sheridan, WY AU G U S T 3 0 SPA Anniversary Tournament Saratoga, Greenfield Center, NY A U G U S T 3 0 - 31 Victory Cup 3 J Ranch, Patterson, NY AU G U S T 3 0 - S E P T E M B E R 1 Gerald Balding Cup (6-8) Brandywine, Toughkenamon, PA A U G U S T 31 PoloFest Denver, Sedalia, CO
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 61
Y E S T E RY E A R S
European polo, 1930 Argentines play in Madrid; military polo in Malta
Argentine Hurlingham’s Capt. Olivares, Lewis Lacey, Conde de Yebes and Conde de Velayos
An Argentine Hurlingham team played in two matches in Madrid, Spain, in April 1930. The first match was for the Madrid Champion Cup, with the visitors defeating the Madrid Pirates team. The 9-goal Argentine Hurlingham team (Conde de Yebes, Conde de Velayos, Capt. J. Olivares, Lewis Lacey) started the scoring, but the 5-goal Pirates (J.A. Echevarrieta, Marques de Villabragima, Capt. G.H. Fanshawe, Marques de Portago) kept equalizing the score. Seven chukkers were played and the Pirates seemed to slack in the last two. Lacey, who had captained his team wonderfully, played a brilliant game, especially in the last two chukkers, in which his team made four goals with no response, giving
62 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Argentine Hurlingham a decisive victory. Conde de Velayos was very quick in picking up Mr. Lacey’s backhanders and played a fine No. 2 for his side, combining well with his brother Conde de Yebes as No. 1. This made matters difficult for the Pirates’ back, though he was the best mounted man of the team. Olivares, who was No. 3, played the best game he has played this season, hitting a long ball. No doubt the confidence he had in Lacey as back made all the difference. Towards the end the Pirates were unable to break such a defense. Fanshawe, who during his visit in Madrid displayed very fine polo, was No. 3 and did most of the hard work, having the active and also brilliant
Y E S T E RY E A R S
worker in the Marques de Villabragima at No. 2. But in this, a hard game, the Pirates found the opposite defense too strong to overcome. The No. 1 of the Pirates was Echevarrieta, only 17 years old, who was perhaps the most promising young player Spain had ever produced. He was the youngest of a sporting family. The previous year, when the Plymouth-Santander Yacht Race for King Alfonso’s Cup took place, Señor Echevarrieta, the father, sailed his yacht “Maria del Carmen” with his four sons, all of them polo players. To the great surprise of the competitors, they won the cup in that race. Echevarrieta played a brilliant and dashing game of polo, but with Lacey as back the handicap was too much for the boy. Penche, who is the polo manager, umpired alone through the game. At the end of the match both teams congratulated him. The best and fastest match of the present season was played at the request of His Majesty Don Alfonso towards the end of April on his best ground at the Casa de Campo. Seven of the eight players in the previous game (R. Echevarrieta replaced Olivares) mixed up the teams forming a 9-goal A team (J.A. Echevarrieta, R. Echevarrieta, Fanshawe, Lacey) and a 7-goal B team (Conde de Yebes, Conde de Velayos, Marques de Villabragima, Marques de Portago).
Fanshawe and Lacey proved a wonderful combination at defense, but the two young Echevarrietas, who were proud of playing with Lacey, displayed a quick and well-combined game as forwards. The Marques de Portago had the three Figueroa brothers: Villabragima, Velayos and Yebes
Señor de Urquijo’s (son of the Marques de Urquijo) string of ponies at the Malta Polo Club.
The Madrid Pirates’ 17year-old J. Echevarrieta, Marques de Villabragima, Capt. Fanshawe and the Marques de Portago
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 63
Y E S T E RY E A R S
Lt. W.A.C. Binnie, the No. 3 for the Royal Navy team
The governor presented the Subalterns’ Cup to the Army’s Capt. Hoskyns, Capt. Skinner, Mr. Gilmore and Mr. Finlinson.
who make up a strong team when they play together, but towards the end they seem a little tired. In spite of some wet weather in Madrid this April, polo has been very strong thanks to the management of Penche at the Royal Puerta de Hierro Club and Capt. Snelves Marques de Bonanaro, director and manager of the military polo. More than 150 officers are now playing polo in Spain. Eight of the cavalry regiments have polo teams at Barcelona, with four at Seville, Jerez, Cordova and Granada. Besides, Burgos Victoria, Valladolid and three more places have started polo. Polo in Malta Military polo was also going strong in the 64 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Southern European island of Malta. A 9-goal Army team (N.W. Finlinson, Capt. C.B.A. Hoskyns, Capt. HC Ross Skinner, Mr. Gilmore) challenged a 2-goal Navy team (Lt. Hon. A. Pleydell-Bouverie, Lt. B. HM Kendall, Lt. WAC Binnie, Lt. NJ Crossley) for the Subalterns’ Cup. In the first chukker, the first goal went to the Army, being scored by Finlinson after a run by Skinner. From the throw-in, the Army made a short run down the boards which was cleared by PleydellBouverie, who went straight through to score for the Navy. After a melee from the throw-in, the Army ran in and Finlinson scored again. For the remainder of the chukker the Army pressed its attack, but the ball was forced behind on time. The first chukker ended with the Army leading, 2-1. From the hit-in in the second chukker the Army made a run down the center, the ball being forced out behind. From the hit-in, a run by Binnie was turned by Hoskyns, taken on by Skinner, and went behind. A run by Binnie from the hit-in was taken on by Pleydell-Bouverie, who scored. A run by the Army from the throw-in was again forced behind. The Army met the ball from the hit-in and after a short melee in front of the Navy goal, Gilmore scored. From this point in the game the Army pressed its attack and the Navy goal was seldom out of danger. Another run by the Army was sent behind after the hit-in play went on up and down the boards until a clearing shot was returned by the Army and it took the ball into the goal mouth for Gilmore to score. A short run from the throw-in by Binnie was turned by Finlinson, who centered to Skinner and the Army scored again before the bell. Army had increased its lead to 5-2. The Navy was kept on the defensive right through the last chukker. Runs by Binnie and Pleydell-Bouverie were either stopped or cleared, several being forced behind. Finlinson scored with a back-hander and Skinner a 60-yard penalty. The match was a fast one from start to finish, and was particularly noticeable for hard hitting and galloping. His excellency the governor presented the cup given by Sir. Leslie Rundle. Some of the same players played in other matches, including the Malta Polo Challenge Cup and the Ormsby-Johnson Cup. Gilmore, Skinner and Hoskyns played for the winning Whirlwinds team in the Ormsby-Johnson Cup and Binnie was on the successful Battleships team in the Malta Polo Challenge Cup, defeating Skinner’s HLI team. Adapted from Polo Monthly, June 1930.
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