May 2020 Polo Players' Edition by United States Polo Association

M AY 2 0 2 0

P L AY E R Sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; E D I T I O N

COVID-19 stops Gauntlet of Polo $5.00 US/$5.50 Canada

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CONTENTS

P L AY E R S’ E D I T I O N

MAY 2020

VOL. 23,

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

24 Adjourned by Gwen Rizzo

Women’s tournament shelved for now

Association News USPA Bulletin Player spotlight

28 Hold your horses by Gwen Rizzo

Season suspended after coronavirus outbreak

12 Instructors Forum by Adam Snow

34 Keep moving with Martin Perez

14 Ask an Umpire 16 Equine Athlete

Exercise regularly to be ready for polo season

38 Foreign aid by Lilian De Falco Shea, Esquire

by Heather Smith Thomas

18 Polo Scene News, notes, trends & quotes 20 Intercollegiate/Interscholastic 42 Polo around the Globe

The changing world of polo visas M AY 2 0 2 0

TION P L AY E R S’ E D I

NO. 9

by Sarah Eakin

OUR COVER Las Monjitas’ Bauti Panelo stops Patagones’ Santi Toccalino in Gold Cup quarterfinals. by Alex Pacheco

58 Calendar 60 Yesteryears by Peter Rizzo

46 Polo Report Alison Thomas tops Women’s Polo Series

COVID -19 stops Gauntlet of Polo $5.00 US/$5.50 Canada

2 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN SIGNED COLUMNS ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHORS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE PUBLISHERS OF THIS MAGAZINE.

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

Art Director DAVID BEVERAGE Prepress PUBLISHERS PRESS Advertising & Editorial Offices USPA Member Subscription Inquiries (800) 232-8772 OR FAX (888) 341-7410 ldolan@uspolo.org

General Subscription Inquiries 9011 LAKE WORTH RD, LAKE WORTH, FL 33467 (561) 968-5208 gwen@poloplayersedition.com

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©Copyright 2020 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. 23, No.9 POLO Players’ Edition (ISSN #1096-2255) is published monthly by Rizzo Management Corp. 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, 9011 Lake Worth RD, Lake Worth, FL 33467.

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Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement No. 40612608. Canada Returns to be sent to Imex Global, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.

U S PA B U L L E T I N

DAVID LOMINSKA/POLOGRAPHICS.COM

COVID-19 Due to the health concerns related to the COVID-19 outbreak, on Monday, March 16, the United States Polo Association made the difficult decision to postpone the three remaining Intercollegiate/Interscholastic tournaments: Northeastern Intercollegiate Regionals, National Interscholastic Championships and National Intercollegiate Championships. The association looks forward to rescheduling these events later in the year. Furthermore, on Saturday, March 21, the USPA determined it was in the best interest of health and safety for players, their families and team organizations, fans and all the people that help to put on USPA polo events, to cancel the balance of the 2020 Gauntlet of Polo winter season and the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship. The USPA anticipates rescheduling the balance of the 2020 USPA Gold Cup and the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship in late January 2021 prior to the start of the 2021 Gauntlet of Polo. The association will consider the feasibility of rescheduling the 2020 U.S. Open Polo Championship, as well as options for changing the handicap level of the pre-Gauntlet tournaments next winter.

If you are willing to be contacted for additional information, you may leave your name and phone number, which will be kept confidential. The anonymous tip line number is (866) 563-5534. Reporting forms can also be found online at uspolo.org and may be sent by email to equinewelfare@uspolo.org.

Equine Welfare Tip Line An anonymous tip line has been established for reporting equine abuse and neglect. The USPA Equine Welfare Committee encourages anyone making a report to first reach out to local authorities, such as animal control or the police, to report the issue. If you would like to also report to the USPA, please provide as much detail as possible. If you prefer to remain anonymous, please leave as many details as possible on the voice mail. Be sure to include the city and state the horses are located in, as well as the name of the person responsible for them, if known; how many horses are involved and any information you think is pertinent.

DAVID LOMINSKA/POLOGRAPHICS.COM

Host an Umpire Clinic Once it is deemed safe to do so, USPA member clubs are encouraged to host umpire clinics to refine the skills of club umpires and to review USPA rules, rule interpretations and their implementation. The USPA Umpires, LLC will schedule an instructor to teach both outdoor and arena clinics based on their availability. The Umpire Clinic/Rules Review Program is a service the USPA Umpires, LLC provides to all USPA member clubs.

6 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

Umpire Clinic Requirements and Guidelines • Programs are instructional and oriented toward improving the skill and safety levels of all participants. Programs are generally applicable to a broad range of participants. Programs may require certain levels of riding experience for safety. • USPA Umpires, LLC will arrange for a qualified instructor to teach at the level of your clinic. • Clubs will be invoiced $700 for each clinic. This fee covers the instructor’s fee, airfare, transportation and lodging. • To allow for lower airfares and help with the availability of an instructor, a minimum of four weeks’ notice is required when requesting a clinic.

U S PA B U L L E T I N

Polo Varsity Letter The application deadline for the Intercollegiate/ Interscholastic program’s Interscholastic Polo Varsity Letter is fast approaching and will close Friday, May 15. The Interscholastic polo program is a competitive league in which high school students play against other polo teams in their region and across the country. Players must meet their school’s academic standards in order to compete. Students who receive the varsity letter have shown their commitment to both academic and polo excellence through their time commitment and level of play. Applications are now open for all interscholastic players who met the following requirements this past I/I season. Interscholastic Varsity Letter Requirements A player must meet the following requirements to be eligible to receive varsity letter recognition: • Completed IS Polo Varsity Letter Application • Currently in grade 9-12 • Active member of an existing interscholastic program • Meet all USPA IS eligibility requirements • Played in at least four regular season Interscholastic games during the current I/I season • Played in a preliminary, regional and/or national tournament during the current I/I season • Logged a minimum of 100 hours of riding, stick and balling, practice, and/or game time • Approval and confirmation from your interscholastic coach confirming the completion of all requirements. Those who submit a completed application and meet all of the above requirements will be awarded a varsity patch for the initial year, a letter of recognition from the United States Polo Association and subsequent pins for each additional year earned. Membership Benefits As a USPA member, you may be unaware of the many benefits available. The following is a list of what

KAYLEE WROE

• All attendees seeking certification in the clinic must be current members of the USPA. This membership requirement assures Participant Excess Liability Insurance coverage. • An umpire clinic and a PUMP/8 tournament may coincide; however, the club will be invoiced for both an instructor and a professional umpire. • USPA Umpires, LLC is available to discuss special circumstances or programs, which do not fit the standard package. For further assistance, please contact Bradley Biddle at bbiddle@uspolo.org.

you receive when you join the USPA: • USPA member card and decal • Player handicap • Eligibility to compete in USPA tournaments • Subscription to “This Week in Polo” email • Subscription to Polo Players’ Edition magazine • USPA Rulebook • USPA Annual Blue Book • Clinics and Instructors Forums • Personal Excess Liability Insurance • Accidental Death and Dismemberment and Excess Medical Insurance • 25% discount on U.S. Polo Assn. and Nantucket Whaler • Savings on nationally known products through NTRA Advantage, including John Deere, UPS, Sherwin Williams, Red Brand, Suncast Commercial, Office Depot and Big Ass Fans • Extra discounts for USPA members, including Legacy Building Solutions, Daktronics and TentCraft Questions about membership benefits? Email our Membership and Handicap Director Lindsay Dolan at ldolan@uspolo.org. • Published by the United States Polo Association Offices at 9011 Lake Worth Rd., Lake Worth, Florida 33467 • (800) 232-USPA Chairman: Stewart Armstrong President: Tony Coppola Secretary: Charles Smith Treasurer: Steven Rudolph 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

The National Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Championships will be rescheduled later this year.

Intercollegiate Scholarships Are you a current intercollegiate or senior interscholastic player who is planning to play on an intercollegiate polo team? Six $4,000 scholarships are available through the USPA Intercollegiate Scholarship program. Requirements can be found on uspolo.org. Applications will be accepted April 1-June 1. Contact Amy Fraser at afraser@uspolo.org for more details.

Middle School Host Sites Do you have a group of players in grades 5-8? Make sure to let us know if you are interested in hosting a middle school tournament! The Middle School program runs from August to December at clubs all across the country. If you are interested in hosting a tournament, contact Emily Dewey at edewey@uspolo.org.

National Championships Interscholastic Varsity Letters If you are an interscholastic player who competed in the I/I tournament season this year, along with completing 100 hours in the saddle, participating in four I/I games and are in good academic standing, you are eligible for an Interscholastic Varsity Letter! For more information on the program and application, please go to the interscholastic program page on uspolo.org or contact Ali Davidge at adavidge@uspolo.org. 8 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

Due to the health concerns related to the COVID19 outbreak, the USPA has made the difficult decision to cancel the National Interscholastic Championships and the National Intercollegiate Championships. We look forward to rescheduling these events later this year. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we prioritize the health and safety of our student players, coaches, umpires, partners, staff and everyone who helps put on these events. â&#x20AC;˘

U S PA B U L L E T I N

Bob McMurtry JUDITH COLEMAN

Shaping the future of Chicagoland

Bob McMurtry

ooked on polo after only six weeks of lessons, USPA Central Circuit Governor Bob McMurtry’s passion has led him to play a key role in shaping the trajectory of the game in his hometown. A visionary for the highly-successful Chicago Polo Association (which grew out of similar regional cooperation efforts in the Southwestern Circuit), McMurtry has worked tirelessly for two years to fuel substantial growth and increase participation, his efforts drawing players both locally and nationally to the flourishing regional hub. Receiving his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Northern Illinois University, McMurtry relocated to Dallas, Texas, to work for Texas Instruments on classified military radar programs, infra-red night vision systems and missile guidance. Seeking to advance his career, McMurtry pursued law school, moving his family to Austin where he graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law. Returning to the Windy City where he has remained for the past 28 years, McMurtry’s affinity for polo is evident on the Chicago-based Windridge Farm hunter/jumper facility run by his daughter

Taylor and her mother Jennifer. In addition to hunter/jumper facilities, Windridge features a polo field, indoor polo arena and a 58-stall polo barn. Dedicated to the service of polo through multiple committees, he was recently appointed as Polo Development Initiative chairman, tasked with carrying on the legacy that Denny Geiler established with over a decade in the position. A family-man at heart, McMurtry maintains a close relationship with his daughters Erin and Taylor, living with his oldest daughter Erin and her family and encouraging Taylor in her career in professional show jumping. Sitting down with McMurtry during the Board of Governors and Annual Member Meeting, he recounted the story of his unexpected entrance into the polo community, which transformed his life and led him to the USPA.

What is your equestrian background and how did you become involved in polo? I had little-to-no equestrian background 15 years ago when I began playing polo, but my daughter and her mother, Jennifer, are both equestrians. Jennifer has been riding since she was a child and our 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

JUDITH COLEMAN

Del Walton, Dean Kleronomos, Bob McMurtry and Charles Todd won the 2018 Wine Down Wednesday Cup.

youngest daughter, Taylor, knew she wanted to be a professional show jumper at 10 years old. We homeschooled her all through high school so she could compete year-round and she had the opportunity to work with and for many top trainers, including several Olympic medalists. She even spent a year in Belgium. Jennifer manages Windridge Farm and Taylor is head trainer and continues to compete at the Grand Prix level. In 2004, I happened to be with Jennifer and Taylor shopping at a tack store. Looking for something to do, I was reading the bulletin board and I saw an ad that said if you can sit on a horse we can teach you to play polo for free. I jokingly said to Jennifer this was something she could get me for Father’s Day that wouldn’t cost me a penny. Unbeknownst to me she took down the number, signed me up for lessons and six weeks later I was hooked! Excited for the next step, I asked the polo instructor at the Barrington Hills Polo Club school how to continue and was told if I wanted to play I would need to buy a horse. Just two weeks later, I found myself in Florida where I bought three polo ponies and shipped them home. At the time, I didn’t have a truck and trailer so someone would pick me and my horses up and take me to polo each time I wanted to play. I progressed from club chukkers to the 8-goal and 12-goal leagues in three years, still playing two of those first three horses I bought. 10 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

Tell us more about the three horses that started your polo career. I was very much a beginner when I bought my first horses, having only taken six weeks of polo lessons. I purchased an old mare named Coca that had played everything and was a fantastic teacher. Not only did I learn to play on her, but my daughter and son-in-law did as well. The only stipulation when I bought her was that when I was finished playing her, she had to be returned to her original owner so she could retire at the farm. I bought another horse named Angus at the same time, which I rapidly outgrew in that first year. The third horse, Don, was well above my riding ability. But, Jennifer and Colleen Smith, Don’s owner, said take him home for the summer and at the end if I liked him I could buy him and if not I could ship him back. I ended up loving Don and I played him in the 8 goal for years, retiring him in Aiken.

What attracted you to the role of circuit governor? I was attracted to the role because I am passionate about polo and growing the sport. Former Central Circuit Governor Britt Baker asked if I would be interested in the position, and I spoke to Chuck Weaver and others about the role. I was told that I would meet great people, develop lifelong friendships, hear interesting stories and learn about the work of the USPA, which I was not very

U S PA B U L L E T I N

familiar with when I first accepted the role. Since joining, I’ve found what they told me to be incredibly true. The association is made up of an amazing group of people, and it’s unbelievable how much the USPA does. I had no idea until I went to my first Board of Governors and Annual Member Meeting and heard about all the work that the committees and volunteers do. It’s an honor to be part of our organization.

What have you accomplished for the Central Circuit that you are most proud of? In 2018, after several years of planning and lobbying the local clubs, we formed the Chicago Polo Association, which includes six USPA member clubs, 14 polo fields and private facilities, and seven arenas, five of which are covered, year-round facilities. What we are really trying to do is revive polo in the greater Chicagoland area. We have over 130 members in the Chicago area, but prior to the CPA, they were isolated within their own clubs and there wasn’t a lot of interaction. The goal of the CPA is to bring all those players together to offer a variety of polo options. Currently, we have two polo schools (North and South), a 0- to 3-goal, fourchukker league, and in 2019, we formed the Chicago Polo 8-goal League that hosted five tournaments, featuring four to five teams each and as many as eight to 10 pros. We also had 12-goal match games, three USPA women’s tournaments and five USPA arena tournaments. The CPA’s goal is to continue to bring all those players together, organize practices, take advantage of all the great fields and arenas available to us and make sure there are options so that the members can play where, when and at whatever level they want. Like most of the USPA, our player demographic includes men, women, young and old players. One challenge we face is many of our sponsors currently carrying the burden of the 8- and 12-goal leagues are getting older and we need to bring more new people into the sport to make polo sustainable, both by increasing the number of players and bringing in younger players. We also have a great venue in Oak Brook Polo Club [Oak Brook, Illinois], which attracts a large, regular spectator base on Sundays and is doing a great job with marketing and social media. We need to keep drawing people out to that venue and the other public venues to get more exposure to the sport and bring in new players. We have several new sponsors this year and we have new players that

bought horses in year one. They are going for it and jumping in with both feet. We have an exciting plan for the 2020 CPA season. We will be offering both 12-goal and 8-goal league play. We will have multiple women’s tournaments, arena tournaments, a low-goal fourchukker league, youth polo and multiple polo schools. And, we will be hosting the 2020 National Youth Tournament Series Championships with the final being played at the historic Oak Brook Polo Club.

What plans do you have to improve service to the Central Circuit? I haven’t done a great job of traveling within the circuit to visit member clubs due to the fairly significant time commitment dedicated to getting the Chicago Polo Association going in 2018 and 2019. I have played in Milwaukee [Wisconsin], Minnesota and Peoria [Illinois], but I don’t travel as much as I should. I have a new lieutenant governor, Randy Caldwell, who I’ve tasked with visiting clubs to get the USPA word out. He’s a relatively new player, playing for a few years in Chicago at the lower levels, but he’s enthusiastic about his role within the association.

Why are you so passionate about polo? When I discovered polo 15 years ago, I gave up all my other hobbies. I think what drew me first to polo was the adrenaline rush and the thrill factor of the sport. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, the adrenaline rush is still there every time you step onto the field. Once you become involved you find out that it’s a sport of continual learning. The better you get, the more strategy you can put into your play and your horse selection. The horses are such an important part of the experience that you can’t help but to be passionate about them. For me, the most important thing, aside from the adrenaline rush, is the social aspect of the game. Polo is also about the people you meet and the comradery you build before and after the game. If I just showed up to the field, played and jumped into the car and went home, I wouldn’t love it as much as playing, then hanging out afterwards for an asado and a beer while talking with people about polo and their lives. It’s the comradery and friendship you get from the sport that makes it the lifestyle that it is. If you would like to contact Bob about your club, reach him at bobmcm21@gmail.com. • POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 11

INSTRUCTORS FORUM

Eyes wide open A big component of hitting the ball well is visual by Adam Snow

Hitting the ball well is certainly one of the fundamentals of playing well. If every time our mallet makes contact with the ball is essentially a pass—either to a teammate, to oneself, or through the goalposts—then it stands to reason that the better we execute our passes, the better we can play the game. For me, a big component of hitting the ball well is visual—both seeing my preferred pass and, then, looking well at the ball. In other words: the quality of my focus on the ball combined with a sense of where I want to send it. At different points of my career, I found that different strategies proved more effective. So, it becomes a never-ending challenge of refining what works best for you here and now ... or the next time you get to go onto the field. There are many variables related to hitting the ball well. Certain horses “give us the ball big,” by which I mean that it looks, and therefore is, easy to hit. This pony is typically balanced and low, and rates well—all things that contribute to the proper timing. Another important factor is your riding. With a quiet lower body and legs snug to your horse, you can be confident in your ability to arrive to a spot on time, and hitting the ball well becomes easier. A good grip, holding the handle with your fingers spread (like a musical instrument not a club) allows for everything to line up at the nadir of your swing, and also for the bottom of the mallet head to be consistently flush with the surface of the turf as it sweeps through the ball. Playing with a mallet that feels (and sounds) good—balanced, but also with a cigar that makes a crisp sound (tak!) on contact—is a confidence builder that helps you swing easy. And let’s not forget about arriving to the ball with a little time and space! When preparing for a tournament, one thing I choose not to dwell on a whole lot is swing mechanics. Admittedly, I may tweak something here or there, emphasize plane and follow-through when coaching, and I always watch what good players are doing; but fiddling with my own stroke is pretty low on my list of priorities for hitting the ball well. There are several reasons for this. First, the same fundamentals essential to baseball, tennis, or particularly golf swings, are generally applicable to polo. So, if a player is interested in generating more torque, the studies are readily available. With the helter-skelter nature of 12 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

our sport, not to mention the shifting, galloping platforms, your swings are constantly adapting. And I also believe the swing I developed as a kid on a bike, with a little mallet in my hand, is by and large my swing today. So, trusting this stroke (actually forgetting it) is, in my opinion, the way to pass the ball most effectively. That’s why I choose to emphasize timing (and trust) over mechanics. And this means using my eyes. With all sports I played, I have always been conscious of zooming in and out. Zoom out (and look around) for awareness about positioning of your teammates and your opponents; zoom in to focus on executing the specific play at hand. But how about after we are zoomed in? I have the ball, my teammate is open for a pass, laying it in front of her will create a scoring opportunity for my team. What is the process from here? With time and space, I pick a target in front of my teammate. This is usually a divot, a piece of manure, or a discolored spot on the grass, or—in the case of a longer pass (remember that, here, pass means to a teammate, to myself, or through the goalposts!)—a tree branch at the end of the field. Then, my eyes return to the ball. Without time and space, I just look at the ball. How do you know where to hit it, if you aren’t able to look up and pick a target? In the above scenario, you at least have a sense of where on the field your teammate is open for the pass. My advice is to trust that sense and focus on hitting the ball well. In the other two pass options—to yourself or through the goalposts—you do know where they are. In other words, I’d rather hit the ball well with only a general, intuited sense of a target, than hit it poorly with a precise target in my mind’s eye. Now, with mallet back and ready, and your horse arriving to the ball, comes the moment of truth. The moment for execution. Where are your eyes? For longer passes that require some loft (this includes 60yard shots), I look for the bottom of the ball. This is the point where the ball becomes obscured by the grass it lies on, and often there is a wedge-shaped shadow there. If I can find a blemish or logo on the bottom half of the ball, so much the better. When I’m passing the ball to myself at speed, I look for a spot on the middle of the ball, and take it a little earlier.

INSTRUCTORS FORUM

Adam Snow is a former 10-goal player with two U.S. Open titles in his nearly three decades as a professional player. He was named Player of the Year by this magazine in 1997 and 2003 and was inducted into the Polo Hall of Fame in 2014.

DAVID LOMINSKA/POLOGRAPHICS

Then, like all hand-eye sports, comes the challenge of not popping-up to see where it went, and keeping your head down through contact. Try to see the moment your mallet strikes the ball, and then hold that spot with your eyes, enjoying it even, while your ball flies to its target. To paraphrase the late, great Javier Novillo Astrada, from his “Sidelines” interview on penalty shooting: “For my best 60-yard penalty shots, I don’t see the ball again until it is passing over the goal line.” I love this! He’s keeping his head down for 60 yards of the ball’s flight and trusting—or at least not worrying about—where it’s going. Let it go. It sounds easier than it is. And that’s one reason that there are myriad strategies for this process. Unlike golf, where the volumes of ball-hitting literature fill shelves at the bookstore, the polo community tends to pass these techniques along by word of mouth and, then, only sparingly to teammates and friends. Here are a few of those strategies you can practice on your stick and ball field: • Imagine a straight line (maybe a total of 12-16 inches) passing through the ball in the direction of your intended pass and then concentrate on swinging, and following through, along this line; • Pick a spot on the grass 6 inches in front of the ball (in line with your target) and focus on sending the ball over this spot; • Image the perfect pass to your target before executing it. Once I’m zoomed-in with eyes on the ball, my strategy for keeping my head down through the swing is to hit it and listen. The sound of contact usually tells me all I need to know about the quality of my pass. If it feels good and sounds good, it’s usually headed where I want. See the pass. Look at the ball. Hit it and listen. When alone, I practice this sequence by stick and balling with two balls. There is always a target out front, and it’s easy to vary the difficulty by moderating speed and distance. If I have a partner to stick and ball with, I like to play one-touch passes back and forth. This involves shifting focus, preparing before the ball, and hitting lag passes a certain distance. If that partner can be a teammate, even better, because these are the passes we want to execute on game day. The last MLB player to bat above 400%, Ted Williams, said, “Hitting is 50% above the shoulders.” During a polo game, there tends to be a lot going on up above our shoulders. My strategy is to use my eyes. They serve to focus the rest of my body and maximize my chances of hitting the ball where and how I want. See the pass. Look at the ball. Hit it and listen. My tip for the day. •

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ASK AN UMPIRE

Rules 1 and 33 What can players ask an umpire without drawing a penalty?

This month nobody is interested in chatting about polo rules. I understand that with all the uncertainty going around, everyone is focused on their jobs or businesses. I know these are crazy times but we will get back to normal—our older generations got back to normal after the world wars and that was much worse than what we are experiencing. I feel the stress of the uncertainty just like the rest of the world and I don’t know what to do with it. So, I’m just going to do my part—like our parents did their part when they faced

Communication with the umpire is limited to the team captain asking about procedural matters.

adversity and their parents and so on. What do you think got us to the great lives and high standard of living we all (rich and poor) now live? They went through things and came out the other side. So, right now, I’m going to chat with you about the rules, mostly because I’m tired of chatting about the virus and political economics. Not only am I going to ask the question this month, I am going answer it. This is a question I get every time I engage players off the field and they begin to feel comfortable with me—like I might be

14 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

human or something. I’m not human by the way, I’m an umpire—never forget that. (that’s a joke—you’ll forget it). Players seem to be arguing with the umpires all the time, especially in the high goal. Players act as though the umpires have no idea what they are calling. Even more strange is that players on both teams in the same game are doing this. Somebody must wrong, right? Actually, it’s just part of the polo culture and it’s part of competitive sports. According to the USPA rules, what are players actually permitted to ask the umpire? Also, as a practical matter, what will umpires allow before they issue a yellow card or penalty? Every player wants to know the answer to these questions without finding out the hard way. The rules that cover this question are Rule 1 and Rule 33. I listed the relevant parts on the opposite page for your reference. Basically, each team has a captain. The team captain is the only one who is allowed to talk to the umpire. He or she is limited to procedural matters only. Now this gets fun because the rulebook does not define procedural matters, but we can define it. Google defines it as an established method of doing something. That’s true. It is the way we do something that does not involve independent judgement. For polo, we define it specifically as things that do not involve the judgment of the umpire. To be very specific, it is the following: the score is wrong, the time clock is wrong, time out for tack or injury (horse or player) and an instant replay challenge to a call—that’s it. Fouls and ball placement require the judgment of the umpire, so they are off the table. Players still try to influence the umpire and argue ball placement or the foul most of the time. Remember, only the captain can ask and it can only be about those four procedural items. With that being said, umpires are human and they have ears so they may respond to the players. The professional umpires are trained to give a brief answer to a question, any question, and move on. They try not to respond to statements or obnoxious behavior.

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Rule 1-Teams a. There shall be four players on each team to start every game, subject only to the provisions of Rule 1.d below. Each team shall designate one player as its Captain, who shall have the sole right to represent the team and to discuss with the Umpire(s) procedural matters arising during the game. Other players on either team may request a time out from the Umpire(s) when allowed elsewhere in these rules or the Tournament Conditions. (See Rule 21.d, f, g; Tournament Conditions, Section VIII (“Instant Replay”).)

Rule 33 Unsportsmanlike Conduct a. Unsportsmanlike conduct, including but not limited to the following, shall not be permitted. • Appealing to the Umpires or Officials

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• Unwelcome talking to an Umpire

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• Disrespectful attitude toward any official, player, coach, or spectator • Arguing with Umpire(s) or other officials • Inappropriate behavior by any member of a team organization *This is a partial list, limited to those items pertaining to disrespect to the umpire*

Rule 33 specifically prohibits unwanted talking by the players to the umpire. Once the umpire says, OK, that’s enough, then further talking is at the risk of a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct. That is it, plain and simple. The problems happen when different umpires allow varying amounts of talking from players who may not be the captain. That is where umpires can get themselves in trouble. The core of the problem actually rests with the team patrons. If we are being honest, power follows the flow of money. The team patrons have the power because they pay the professional players. If the patron wants quiet on the field, quiet is what he or she shall have. But, if the patron fails to control the professionals, then the umpires must deal with unruly professional players. As umpires, we deal with these issues constantly. It is all part of the game and we know that when we sign up. I have found the best way is to treat everyone the same and with respect regardless of their USPA status. I train my umpires to do the same. This way, we sleep well at night and do not expose ourselves to unwanted criticism from those who wish to use politics to influence the umpiring. It’s a tough road with few friends. Umpires prefer to live beyond reproach rather than have friends at work. We have friends outside of work. OK, I really have only one friend from law school but he’s really nice. What we do have is a good sense of humor and a great lifestyle enjoying our contribution to the sport and the horses we love so much. Good luck out there umpiring and remember the players will chat you up as much you allow. Maybe that’s a good thing, maybe not so much. It is what it is. See you around the country. • 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

High anxiety Several situations can lead your horse to be stressed By Heather Smith Thomas

STRESS is a part of life—for horses and humans.

Horses are herd animals and do best with friends in sight and forage in front of them most of the time.

Adversities challenge our minds and bodies and different individuals deal with it in different ways. Physical and mental stresses in small doses can make us stronger. Stress can be insignificant if temporary and short term. How the body reacts to stress (with production of cortisol and other hormones) can be helpful in the short term, helping the horse (or human) focus on the problem at hand. The horse stressed by fear of a predator can run faster, for instance. If he’s stressed by a winter storm his body goes into survival mode and he can go without feed a bit longer, until the blizzard ends and he can go back to grazing again. If stress is prolonged, however, the very things that enable the body to endure the shortterm adversity start to become detrimental instead of helpful. Cortisol production (a natural steroid) triggered by stress begins to hinder the immune system. Prolonged stress can lead to illness (opportunistic diseases take advantage of the depressed immunity), ulcers and other bad things. In nature, stresses for the horse were usually temporary. The herd sensed danger, became alarmed and fled, outrunning the predator, and then relaxed and went back to grazing again. The wind-whipped rain or snow that drove them to shelter behind a hill, out of the wind, lasted for part of a day and then subsided. Only a long-term stress like severe drought or a bad winter and subsequent starvation was truly detrimental. Our domesticated horses, however, have more to deal with than what Mother Nature throws at them, and stress can often be a negative factor in their

16 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

lives. Sometimes the effects of stress are obvious (the horse gets “shipping fever” after a long transport, or a group of newly-weaned foals—stressed by the weaning—get sick with influenza), but often the effects of stress are subtle; we may not always recognize them unless they result in poor performance, stereotypic behavior or ulcers. There are many stressors in our horse’s lives, and not all horses react the same way in how they deal with stress. Weather Horses adapt to changes of season, growing longer, thicker hair for winter and putting on a layer of insulating fat under the skin. In summer, they’ve shed out and grown shorter hair and the circulatory system adapts—bringing blood closer to the skin surface to help dissipate core body heat and help facilitate sweating. In natural conditions horses can usually handle the stress of cold weather or summer’s heat. When humans enter the picture, however, we often add to these stresses by how we use and manage our horses. We may haul horses from a warmer southern climate to a colder northern climate and they have trouble making a fast adjustment, not having had a chance to grow a winter hair coat. Horses moved from Florida or Texas to Minnesota or Wyoming may have a tough time that first winter (and be more vulnerable to illness). It may take a year before they fully adapt to the seasons in their home. The same is true for horses going from a colder climate to a warm one; they may suffer heat stress or lose the ability to sweat properly (anhidrosis). How we use our horses may also increase the effects of weather stress. If we keep horses blanketed in winter, or clip them so we don’t have to dry a long winter coat after exercise and sweating, they may chill more readily. Likewise, if we use them hard in summer, they may suffer heat stress due to fatigue and dehydration. Transportation All horses are stressed by travel, especially if it involves a long time in transport, but some are

E Q U I N E AT H L E T E

stressed more than others. The circumstances of shipping may make a difference in the level of stress, and the physiological impact of that stress. Horses that are stressed too much are more likely to become ill. Multiple studies have shown that confining horses to a trailer for long periods of time has detrimental effects on the respiratory system. The longer the trip, the more likely the horse may end up with a variety of problems--infections like shipping fever or pleuritis, or impaction. Horses generally don’t drink well when traveling. Many of them are too stressed, even though it might not be obvious they are stressed, and won’t relax enough to drink, or might not want to drink strange water at a rest stop, and thus dehydrate during travel. Some won’t eat well during a long trip, because they are stressed. Several studies have shown that transport in itself is a stressful event for horses. Two indicators of stress are a rise in heart rate and blood cortisol concentrations. The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratios change; there is usually a decrease in lymphocytes when horses are transported. These are the cells necessary for a good immune response. Carolyn Stull, PhD (University of CaliforniaDavis) and Dr. Anne Rodiek (California State University-Fresno) worked on several research projects involving transport, one of which was to study physiology of horses during 24 hours of transport and the 24 hours of recovery after transport. The results of this study were publicized in 2003. The horses’ physiological responses during travel and during recovery (resting in individual stalls) were documented, to see how quickly they returned to normal. Body weight, rectal temperature, white blood count, hydration and other factors were measured. The horses lost about 6% of their body weight during transit, due to sweat loss and decreased gut fill (eating less than normal), but they all recovered about half of this weight loss during the 24-hour rest period after transit. Hematocrit and total protein concentrations increased during transit, which is an indication of dehydration, but these measurements returned to normal during the 24-hour recovery period. Stress levels can also be measured by checking cortisol levels in the blood. This hormone (produced by the adrenal glands in response to triggering mechanisms originating in the hypothalamus, and passed to the adrenal glands via the pituitary) is generally a good indicator of stress. The concentration of cortisol in the 15 study horses increased during loading into the transport van and contin-

ued to rise during the 24 hour travel, peaking at the end of the trip. After the horses were unloaded, their cortisol levels dramatically dropped. Since cortisol hinders the immune system, its influence can be measured by the ratio of two types of white blood cells (neutrophils and lymphocytes) instrumental in fighting disease. This ratio in the study horses increased during transit and did not return to normal by the end of the 24-hour rest period. The fact it takes longer than this to recover from the effects of stress may be one reason why horses are susceptible to illness following long transport. In newer studies, investigators continued to look at markers of stress such as increased heart rate during transport. Increased heart rate is probably an indicator for stress, but horses are all different. Some of them travel well and some don’t. One study showed that horses can be habituated to travel, and horses accustomed to traveling have lower heart rates than ones that were inexperienced.

Travel can stress some horses more than others. The longer the trip, the more likely the problems.

Social Stress Horses are social creatures and herd animals. In the wild they lived and traveled in groups. A finetuned social structure was essential to their daily (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

THAT’S HEAD THE BREAKS Shortened season Subhead ends in injury for some

zie Weisz was enjoying a terrific season, playing with Las Monjitas in the 22-goal Gauntlet of Polo at International Polo Club Palm Beach. The team won the C.V. Whitney Cup, the first of three events, and was doing well in the Gold Cup. But on March 8, in its game against Dutta Corp, Weisz fell off his horse with a minute left in the second chukker, landing hard on his feet and breaking his ankle. He was replaced by 3-goal Bautista Panelo for the rest of the match. The team ended up losing that match in surprising fashion but still topped its bracket and advanced to the quarterfinals. Panelo stayed on, helping the team win its quarterfinal match against Patagones. Weisz was on the sidelines, cheering on the team. Las Monjitas was set to play in the semifinal when the season was cut shortly. Hopefully, Mackenzie will be back in the saddle if and when the semifinal is rescheduled. Las Monjitas is the only team eligible to win the 2020 Gauntlet of Polo and the $1 million in prize money. A few days earlier, former 7-goaler Negro Aguero was helping flag a Gold Cup game between Cessna and Coca Cola when two players came running off the field on either side of him. He was unable to get out of the way and was run over, resulting in a dislocated shoulder and a compound fracture of his leg. He was airlifted to a hospital. He has a long road ahead of him but was reportedly in good spirits and is expected to make a full recovery. On the West Coast, 4-goal Maco Llambias was playing at Eldorado Polo Club in Indio, California, when he and his horse fell on Feb. 26. Llambias was playing for Antelope in the Fish Creek 8-goal. The team was on a winning streak after winning the Mack and Madelyn Jason final—with Llambias being named MVP—and had made it to the final of both the Beal and Fish Creek 8-goals. In the fifth chukker of the latter, while on a run downfield, someone apparently inadvertently bumped into him, causing his horse to fall. He left the game and was replaced by Marcos Alberdi. Llambias had broken his wrist, requiring surgery to have a plate and screws put in. Best wishes to each of these players. On the bright side, if you had to pick a time to have surgery or a lengthy recovery, this is probably the best time. KERRY KERLEY

DAVID LOMINSKA/POLOGRAPHICS

WHILE THE coronavirus cut many players’ seasons short, for a few, it also ended in injury. Macken-

Above: Mackenzie Weisz Right: Maco Llambias

18 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

POLO SCENE

TEXAS TECH Raffle, auction help raise needed funds

T THE MOST RECENT Texas Arena League event at Legend’s Horse Ranch’s East Texas Polo Club in Kaufman, Texas, the Texas Tech Polo Club came out to participate and hold fundraising events. League sponsor Jackrabbit Tack and Consignment donated a NOCSAE certified Charles Owen helmet to be raffled off, and an online silent auction was held for a variety of items donated by Tackeria, Andrea Womble Russo, Wyatt Myr, Elite Motion & Performance, Owen Family, Casablanca Polo, Corey Schlensker, Cargill, Robin Sanchez and more. Texas Tech Polo Club is an entirely student-based, run and financed program. Club member Amelia Fisher wrote, “[We] love giving people from all backgrounds and equine experience levels the opportunity to learn horsemanship and become experienced in the polo discipline.” The fundraisers help the club meet its financial goals for the year. It is usually held during one of the last legs of the Texas Arena League, however the global pandemic forced the club to move the auction online. The club’s facilities were located on property owned by its coach Clyde Waddell, who passed away four years ago. Since then, club members and alumni have been looking for a way to purchase the property. Fortunately, the property was recently purchased by Denny Yates, the father of Texas Tech alumna Ashley Yates Owen, with the intention of keeping the Texas Tech Polo Club going for future generations. The property will be managed by Owen and her husband Ryan Owen, also an alumnus. Both continue to play polo and are actively involved in the Tech Polo Alumni Association. The Owens are looking for club members, alumni and supporters to help improve the property and make it a top-rated program. Plans include cleaning up the property; improving the guest parking area; enlarging the arena and improving the footing; improving the lighting; improving the buildings; and creating a memory wall. If you would like to help the program in any way, please contact Ashley at ttpaa2016@gmail.com. Tax deductible donations can be made to the Texas Tech Polo Alumni Association, a 501c (3) non-profit organization. The Texas Tech team members

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 19

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

Senior living High schoolers qualifier for NIC in their last year By Haley Heatley

Meet the seniors of the Interscholastic Championship:

2020

National

Matteo Chaux Gardnertown Polo Club Team Coaches Bill Dencker and Danny Scott Chaux expressed interest in riding and tried his hand at polo for the first time at Gardnertown Farms. His first passion was for horses, but as time went on his love for the sport began to grow. After his first year playing, Chaux traveled to Estancia Don Manual in Cañuelas, Argentina. After a few days in the saddle, polo quickly became the only thing he wanted to do. Chaux plans on attending Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City to study fashion design. Though there is no polo at FIT, Chaux will continue to play club chukkers at Gardnertown and travel to Florida to play when he is able. Joanie Jackson Houston Polo Club Girls’ Team Coach Mark Prinsloo Jackson’s journey to polo began in the saddle. After riding for many years at the Houston Polo Club, Jackson quickly became a polo player through the well-developed step-up program created by Prinsloo. Jackson has been a member of the Houston Polo Club Girls’ Team for six years. She intends on attending Texas A&M University and continuing to play polo.

Matteo Chaux

For high school seniors across the country, the United States Polo Association National Interscholastic Championship marks the culmination of months and years of hard work and practice. With a mix of the players planning to play at college in the fall and others taking a pause in their polo, the national games are fueled by excitement, tough competition and an unrivaled camaraderie. The 2020 United States Polo Association National Interscholastic Championship is currently postponed, but the accomplishments of the six graduating seniors who made it to the final tournament must not be overlooked. 20 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

Cara Kennedy Houston Polo Club Girls’ Team Coach Mark Prinsloo Kennedy grew up riding but began to lose interest as she approached middle school. A lucky meeting between Joanie Jackson and Kennedy at summer camp turned the tables. A persuasive Jackson convinced her newly-found friend to join her at polo school in the fall. Kennedy went on to play for the Houston Polo Club Girls’ Team for six years. She plans on playing with the intercollegiate team at Texas A&M where she will attend college in the fall.

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

Houston Polo Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s April Galindo, Joanie Jackson, Grace Mudra, Coach Mark Prinsloo, Cara Kennedy, Bridget Price and Steven Armour. Jackson and Kennedy are seniors.

Alana Benz Maui Polo Club Team Coach Herman-Louis Decoite Benzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifelong passion for riding began in the hunter jumper arena but slowly morphed into an obsession for polo. At age 13, she took a polo lesson to try her hand at a new equestrian activity and immediately fell in love with the sport. Benz has been a member of the Maui Polo Club Team for five years. She plans to continue playing polo in college at the University of Virginia.

Niklaus Felhaber began playing polo after his uncle acquired a polo club in El Paso. Felhaber began playing at Rancho Naranjo before joining the Prestonwood Team. He recently rejoined his family on the Rancho Naranjo Team while finishing out his final year in the interscholastic program. Felhaber will attend Blinn College in the fall. Senior Alana Benz and her parents

Taylor Palacios Gardnertown Polo Club Team Coaches Bill Dencker and Danny Scott Palacios was introduced to polo by Mario Dino at the Saratoga Polo Club where he played with the Bloomfield Polo Team. Palacios and Matteo Chaux played against each other since Middle School, but as seniors found themselves donning the same Gardnertown jersey. Palacios is currently waiting to hear from several universities with polo programs and is eager to continue playing. Niklaus Felhaber Rancho Naranjo Team Coach Yvonne Golston The Felhaber family shares a passion for polo. POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 21

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

Gardnertown’s Bill Dencker, Taylor Palacios, Vlad Tarashansky, Jonathan Wallace, Matteo Chaux and Danny Scott. Palacios and Chaux are seniors.

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES! Most fun opponent Chaux: The most fun opponent this year has been the Cornell men’s team. We played them three times this year and every time was better than the last. The horses are amazing, and I can’t complain about the heated arena. The game is always fast and the players are very competitive. There is a lot to learn from after every game. Kennedy: We frequently play against the Houston boys’ team for practice. Over the years it has turned pretty competitive and entertaining. Pre-game prep Kennedy: I like to spend time with the horses. After tacking them up, I usually have a snack and hang out at the chairs to calm down. Benz: I listen to music, braid my hair and drink a lot of caffeine! Then I will warm up and stretch. Palacios: It is very important to me that before every game my boots are cleaned and polished. It is equally necessary to have maté with my teammates and friends before my games. It’s a nice relaxing ritual. Usually, my whole team will do these two things together. 22 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

Felhaber: Get a good night’s rest and a good breakfast. Favorite place to travel to play Palacios: Playing in the Northeast, you’re forced to play most games in the cold so it’s always fun to go and play in the heated arena at Cornell along with using their very talented string of ponies. Chaux: I loved going to Texas last year and playing. The arena is much larger than what I am used to and being in Texas makes everything better. You also get to spend a lot of time with your teammates and the other teams, which I enjoy just as much as the competition. Felhaber: Prestonwood Polo Club Kennedy, Jackson and Benz were all in agreement as to their favorite place to play: ERG! Favorite team horse Chaux: My favorite team horse is Minga. She used to be Chris Green’s horse, and I had the privilege of riding her during most of the summer and this season. In my opinion, she is the best horse on and off the field. She does everything you want her to do and puts everything into the game. Jackson: In Houston, each person contributes their own personal horses to the team string. My

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

Prestonwood’s coach Vaughn Miller, Niklaus Felhaber, Johann Felhaber and Vance Miller. Niklaus Felhaber is graduating this spring.

favorite horse of mine to play in the arena is Oso. Even though he’s pretty big, he’s very handy and has a big bump. He’s a really fun horse to play. Kennedy: Luna is my favorite horse because she’s super handy and I can always trust her. Benz: My favorite horse is my horse named Liko. He is pretty big but very fast, quick and agile for his size. Liko is very strong in ride-offs and so smooth going flat out. Felhaber: Colibre, he has the heart of a champion. Favorite part of playing I/I tournaments Palacios: When playing I/I you become good friends with your team as well as your opponents. It becomes your family. I enjoy spending time with the other teams both on and off the field. Benz: My favorite aspect of attending and playing an I/I tournament is the ability to travel with my team and test ourselves against the other best high school teams across the nation. I love the challenge of playing on a different field and riding different horses. Kennedy: Definitely the people. Over the years I’ve gotten so many chances to meet players all over the country and become friends with them.

Chaux: The competition is my favorite aspect of attending and playing in I/I tournaments. Nothing makes me more nervous and excited as competing with really competitive teams. I also love riding different horses. You find some of the best horses in I/I tournaments, and the best part is, the next time you play against that team, you already know exactly which horses you want to ride. Funny I/I memories Kennedy: We have a tradition where the whole team has to jump in the lake at ERG when we win an I/I tournament. Most of the time it’s freezing! Benz: At regionals this year, our first game got rained out so we had to drive two hours to a different area the next day to play a round robin final. We were pretty stressed but just blasted music the whole ride, sang along and had a lot of fun. We were so excited for the game by the time we got there and we won! Palacios: At our first regionals at UConn, all of the teams hung out together at the hotel and ordered Chinese food. We had a great night spending time with the other teams. We woke up the next morning to play and found out one of the players had food poisoning! The food poisoning was not funny, but ever since then we all have a good laugh, suggesting that we would get him some Chinese food. • POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 23

Adjourned Women’s tournament shelved for now By Gwen Rizzo

Rocking P’s Milly Hine pushes Iconica’s Malia Bryan off the ball.

24 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

Eight teams of some of the world’s best female players lined up to compete in the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship from March 12-21. The preliminary matches were played at Port Mayaca Polo Club in Okeechobee, Florida, while the final was scheduled for International Polo Club Palm Beach. The tournament dates back to 1937 when the United States Women’s Polo Association held the first women’s U. S. Open tournament at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. The 12-goal Pogonip team fell, 9-1, to the 25-goal Riviera team, which included Spencer Tracy’s wife, Louise, and actresses Dorothy Rodgers and Audrey Scott. The match drew the media, with the San Francisco CallBulletin reporting that Pogonip’s Barbara Worth was knocked dazed and bleeding under the legs of the ponies after getting hit in the face with a mallet. The following year, 10,000 people were reported to have attended the matches. The 1940 women’s U. S. Open Championship was the last USWPA tournament held. A Women’s U.S. Handicap Tournament was inaugurated in 1979 and was won by Carmel Valley’s

Brackett I

Brackett II

Rocking P Bridget Price Audry Persano Milly Hine Hazel Jackson

22 3 4 5 10

Cowdray Vikings Lila Pearson Clara Cassino Seppe Mia Novillo Astrada Gillian Johnston

22 2 7 7 6

Dundas Sarah Siegel-Magness Sarah Wiseman Hope Arellano Erica Gandomcar-Sachs

22 2 8 7 5

San Saba/Polo Gear Grace Mudra Dawn Jones Lia Salvo Clarissa Echezarreta

22 2 6 8 6

Hawaii Polo Life 22 Sierra Dunbar 2 Pamela Flanagan 4 Mia Cambiaso 8 Candelaria Fernández Araujo 8

BTA/The Villages Kylie Sheehan Paige Boone KC Krueger Tiffany Busch

22 5 5 6 6

Mint Eco Car Wash Catlin Dix Cecelia Cochran Isabelle Parsons Lottie Lamacraft

Iconica Maureen Brennan Milagros Sánchez Meghan Shader Malia Bryan

21 5 7 4 5

22 4 5 7 6

ALEX PACHECO

Cowdray Vikings’ Clara Cassino Seppe battles Mint Eco Car Wash’s Lottie Lamacraft in Round 2. Cowdray Vikings won, 7-4.

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 25

BTA/The Villages’ Tiffany Busch

26 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

ALEX PACHECO

The tournament has been held at Houston each year until 2019 when it was moved to South Florida. This year, the tournament began with a draw party on March 5 at International Polo Club Palm Beach. The teams were divided into two brackets, with preliminary matches beginning on March 12. Defending champion Hawaii Polo Life returned with half of its lineup: Mia Cambiaso and Pamela Flanagan. The 2018 champion, Rocking P returned with half of its lineup in Bridget Price and Hazel Jackson, one of only three 10-goal women players worldwide. These teams played off in the first preliminary match on March 11, with Rocking P

ALEX PACHECO

Sue Sally Hale and her daughters Sunny and Stormie, along with Susie Welker. It was held every year since then, with few exceptions, until 2017. It was not played for a period between 2003-2011. In 1990, Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, held a one-time USPA-sanctioned U.S. Women’s Open. Sunny Hale was instrumental in bringing it back after two decades when it was held at the Houston Polo Club in Houston, Texas, in 2011. Prior to today’s women’s handicaps, it was played at the 4- to 6-goal level. It was part of the club’s annual Ladies Championship tournament, an event that drew 16 teams playing in one of four levels.

Hawaii Polo Life’s Pamela Flanagan duels with Kendall Plank, who was filling in for an injured Dawn Jones on the San Saba/Polo Gear team. Hawaii won 8-1.

prevailing, 6-4. The next day, Dundas topped Mint Eco Car Wash, 7-4. Cowdray Vikings narrowly edged BTA/The Villages, 4-3, in its first match while San Saba/Polo Gear edged Iconica, 6-4, to finish out the first round. The second round began on a busy March 16, with BTA/The Villages getting a 6-4 win over Dundas while Cowdray Vikings captured its second victory, 7-4, over Mint Eco Car Wash. Later in the day, Rocking P counted its second win with an 8-5 defeat of Iconica while Hawaii Polo Life sunk San Saba/Polo Gear, 8-1.

Rocking P and Cowdray Vikings were the only teams to go undefeated to that point and participated in a shootout to determine first and second place going into the semifinals scheduled for March 19. Hawaii Polo Life and BTA/The Villages also had a shootout to determine third and fourth place heading into the semis. Hawaii Polo Life won the shootout so it was scheduled to face Rocking P while BTA/The Villages would go up against Cowdray Vikings. That was until coronavirus suddenly ended the season. The USPA has announced it hopes to complete the tournament in late January 2021. •

Dundas’ Hope Arellano and Mint Eco Car Wash’s Cecelia Cochran cover each other closely while waiting for a pass in a Round 1 match. Dundas came out on top, 7-4.

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 27

28 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

Hold your horses Season suspended after coronavirus outbreak By Gwen Rizzo

Daily Racing Form’s Costi Caset reaches to hook Santa Clara’s Nachi Du Plessis in the quarterfinals.

The 22-goal USPA Gold Cup was well underway at International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida, when COVID-19 reared its ugly head. The 14 teams were divided into four brackets, playing off from Feb. 23 to March 10. Brackets 1 and II had four teams playing off within their brackets while Brackets III and IV had three teams each, playing cross bracket. La Indiana topped Bracket I with a 2-1 record, its only loss coming at the hands of Santa Clara. Pilot went undefeated, 3-0, topping Bracket II. Las Monjitas topped Bracket III with a 2-1 record, falling only to Dutta Corp in a surprising 20-11 match. Dutta topped Bracket IV after finishing undefeated. These teams advanced to the quarterfinals along with three teams with 2-1 records: Santa Clara, Park Place and Patagones. The remaining spot was filled after Daily Racing Form, Tonkawa, Coca Cola and Equuleus, all with 1-2 records, had a shootout. Jared Zenni was the only player to make all of his shots, allowing the all-pro Daily Racing Form team to advance. Meanwhile, with news of the coronavirus increasing, International Polo Club closed its doors to the public, limiting entrance to club members, game officials and teams and their staff. The quarterfinals began on March 14 with Santa Clara up against Daily Racing Form. Zenni put Daily Racing Form on the scoreboard with back-to-back goals in the first period. Santa Clara shot at goal twice but was unable to find the mark. Nachi Du Plessis sunk a Penalty 3 to put Santa Clara on the board, but Zenni converted a Penalty 4 in response. Du Plessis converted a Penalty 2 early in the third but Agustin Obregon answered with a field goal. Du Plessis added a goal of his own and Luis Escobar’s first tally knotted the score at 4-4 at the half. Costi Caset and Obregon scored the only goals of the fourth to put Daily Racing Form back in the lead. Santa Clara retaliated in the fifth with goals by Henry Porter, Matias Magrini and Du Plessis to take a first-time lead. It was short-lived, however, as Caset leveled the score at 7-all late in the chukker. Du Plessis scored early in the first to give Santa Clara the advantage. The teams fought hard to gain control, resulting in costly mistakes. Obregon nailed a Penalty 2 to tie the score, but a Penalty 1 put Santa Clara back on top. Obregon converted another Penalty 2 for the tie, and with time winding down, he split the uprights with a Penalty 3 just before the horn to give Daily Racing Form the win. The same day, Pilot took on Park Place. The teams traded goals in the first chukker, ending level at 2-2. Park Place was silenced in the next 14

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 29

DAVID LOMINSKA/POLOGRAPHICS DAVID LOMINSKA/POLOGRAPHICS

Above: Pilotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Curtis Pilot, Lucas Escobar, Gonzalo Pieres and Facundo Pieres Left: Las Monjitasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Pelon Stirling, Francisco Elizalde, Mackenzie Weisz and Camilo Bautista

minutes, as Pilot showed some of the brilliance that made it Gauntlet Champion last season. Brothers Gonzalito and Facundo Pieres combined for three goals in each chukker to take a convincing 8-2 lead at the half. Pilot capitalized on its fourth and fifth open-goal penalties in the fourth chukker, while Joaquin Panelo scored for Park Place. The momentum changed in the fifth period. Britos scored a Penalty 6, then the team was awarded a Penalty 1. Soon after, Bigatti made a run, splitting the uprights to bring the team within four goals, 106. Facundo Pieres added another goal for Pilot, giving the team a five-goal advantage with seven minutes left. Park Place would have to dig deep to overcome the deficit and it tried, but a costly mistake gave Pilot a Penalty 1, putting the game out of reach. Bigatti never gave up and added a pair of goals but it 30 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

Cessna:

wasn’t enough and Pilot advanced with a 12-8 win. We were hearing more and more about coronavirus becoming a threat to the U.S. That evening Trump declared a state of emergency over the outbreak, and the House passed an economic relief bill. Out of an abundance of caution, Apple announced it was closing its stores, Agusta National postponed golf’s Masters Tournament and the Boston Marathon was postponed. But it wasn’t all looking bleak: stocks, which had been volatile all week, made their biggest one-day gain since 2008. The club announced it was further tightening restrictions, prohibiting anyone but game officials and teams and their staff for the games. The next day, the undefeated Dutta Corp took on La Indiana in a foul-riddled match. A Penalty 3 from Facundo Obregon got the scoring started, and a Penalty 2 from Polito Pieres put La Indiana on the board. Pieres split the uprights to end the chukker with La Indiana ahead, 2-1. Obregon and Pieres traded Penalty 2s in the second. La Indiana missed two open-goal penalties but still held a narrow advantage, 4-3. Nino Obregon traded goals with Michael Bickford in the opening minutes of the third. Santiago Gomez Ramiro added another for La Indiana, but Facundo Obregon responded with a Penalty 2, ending the half with La Indiana holding a razor-edge lead, 6-5. Pieres made the most of a Penalty 4 and 2 early in the fourth. Later, Dutta found the mark to keep it close, 8-6. Nino Obregon cut the deficit to one in the fifth, but Pieres answered with a pair of goals, including a Penalty 4, to stretch the lead. A Penalty 1 late in the chukker kept Dutta in range. A Penalty 3 by Pieres in the sixth kept La Indiana in control. Dutta chipped away at the difference in the final minutes. Lucas Diaz Alberdi sunk a Penalty 4 and Facundo Obregon scored a Penalty 2. Only a single goal separated the teams but time wasn’t on Dutta’s side and La Indiana took the 11-10 win. Later that day, Las Monjitas challenged Patagones. Fran Elizalde kicked off the scoring, then he traded Penalty 3s with Tomas del Rio. Each team followed with Penalty 3s before 10-goal Pelon Stirling swapped goals with Geronimo Obregon in an exciting first chukker. The next seven minutes was all Las Monjitas. Elizalde found the mark, then Stirling capitalized on a Penalty 2. Bautista Panelo, filling in for an injured Mackenzie Weisz, scored his first goal, tripling up Patagones, 6-2. Las Monjitas didn’t let up in the third with Stirling sinking a pair of Penalty 2s and Elizalde trading goals with Santiago Toccalino to end the half, 9-3.

Chip Campbell Ezequiel Martinez Ferrario Felipe Marquez Nicolas Saenz

Coca Cola: Gillian Johnston Steve Krueger Nico Pieres Julian de Lussaretta

Daily Racing Form: Costi Caset Agustin Obregon Jared Zenni Tommy Collingwood

Dutta Corp: Timmy Dutta Lucas Diaz Alberdi Facundo Obregon Nino Obregon

Equuleus: Joe DiMenna/Aiden Meeker Iñaki Laprida Magoo Laprida Mariano Gonzalez

La Indiana:

21 2 7 7 5

22 1 4 9 8

22 5 6 6 5

22 3 6 6 7

22 0 7 8 7

Old Hickory Bourbon: Will Johnston Toro Ruiz Miguel Novillo Astrada Stevie Orthwein

Park Place: Andrey Borodin Alejandro Muzzio/Juan Britos Alfredo Bigatti Felipe Viana/Joaquin Panelo

Patagones: Geronimo Obregon Santi Toccalino Tomas Garcia del Rio Gonzalo Avendano

22 2 7 9 4

22 0 8 8 6

22 5 8 8 1

Pilot:

Curtis Pilot Lucas Escobar Facundo Pieres Gonzalo Pieres Jr.

0 2 10 10

Postage Stamp Farm:

Annabelle Gundlach/Felipe Tro Peke Gonzalez Mariano Aguerre Lerin Zubiaurre

Santa Clara:

0 6 8 8

Michael Bickford/J. Avendano 2 Jeff Hall/Facundo Obregon 6 Polito Pieres 10 Santi Gomez Romero 4

Henry Porter Matias Magrini Nachi Du Plessis Luis Escobar

3 7 8 4

Las Monjitas:

Tonkawa:

Camilo Bautista/ J.Whitman Mackenzie Weisz/B. Panelo Francisco Elizalde Pelon Stirling

0 3 9 10

Jeff Hildebrand Matias Gonzalez Cubi Toccalino Guillermo “Sapo” Caset

0 4 8 10

Patagones rallied in the second half, outscoring Las Monjitas 7-3. Del Rio scored a Penalty 2, then a goal while holding Las Monjitas to a goal from Panelo. Gonzalo Avendano sandwiched goals around one from teammate Geronimo Obregon while Las Monjitas was held to a Penalty 4 conversion. Patagones trailed, 11-8, going into the last seven minutes, but a goal by Panelo increased the difference. Avendano scored his third goal and a Penalty 2 by del Rio brought Patagones within two, 12-10, but the team ran out of time and Las Monjitas advanced to the semis. The teams that did not make the quarterfinal cut played off in a consolation Herbie Pennell Cup with a semifinal on March 17. Postage Stamp farm took on Coca Cola in the first game. It was a choppy POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 31

DAVID LOMINSKA/POLOGRAPHICS

La Indiana’s Michael Bickford, Jeff Hall, Polito Pieres and Santiago Gomez Romero

Daily Racing Form’s Tommy Collingwood, Jared Zenni, Agustin Obregon and Costi Caset

match laden with fouls. Peke Gonzalez started the scoring with a Penalty 4 but Gillian Johnston answered with back-to-back goals. A Penalty 3 by Nico Pieres put Coca Cola ahead, 3-1. Annabelle Gundlach and Steve Krueger traded goals and Gonzalez sunk a Penalty 2 in the second and a field goal early in the third to tie the score, 4-4. Pieres broke the tie with a Penalty 2 and a Penalty 1 gave Coca Cola a 6-4 lead at the half. Mariano Aguerre converted a Penalty 3 in the fourth, but Johnston answered with another goal. Postage Stamp took control in the fifth, scoring five goals while holding Coca Cola to a Penalty 4 from Pieres. Postage Stamp was ahead, 10-8, going into the last seven minutes. Postage Stamp tried to hold on to the momentum but Coca Cola capitalized on a pair of Penalty 4s, knotting the score and forcing overtime. Nico Pieres got the golden goal in extra time to give Coca Cola the win, 11-10. The next game had Tonkawa against Cessna. Sapo

32 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

Caset’s Penalty 2 conversion negated Cessna’s onegoal handicap. Cessna shot back with goals by Felipe Marquez and Ezequiel Ferrario. A goal by Jeff Hildebrand kept it close. Caset’s hat trick in the second gave Tonkawa a 5-3 lead. Caset traded goals with Nico Saenz in the third, ending the half with Tonkawa ahead, 6-4. Ferrario sandwiched goals around one from Caset to bring Cessna within one, 7-6. Caset and Ferrario traded goals in the fifth, maintaining the one-goal difference into the last chukker. Tonkawa shot at goal three times but was unable to find the mark. It didn’t matter, as it stopped all of Cessna’s drives to hang on for the win. Later that day, the USPA announced it was suspending all USPA events for 14 days and recommended clubs also suspended their events. A few days later, on March 21, the USPA announced it was cancelling the balance of the Gauntlet of Polo season. The last time the Open was not played for was when World War II halted it. “We anticipate rescheduling the balance of the 2020 USPA Gold Cup and the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship in late January 2021 prior to the start of the 2021 Gauntlet of Polo. We will be considering the feasibility of rescheduling the 2020 U.S. Open Polo Championship, as well as options for changing the handicap level of the pre-Gauntlet tournaments next winter. We will be reaching out to all the teams for input prior to finalizing these decisions,” a press release read. A week later, the USPA extended its suspension of all USPA tournaments and events throughout the month of April due to the ongoing health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic and recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and the White House to continue to cease all gatherings of more than 10 people. By early April, 46 states and Washington D.C. had closed all non-essential business. At press time, there were 2 million reported COVID-19 cases globally and the death toll had topped 121,000 and was expected to rise. Clubs across the globe began canceling polo scheduled for well into the summer. The Hublot Gold Cup in Gstaad, scheduled for mid-August, has already been cancelled. Britain’s Hurlingham Polo Association is following government guidelines and was still in lockdown at press time. When it is safe to play, it promised to give players and clubs at least a month’s notice before the start of any competitive tournament to allow players to arrive and prepare ponies and clubs can make necessary arrangements. It. is still unclear when polo in the U.S. will be able to begin. •

Keep moving Exercise regularly to be ready for polo season By Gwen Rizzo As the global pandemic hit, schools and businesses were shuttered. One by one polo events around the world were cancelled, and it is still unclear when the summer polo season might get underway. In the meantime, most of us have been holed up in our homes. While watching polo games

Martin Perez has transitioned his workouts from the polo field to online during the pandemic.

34 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

on TV and reading books might help bide the time away, it certainly doesn’t help the waistline. I recently spoke with Martin Perez from Fitness for Polo to get some tips on staying fit so you can be ready when the first polo ball is bowled in. Perez has worked as a personal trainer for all levels of polo players and equestrian athletes for decades. He has written books on fitness, contributed articles in equestrian magazines and taught fitness clinics at polo clubs around the world. In an effort to stay connected to his clients, he has adapted to the current situation by offering one-onone training sessions via Zoom, and recently began offering group training sessions. “At the moment, what I am doing is one-on-one with people. I train them live,” he explained. “So, I keep pushing you through the workout. I know what you have so if you tell me, I have two kettle bells and a mat for abs, then I can create a workout and a plan for the week with whatever material you have in your house. I make it as real as possible, like I am there. I keep pushing, I’ll keep counting the repetitions, taking down time and noting your progress.”

DEPOSIT PHOTOS

There is no doubt, having someone to work out with helps to keep you accountable and motivated. “The idea is to make it like nothing ever happened, like I am there,” Perez said. “I have already ‘transported’ all my clients to online training, which is going well. I am promoting my group workouts so everyone is able to join. Since I am currently in England, I set a time that works for almost everyone in the world. So, it is kind of the best for both continents. The idea is to start doing 30 minute workouts so people can get moving with something specific to their sport.” The group training lessons generally are held in the afternoon in Europe so they are in the morning for the U.S. and Argentina. Some of the group lessons are offered free of charge. “I am happy to give my time and help people to get in the best shape possible with these restrictions we are now living in,” he said. Not everyone has a home gym or even fitness equipment readily available to them, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t get a workout. Perez explained, “I never advise people to go and purchase equipment unless they tell me they don’t have a problem with money because trying to get some equipment can be very expensive. If you aren’t on a tight budget, I would recommend a stationary bike because it is something you can adjust the

resistance, it won’t take much space in your house and you can use it forever. “Something really cheap and easy, is resistance bands. Nowadays, you can find a set of five different resistance bands on Amazon for probably $20. The different resistance bands offer different intensities, which make it a lot easier to progress,” Perez said. “I can build different workouts from the upper body to lower body, push and pull workouts, those using coordination and balance, so the variety of exercises you can do with resistance bands are unbelievable. That is my go-to piece of equipment because it is inexpensive, it doesn’t take up any space and you can do a lot of things with it.” Perez said even household items work well. Twoliter or one-gallon bottles work well for weight training, and a broom handle can be used for flexibility training such as twisting, bending and rotations. If you have little room to exercise, such as being confined to a high-rise in the city, use the stairs to exercise. You can also jump rope, run in place and do things like burpees (squat thrusts). “I have some clients that live in a 20-story building. I tell them, look, instead of doing other cardio, go up and down the stairs for 10 minutes, then stretch,” Perez said. According to Perez, cardio exercises are important. “You need to keep moving so your blood moves

If you are confined to home, you can exercise with what you have, such as running stairs, and doing exercises in your living room.

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 35

DEPOSIT PHOTOS

intensity before adding more time. Perez’s online group lessons are 30 minutes. When he begins an exercise he offers alternatives for people who may be coming back from an injury or those that need something more or less intense. “Let’s say I am doing a squat and somebody says to me or points to the knee, indicating they have a problem there, I will present a different option,” explained Perez. Seeing others during group sessions helps keep you motivated. “If you see two people working out its one thing, but if you see 20 people working out at the same time, many will want to do more reps than the other guy and want to do it better and want a shout-out,” said Perez. Using a big screen allows Perez to see everyone, so he can watch your position and offer advice during both group and private lessons. For example, if your position is not optimal he can tell you to keep your arm straighter or bend your legs more just as if he was in the room with you. “I will tell you exactly what to do. We are going to work like I’m there,” Perez said. “I will say things like, well done, Carlos. Now check your squat, take your bum in, straighten your back or don’t let your knees go over the line of your toes. Or, well done, Katie, now try to do one more.” Perez keeps people engaged with things like having a white board to keep track of how many of certain exercises each person is doing. So, if you did 20 squats one day, you can try to beat it the next time and get a shout-out during the next session. As a polo player, you always have to keep working on your skills. Perez said, “I was lucky enough to train all the best players. Training them during the season means we have to work on skills, recovery and flexibility. In the off season, we are still working on skills but we are adding strength training.” Some polo specific skills Perez says you can work on at home include using two tennis balls to work on hand-eye coordination. Some exercises to work on your riding muscle include laying on the floor, squeezing a pillow with your knees; or doing a front lunge with your forward leg next to your bed and squeezing your knee in toward the bed. Other important aspects to work on include your abs, core and flexibility. “The sport of polo is very interesting because it is so physically demanding that every single aspect of the human body is [worked],

through your body, feeding your muscles with nutrients. Cardio is all about keeping your heart rate at a certain level for a long period of time. It is not just about getting tired or running out of breath. If you do something fast, of course your heart rate is going to go up, but if you are not sustaining that heart rate, then it won’t be a cardio exercise,” he explained. If you are not already somewhat fit, be careful not to overdo it at first. Perez suggests working out two days a week with another day for flexibility, mobility, stretching and recovery. “You can do some yoga, that is very helpful,” he said. Slowly, overtime you can add more days of workout. Most people that are already fit with no health issues work out five days a week. You know your own fitness level so you will know if you are able to withstand an hour of hardcore training. If you can’t, go for a half hour of medium intensity. Once the workout becomes easy increase the DEPOSIT PHOTOS

Online group training often motivates people to want to do better than someone else they see working out.

While stuck inside, you are more likely to snack. Resist the urge by choosing healthy foods, like fruits and vegetables, rather than fatty or fried foods.

36 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

DEPOSIT PHOTOS

from balance, coordination and strength to hand-eye coordination, flexibility, you name it. Everything is involved,” said Perez. After your workout, Perez recommends doing an active recovery, like small drills with tennis balls or a dead lift. “The idea is to always incorporate some polospecific movements within your workout,” he said. With most people stuck inside 24/7, you are more likely to be snacking more than usual. “If I go into the kitchen, instead of grabbing a cookie or something ‘naughty,’ I’ll have a cup of tea, water or soup. If it’s warm, I’ll have a piece of fruit,” Perez explained. It is always much better to have fruit available. When you are craving something sweet, have an apple, banana or an orange, or make a smoothie. “You can also work on self permission. So, I might give myself 10 credits (equaling 10 cookies) a week. Will I spend them all at once, or spend them in seven days? I’m going to have just one today because I just made a huge effort to workout, doing everything the coach said and I’m not going to screw this up with a lot of cookies,” he explained. There are many different nutritional plans but the bottom line is have a balanced amount of protein, fat and carbs. Stay away from fried foods and drink a lot of water throughout the day. For more information, go to Fitnessforpolo.com and follow Fitnessforpolo on Instagram. •

DEPOSIT PHOTOS

Resistance bands are Perez’s go-to equipment.

Perez can train players online, interacting with them as if he was working with them in person.

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 37

Foreign aid The changing world of polo visas By Lilian De Falco Shea, Esquire

Those of us in the polo world understand the importance of bringing good polo player professionals to elevate games, and support personnel or grooms to care for their strings. For the past 20 years, I have been helping polo players—high and low goal—with their immigration needs. I am now married to a polo player and sponsor, and we own a polo farm in the Denver area with operations in Colorado and Argentina. As an Argentinian, I grew up loving the sport from afar, but now get to live and breathe polo, its beauty, the horses, and the sacrifices we make to experience this passion. For several years, polo players, as well as grooms, have had a relatively easy experience when filing new visa applications or renewing their visas. This has changed dramatically with the Trump administration, and is likely to further change as a result of Covid 19. 38 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

What has changed? The P-1 visa can be attained by professional athletes or people in show business to come and compete or perform temporarily in the United States. One of the crucial elements for this visa to be approved is to show that the polo player has “international recognition.” Your lawyer should be able to give you an idea of whether the evidence you provided will suffice to meet this criteria. There is a strong element of discretion and inconsistency in administration of this requirement. We have encountered situations where the applicant did not have much evidence of international recognition but the government still approved the case. This is an element that requires careful preparation. It can also be extremely challenging for pros involved in low- and medium-goal polo. The government frequently takes the position now that

SHELLEY HEATLEY

evidence of participation in club polo does not require international recognition as a criteria for participation, and denies visas on this basis. Lately, the government has been issuing more Request for Evidence (RFEs) for more proof than usual, which is concerning for several reasons. In most cases, the government wants more proof the player is actually internationally recognized, meaning this particular player has played and been recognized in other countries besides his native country. What is really concerning is the government is also requesting an explanation of the importance of the tournaments to be played as described in the application, something that never happened before. In some cases now, we are forced to explain why in the proposed tournaments the presence of these players is required. Things are becoming more challenging for grooms too, not just because the players are getting more scrutiny. The government not only is requesting proof of the relationship between the player and the groom, but now is also requesting details on the importance to the player of this particular groom. In some cases, the government has analyzed prior cases filed by the applicant and questioned some aspect of those prior visas in the context of the current application. For example, if you have a polo player petitioning for a groom but the same groom was sponsored by a different polo player in the past, the government has questioned

the validity of the current application, claiming the groom cannot be essential to the applicant and also to his past professional sponsor. We have responded to RFEs on this exact question. If the government does not receive a satisfactory explanation that complies with the regulatory criteria, this could lead to a denial.

Immigration issues are become more challenging for grooms, and in some cases, a groomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prior applications are being analyzed.

Increase the chances of success Under the Trump administration, immigration officers, as well as consular posts, are rigidly following the black letter of the law. The amount of visa denials and additional demands for supporting evidence requested by the government has increased exponentially. Far greater diligence is required by polo professionals, their sponsors and their lawyers when seeking these visas. There are frequent consequences when this process is not done right and we observe, regrettably, negative outcomes when immigration lawyers with little understanding of the sport are involved. In our experience, some lawyers fail to advise professionals of future consequences of their visa applications and related RFEs, and sometimes avoid the hard questions prior to the filing in order to avoid any ethical issues, or knowing the applicant does not qualify for this immigration benefit. For lawyers who do not get to observe the collateral devastation to the applicantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life and career, this is just a business. Select a lawyer who POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 39

Select a lawyer who fully understands the sport and is willing to spend time explaining it to officials, if necessary.

The coronavirus might adversely affect the world of polo visas.

40 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

understands this very specialized field of law, is willing to spend time explaining to the government what we know instinctually about the sport and who cares about the potential impact to the applicant and to polo. Today, the amount of cases approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, but denied at the consulate has increased tremendously. The government frequently uses the consular interview process to find problems with P-1 petitions already approved by the USCIS. It is critical to be pro-active and ask questions and follow up with your lawyer. Important points to consider prior to filing are, for example, Grounds for Inadmissibility: â&#x20AC;˘ Have you ever lied in any document filed previously with immigration? â&#x20AC;˘ Have you in the past overstayed any visitor or any type of visa? â&#x20AC;˘ Have you stayed under your tourist visa too long for the government to suspect that you were working without work authorization? These are all the questions your lawyer should be asking you, but if not, it is likely because he or she is only concentrating on the USCIS filing procedure, not the consular aspect. Prepare with your lawyer for possible outcomes in order to achieve your goal without committing fraud and potentially getting disbarred for life. The consular interview process, which used to be routine once the visa was approved by USCIS, is becoming far more challenging under the Trump administration.

ALICE GIPPS

Critical to maintain legal status Immigration, not surprisingly, is scrutinizing and denying cases for those applicants who have violated immigration law. The P-1 (player) and P1S (groom or pilot) give the applicant the right to work only for the petitioner. For several years, many players and grooms came to the U.S. with an approved visa but frequently worked for another person. This is a violation of immigration law. Our concern is that given the increased analysis of these petitions, the government may start tracking down people that change employers without filing the appropriate forms. While this was not enforced previously, and indeed how many polo professionals operated, it is an area that can cause problems and inadmissibility. If you need to have more than one sponsor, you can file a concurrent visa, which will allow you to be employed by more than one person at the time and avoid any immigration violations. The government is becoming more aware that foreign polo professionals “overstay” in the United States, past the time allowed to remain by their visas instead of returning to their country. Because of the increasing amount of players and grooms overstaying their visas, USCIS has limited the first visa of a groom to one year, even when the applicant has requested more than that. I believe this change in policy by the government is due to the amount of immigration violations within the P visa world. It is critical that the polo

community is made aware of the danger of overstaying in light of recent enforcement policy as well as the importance of complying with the visa requirements.

The government may ask for more proof that a professional player is internationally recognized.

Immigration in moments of world crisis The coronavirus and the crisis in our world is changing the way we do business, the way we interact and therefore might affect the world of polo visas. The Trump administration’s harsh stance toward highly-skilled technical applicants in conjunction with an overburdened federal government, working remotely or entirely closed, increase the likelihood of more denials of polo visas. Despite the Trump administration’s immigration agenda, these cases are still winnable and we are still getting a high percentage of approvals. It is critical to be diligent and thorough when filing these visas. It is the shared responsibility of the applicant, the lawyer, and the American sponsor who can greatly assist in making the case to bring these professionals to the United States. There is no substitute for good preparation and teamwork. Polo professionals can no longer wait until that last minute to seek legal help on their visas. The key is early and diligent preparation, anticipate potential problems and prepare to respond to RFEs. In the process, educate immigration officers about polo and the need for foreign professionals to participate in the sport in the U.S. • POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 41

POLO AROUND THE GLOBE

United Kingdom Polo season hangs in the balance By Sarah Eakin

as La Bamba de Areco],” Kennedy said. “But nobody knows when that will be, if at all.” At the time of this writing the Hurlingham Polo Association was planning to review the viability of a summer polo season based on the government’s course of action whenever it is announced. At the earliest, tournament polo would start in mid-May, and the HPA have set up a steering group to make decisions during the coronavirus crisis. It is even being suggested that if polo can be played but under some restrictions, ride-offs for starters could be banned in the short term to avoid close contact and risk of injury. The criteria, which the association will ALICE GIPPS

Some are suggesting playing under restrictions, such as banning ride-offs to avoid close contact.

As uncertainty looms over the U.K. polo season because of the coronavirus and the sport’s community finds itself in lockdown, Eddie Kennedy a wellknown polo artist and head coach at the Royal Berkshire Polo Club has retreated to his studio in Windsor, England. His polo helmet is hung up for now, but his current work is painting two other helmets that suggest there is faith that the English polo season 2020 is not over. He is decorating them with the Argentine flag, the signature look for Adolfo Cambiaso and his son, Poroto Cambiaso. “They are still planning to come to the U.K. this summer to play for Next Generation [formerly known

42 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

ALICE GIPPS

POLO AROUND THE GLOBE

use for its decision making, will be dependent on the government’s recommendations as well as the following considerations: • The medical cover required and the risk of injuries that require A&E/hospital treatment. • What other sports are doing, e.g., cricket, golf, tennis, racing, cycling football, eventing. • The risk of reputational damage if polo is perceived to be in breach of the condition. In the U.K., polo still bears the stigma of being a sport solely for the wealthy. The impact of the lockdown of the sport and the inevitable knock-on effect may show a different perspective. As professional players, grooms, instructors, umpires and suppliers hunker down in a bid to survive in the sport in suspension, it highlights the reality that while not always for the wealthy, being involved in polo does not always come cheap. When lockdown hit the U.K. on March 24, Kennedy lost coaching work instantly. “The phone just stopped ringing,” he said. In the past, he has managed high-goal teams—Galen Weston’s Maple Leafs for one—and been responsible for hundreds of horses, but nowadays with no such overheads and painting to fall back on, he knows that he is one of the fortunate ones. Sebastian Dawnay, a home-grown polo professional who is also based in the Windsor area could be facing a difficult decision in the coming weeks. He was

ALICE GIPPS

Whether or not polo gets played, there are always plenty of mouths to feed.

born into polo—the son of polo guru Major Hugh Dawnay—and has built a career as a professional player. But he is freelance, self-financed and currently renting stalls for five of his horses at $55 per week per horse and has been unable to negotiate a rent reduction with the owner of the barn. He is paying turnout for four more horses at $44 a pop and his feed bill is some $600 a month. There are none of

Phil Meadows (above) and his wife Suzie’s polo academy was growing but, because of coronavirus, has suddenly just stopped. They still have 60 horses to feed.

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Many grooms are desperate for work. Harriet Twine-Roberts is waiting to hear if she is needed this season.

Sebastian Dawnay has his family, groom and horses to support during this difficult time.

the usual pre-season deposits from patrons coming in and with basic food and accommodation for his horses in the region of a two-and-a-half grand a month the situation may become untenable. He has a temporary lifeline with income from

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looking after three ponies for a Dutch client. If the travel ban is lifted it is possible she may move the horses abroad. He has a young family to support and unless polo is back on in the near future, he is considering cutting his losses for the season. “I will make a decision at the end of May, I think,” he said. “I did have quite a few tournaments lined up, but my patron pulled out. Some patrons will be loyal to their pros ... and some won’t.” Dawnay, meanwhile, is staying loyal to his groom of 10 years. “I want to support him,” he said simply. “The HPA sent out a statement asking people to pay their subscriptions. I wrote back to them in a polite email explaining that my priorities have to be the welfare of my family, my horses and my groom. I also asked if the association were able to offer financial support for professional players in this situation. I was told the only funds available were for things such as emergency dental work.” Tales of grooms not being kept on pervade the polo world. Dawnay cites an employer he knows as inundated with calls from grooms desperate for work. Lana Negrete, who has heard similar stories, is grateful she still has a job as a groom working for pro player Royston Prisk. “We communicate over the phone,” she said, fol-

lowing the social distancing advice of the British government to keep at least two meters apart. “And if he does come to the barn, we shout at each other across the yard.” While all the summer season horses have been turned back out, shortly after being brought in, she’s keeping a few horses ‘ticking over’ so that if and when the announcement comes that the season is to get underway—and the HPA have said in the event of this development they will give 30-day’s notice—the horses in her care will be somewhat fit. She said, “I am old school and I believe for every month they are out, it’s a week in work. I am very concerned because in four weeks I might get them ‘wind’ fit, but their legs won’t hold out.” Suzie Meadows is the owner of a polo academy that partners to provide polo lessons at the Royal Berkshire Polo Club and nearby Guards Polo Club, operating out of Coworth Park, a neighboring luxury hotel venue. In addition, she offers corporate hospitality to businesses as well as team building, incentive and off-site “Learn to Play Polo” activity days. She relies extensively on wealthy clients from London, many of whom start out with one polo lesson and move on to become full playing members of the club—an important ‘grass roots’ component of the sport. “Our trajectory for this year was on an absolute up,” she said. “Brexit was done. People were able to plan their lives. And then it just stopped. We can’t just close up shop like a restaurant could. We can’t just not feed and tend to the horses.” With 60 polo ponies to look after while not one is able to earn its keep, she is weighing up her options. “We do have rainy day amounts,” she said, “but it’s not enough to feed 60 horses and employ two grooms.” She has cut some costs by furloughing some of the grooms, but she still has to pay 80% of their wages and wait for government reimbursement. She is determined to do so, to avoid losing them. “I have lots of grooms that I don’t want to go anywhere,” she said, pointing out that the implementation of Brexit has longterm effects on the availability of help. “We have a stay of execution with European grooms allowed to work on a points-based system,” she said. “But that is going to change.” Bona fide businesses such as hers can turn to the banks, which she says have been surprisingly sympathetic. But she also adds that their hands are tied by regulations, and whatever money you do borrow, even on favorable terms, has to be paid back and that, if luck changes, would be done through revenue from a shortened summer polo season. “When we had the crash in 2008,” she says, “aside

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from the fact that businesses couldn’t be seen to be paying for corporate days and such, my business really didn’t suffer at all. This is a whole different ball game.” The shockwaves from a continued polo shutdown are substantial, and even if normal activity resumes, there are no guarantees that decisions won’t reverse. The government is helping with wages for the selfemployed and those without income can apply for welfare. But anyone with horses to look after still has substantial bills to pay. When polo does resume, there are further considerations. “Until the NHS (National Health Service) isn’t under pressure, it would be totally irresponsible to play,” Dawnay pointed out. Whether the father-and-son Cambiaso helmets will grace the English polo fields this summer is undetermined. In the meantime, Kennedy, echoing the thoughts of many in the polo world reflected, “Who would have ever thought that we’d be in a situation like this?” •

Adolfo Cambiaso and his son Poroto are scheduled to play with Next Generation in England this season.

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POLO REPORT DISPATCHES FROM THE WORLD OF POLO SOUTHWEST

ALISON THOMAS TOPS WOMEN’S POLO SERIES

High-point winner Alison Thomas with her first-place award: a Catena watch.

he Mid-Continent Women’s Polo Series was played at events in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Colorado throughout 2019. Players accumulated points for their teams’ finish placement as well as points for special awards such as Sportsmanship and MVP. The series saw 147 players compete and, if not for weather and other forces, even more would have participated. A tournament at South Padre Island kicked off the series in January.

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OKC Polo (Oklahoma) followed with an arena women’s challenge and Tulsa Polo (Oklahoma) hosted a well-attended grass tournament. Dallas Polo in Texas had numerous weather delays before getting its grass tournament played. NWA (Arkansas) held its annual Chicks with Sticks arena tournament at Benton County Fairgrounds. Midland Polo (Texas) held both grass and arena women’s tournaments during its Pink Out for Polo event. Houston Polo had four flights at

their women’s tournaments, including the USPA Women’s Handicap and Texas Women’s Open. Oklahoma State University and Texas Military Polo hosted women’s arena tournaments during Fall Fandango. The final event in the series was held in December at Legends Horse Ranch at East Texas Polo Club. After the dust settled and the points were tallied, Alison Thomas’ commitment to women’s polo earned her the coveted Catena Watch and the

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Pink’s Camille Latham, Ashley Owen, April Galindo and Megan Flynn won the outdoor women’s final in Midland.

title of High-Point Individual with a total of 13 points. Thomas, from Oklahoma State University, competed in four Women’s Arena Challenge tournaments in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. “I enjoy traveling to new places to play polo and meet new people. As part of Oklahoma State University women’s team, I am able to travel with my friends and play in a variety of tournaments. I enjoy playing the circuit arena women’s challenges because it encourages more women to participate. My favorite tournament is the Chicks with Sticks, hosted by NWA Polo Club in Bentonville, Arkansas,

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Tulsa Polo hosted a well-attended grass tournament as part of the Mid-continent Women’s Polo Series.

because I am from that area and my whole family is able to come watch me play,” said Thomas. Catena’s Bill Kraft sponsored the series and provided the high-point prize. Thomas said, “The Catena Swiss watch is beautifully made with an equestrian touch that looks good with any outfit.” Coming in second place with 11 points was Samantha Leach; third place with 10 points went to Lindsay Bellack; Grace Groznik’s nine points put her in fourth place; and Megan Flynn, Lottie Lamacraft and Noel Dallison earned eight points each, putting them in a tie for fifth place.

The clubs hope to continue the Mid-Continent Women’s Polo Series and the high-point prize this year. Follow Women’s Polo Series on Facebook and Instagram—@womenspolo.

TEXAS ARENA LEAGUE SERVES SECOND COURSE The Texas Arena League played the second and third legs of its four-event series at Legend’s Horse Ranch in February and March before being put on hold for the coronavirus. The February event was especially busy with Casablanca Polo at the event to measure players so they could order the new NOCSAE Casablanca NEU helmet. Casablanca Polo is the 2020 High Point Overall award sponsor for Texas Arena League. Pepper Stewart from TX Ranch N Rodeo Weekly on Farm and Ranch TV came out to shoot some footage, interview players and have a polo lesson with Brady Williams. In keeping up with technology, the Texas Arena League used PoloSK (a polo club management web-app) during the weekend’s event. PoloSK provides detailed, electronic score keeping with real time access for spectators. JB from PoloSK was on Robin Sanchez, right, avoids Ursula Pari’s hook in a Women’s Polo Series match.

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Texas Military Polo Club’s Jack Crea, Karl Hilberg and Trey Crea defeated OKC CCC Ranch in the USPA Arena Amateur Cup.

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hand to support the score keepers and ensure the software performed as expected; and did it ever: game scores, team standings, player’s statistics and awards were all immediately available in real-time. In addition to score keeping and club management, new modules in PoloSK were recently launched for the USPA Umpires, LLC for the arena/outdoor tests, umpire certification and professional umpires scheduling. For further information about PoloSK contact JB at info@polosk.com. At the social dinner, Legend’s

Waterski America’s Cody Goetz slaps a hook on SMU’s Juan Bueno in the Sherman Memorial.

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SMU’s Lindsay Bellack, Megan Rahlfs and Grace Grotnik, with coach Tom Goodspeed, won the 0- to 3-goal Arena Amateur Cup.

served up chili and lots of pie while Kirk Carter from Cargill/Nutrena gave an equine nutrition talk on Body Condition Score and Topline. Kirk and Dale Brown were both available for questions from the players during the day and at the social get-together. “This weekend at Texas Arena League really hit a high mark with activity,” said Nacho Estrada of Legend’s Horse Ranch. “Having the newspaper and Pepper Stewart’s show come out is good promotion for arena polo. But the best part is all the people— playing, watching, having fun and enjoying each other. That is what polo

is all about for me—competition and then spending time together after the game—having a good time.” As for the competition, 22 teams played over the course of the weekend in the three levels of play. The C Flight round robin on Friday evening had Polo Girls (Kitana St-Cyr, Katerina Kotova, Caroline Woodman) and Oklahoma (Don Gruntmeir, Tori Summers, Kim Buttram) fall to SMU JV (Adriana Arguello, Sophia Garvin, Lindsay Bellack). The USPA Admiral Nimitz and General Puller military tournaments continued with Polo InterActive (Wyatt Myr, James Glew, Jose Velez) and Notorious P.O.N.Y. (Javier Insua, Zoe Lehmer, Devan Groves) moving on to the final of the Nimitz at Midland Polo Club. Legend’s Horse Ranch (Nacho Estrada, Kim Buttram, August Scherer) will move on to the final of the Puller against Williams Polo (Brady Williams, Mark Osburn, Wyatt Myr) who won in a shoot-out against Dallas Polo Club (Will Walton, Wendy Stover, Allison Bowker). At Legend’s, TAL began the 0- to 3goal USPA Arena Amateur Cup with Bar-Spur (Ryan Owen, Mark Osburn, Brady Williams) defeating Tulsa Polo Club (Greg Summers, Karen Summers, Don Gruntmeir); Texas Military Polo Club (Trey Crea, Jack Crea, Karl Hilberg) defeating OKC CCC Ranch

Polo Interactive’s MVP Wyatt Myr, James Glew and Jose Velez won the Admiral Nimitz during the March Texas Arena League.

(Kelly Coldiron, Rob Phipps, Oscar Bermudez Jr.); and SMU Women (Grace Grotnik, Meghan Rahlfs, Lindsay Bellack) defeating Waterski America (Ismael Vazquez, Trenton Werntz, David Werntz). In the 3- to 6-goal USPA Sherman Memorial, OKC CCC Ranch (Kelly Coldiron, Greg Summers, Roxy Keyfauver) defeated Texas Military (Karl Hilberg, Jack Crea, Trey Crea) while SMU Men (Barrett Coke, Luke Klentner, Juan Bueno, Tomas Herrera, Joe Coors) took the win over Waterski America (Rob Phipps, Cody Goetz, Wyatt Myr). The Nutrena Best Playing Pony winners included Rocket, played by Stephanie Massey (in both the 0-3 and 3-6); Solitario, played by Barrett Coke and owned by SMU Polo; Solita, played by Javier Insua; Burgundy, played by Wyatt Myr; Demi, played by Rob Phipps and owned by Kelly Coldiron; Mataco, played by Grace Grotnik and owned by SMU Polo; Nugget, played by Trey Crea; and Renee, played by Greg Summers. Summers said, “The Shaylers from Superior Equine Sports Massage Therapy worked on Renee this weekend. She played so well and just had an overall calmness to her. She is always a nice mare, but the body work clearly made a difference in her. I credit her excellent chukker to the

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Bar Spur’s Ryan Owen, Brady Williams and Mark Osburn won the Amateur Cup at Legend’s Horse Ranch.

work they did on her.” The Galvin Agency MVPs were Wyatt Myr (in both the 0-3 and 3-6), Barrett Coke, Greg Summers, August Scherer, Karl Hilberg, Javier Insua, Meghan Rahlfs and Mark Osburn. The Catena Sportsmanship award winners were Trenton Werntz, Katie Anderson, Wyatt Myr, Karen Summers, Oscar Bermudez Jr., Javier Insua, Kelly Coldiron, Tres de la Paz, and Cody Goetz. Players and teams in the Texas Arena League will continue racking up points toward the end-of-league awards while simultaneously gaining points toward the USPA National Arena Amateur Cup. In a hasty move to outwit the weather, the league’s third leg played in March, was moved from Midland Polo Club to Legend’s Horse Ranch at East Texas Polo Club. Four USPA single-elimination arena tournament finals were held. In the 0- to 3-goal Admiral Nimitz military tournament, 11 teams started the tournament. All teams participating in the USPA military tournaments must have at least one player with a military connection. In the final, Polo InterActive (Jose Velez, James Glew, Wyatt Myr) defeated Notorious P.O.N.Y (Javier Insua, Devan Layton, Zoe Lehmer). Polo InterActive’s Velez is having

success in his first year playing in Texas Arena League. “General Sun Tzu said, ‘Every war is won before it is ever fought.’ I live by that quote and that is why our team has found common ground and won all of our games so far, including the Admiral Nimitz. In the League, I have enjoyed meeting people, working as a team player and winning. It’s not about me and needing to score, it’s about playing the game.” James Glew won the Galvin Agency/American National MVP; Ichiban, played by Wyatt Myr, was named Nutrena Best Playing Pony; and Devan Groves Layton was the Catena Sportsmanship award winner. “Ichiban played two amazing chukkers for me in this tournament. I give credit for all my horses preforming better due to Nutrena’s Triumph Complete alfalfa nuggets and Pro Elite Topline Advantage. They are all looking and playing great and I’m looking forward to seeing how Ichiban does in the upcoming grass season,” said Myr. Ten teams started in the 3- to 6-goal Gen. Puller military tournament. In an extremely tough and tight final Legend’s Horse Ranch (Kim Buttram, Nacho Estrada, August Scherer) fell to Williams Polo (Mark Osburn, Brady Williams, Wyatt Myr). “Winning the finals of both military tournaments is really special to

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Legend’s Horse Ranch’s August Scherer carries the ball along the wall in a Gen. Puller match during the Texas Arena League.

The 0- to 3-goal USPA Amateur Cup was played as a round robin. Six teams started the competition after being knocked out of the Nimitz or joining the TAL at the second event. The round robin pitted Texas Military (Karl Hilberg, Gal Shweiki, Jack Crea) against Waterski America (Chris Jones, Trenton Werntz, Morgan DAVID MURRELL

me,” said Wyatt Myr. “My father served in the U.S. Army and was a member of the Caisson Color Guard. He took care of Blackjack, who was the riderless horse at JFK’s funeral procession. Horses and the military have a history in my family.” Nacho Estrada’s Zama, played by August Scherer, was Nutrena Best Playing Pony; Myr was named Galvin Agency/American National MVP; and Kim Buttram won the Catena Sportsmanship award. Karl Hilberg, USPA Armed Forces committee chairman, is very excited for the turnout of these events, which saw 21 of 30 players that were military family members or members of the military in the Nimitz and 25 of 33 in the General Puller, the most in any military tournament in a long time. In addition to the Military tournaments, Texas Arena League has an end-of-league award for High-Point Player with a military connection. In addition to the military finals, the USPA Southwest Circuit Arena Amateur Cup and Sherman Memorial finals were played.

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Dallas Polo’s Wendy Stover hooks JD Polo’s Ariel Mancebo in the second match of the Masters Cup at Legend’s Horse Ranch in Texas.

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McBride filling in for Ismael Vazquez) and Bar-Spur (Ryan Owen, Brady Williams, Mark Osburn). Bar-Spur worked hard to hold both teams at bay and come out with the victory. “Playing Texas Arena League has been such a great experience. My wife played the last two years at every location and I came in for the Midland Polo Club events,” said Ryan Owen. “This year Ashley has made it possible for me to play at every event. We’ve got some great camaraderie on the BarSpur team. Brady, Mark and I are all Texas Tech Polo alumni. I’m hoping I’ll be up there in the NAAC points to participate at OC Polo Club too.” Chris Jones was named Galvin Agency/American National MVP; Karl Hilberg won the Catena Sportsmanship award; and Platinum, played by Brady Williams, was the Nutrena Best Playing Pony. The 3- to 6-goal Sherman Memorial started with five teams and came down to two teams steeped in the military: Waterski America (Chris Jones, Rob Phipps, David Werntz filling in for Cody Goetz) and Texas Military Polo Club (Karl Hilberg, Gal Shweiki, Jack Crea). Between the two teams, every

Waterski America’s Chris Jones, Rob Phipps and David Werntz won the Sherman Memorial in Texas. Not shown is Cody Goetz.

player is either active duty, retired military or has family members in service. Waterski America pulled out the W with huge scoring from both David Werntz and Chris Jones. Jack Crea won the Catena Sportsmanship award; Chris Jones was the Galvin Agency/American National MVP and David Werntz’s Argenta was the Nutrena Best Playing Pony. In addition to these finals, the USPA Arena Challenge and Arena Masters started at this TAL event. In the Friday evening C-Flight match, Polo Girls (Katerina Kotova, Kitana St-Cyr, Michael Miazza filling in for Caroline Woodman) defeated Bar-Spur/Legend’s (Taylor Hooten, Ricardo Sanchez, Amanda Osburn). For Osburn, this was her first time playing a polo match since college. “I was excited to find out about the Friday night C-Flight. I haven’t played since college and I’m very rusty. But it was so fun and I’m happy to be back in the game,” she said. The 0- to 3-goal USPA Arena Challenge started with two games. A round robin saw Elite Motion & Performance (Dani Gibson, Walker Rainey, Stephanie Massey Colburn), Prestonwood (James JB Long, Umair Kaimkhani, Vaughn Miller/Vance Miller) and Texas Tech (Ricky Moore, Amelia Fisher, Ariel Mancebo) play off. In the final match of the round robin, Texas Tech was able to

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JD Polo’s Tres de la Paz, Javier Insua and Ariel Mancebo played in the Masters tournament, ultimately falling to Dallas Polo Club.

keep Prestonwood at bay to win the match. Catena Sportsmanship winner was Amelia Fisher; Galvin Agency MVP was Ariel Mancebo; and Nutrena Best Playing Pony was Sweetie, owned by Prestonwood and played by JB Long. In a match game for the Arena Challenge, Legend’s Horse Ranch (Katie Anderson, Meghan Rahlfs, Nacho Estrada) fell to Horsegate (Nick Stefanakis, Lance Stefanakis, Anson Moore). Galvin Agency/American National MVP went to Meghan Rahlfs; Lance Stefanakis was named Catena Sportsmanship winner; and the Nutrena Best Playing Pony was Zama, owned by Nacho Estrada. In 3- to 6-goal action, the USPA Arena Masters got underway with two matches and the TAL Challenge added a fifth game to the day. Horsegate (Anson Moore, Sloane Stefanakis, Lance Stefanakis) defeated Elite Motion & Performance Pixies (Amanda Massey, Dani Gibson, Stephanie Massey Colburn) in the first game of the Arena Masters. Catena Sportsmanship winner was Sloane Stefanakis; Nutrena Best Playing Pony was John Wayne, owned by Javier Insua and played by Amanda Massey; and American National/Galvin Agency MVP was Anson Moore. Dallas Polo Club (Michael Farrah, Will Walton, Wendy Stover) was victorious over JD Polo (Javier Insua, Ariel

Mancebo, Tres de la Paz) in the second match of the Masters tournament. Nutrena Best Playing Pony was Negrita, owned by Horsegate and played by Ariel Mancebo; Will Walton was the Galvin Agency MVP; and Wendy Stover was Catena Sportsman. In the TAL Challenge, PTF Dream Team (Amanda Massey, Walker Rainey, Stephanie Massey Colburn) was defeated by UNT (Umair Kaimkhani, JB Long, Vaughn Miller Jr). Vaughn Miller Jr. was American National/Galvin Agency MVP; Stephanie Massey Colburn took the Catena Sportsmanship award; the Nutrena Best Playing Pony was Cookie, played by Vaughn Miller; and Wendy Stover won the #FanFavorite at this third event. COVID-19 has left the league in limbo for the time being. So far the league has surpassed all expectations with camaraderie, competition and fun. Its award sponsors have been exceptional and very involved. Amanda Massey of Elite Motion and Performance is the sponsor of the Most Improved Award, new for 2020. “I’m also just excited to play in Texas Arena League. This is my third year competing in the event,” said Massey, “I love playing with my sister and Dani. Being the only all-women team in the 6 goal has been challenging but also has forced us to play together as a team.”

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Luna Polo’s Bauti Von Wernich, Diego Llaregli, Alexis Payan and Jennifer Alexy won the 4-goal Congressional Cup.

CALIFORNIA

LUNA POLO CAPTURES CONGRESSIONAL CUP Jennifer Alexy led her Luna team to victory in the 4-goal Congressional Cup at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, on March 15. Six teams competed in the tournament with the top two teams moving on to the final. Luna (Jennifer Alexy, Alexis Payan, Bauti Von Wernich, Diego Llaregli) met Zahedi Chogan (Sy Zahedi, Meghan Gracida, Russell Stimmel, Francisco Guinazu) in the final. Diego Llaregli put Luna on the board in the opening minutes of the match. Alexy followed with a goal of her own while Zahedi Chogan was struggling to reach the goal. Zahedi Chogan switched to defense in the second, stopping all of Luna’s drives but it remained scoreless despite some nice runs, ending the half with Luna ahead 2-0. A well-positioned Alexy jumped on a pass and sent the ball through the uprights for the only score of the third, increasing the difference to 3-0. Zahedi Chogan got on the board in the final chukker thanks to a Penalty 3 conversion from Stimmel. Alexy responded by taking possession of the ball, crossing mid-field and carrying the ball between the posts.

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JULIO AGUILAR

JIM BREMNER

POLO REPORT

James Miller presents Barefield’s Hernan Tasso, Juan Martin Obregon, Agustin Arellano and Mark Mulligan with Inter-Circuit trophies.

Zahedi Chogan was unable to make up any ground and Luna Polo took the 4-1 victory. Alexy was high-scorer with three goals. The teams were ready for more polo when the coronavirus ended the season. FLORIDA

BAREFIELD PREVAILS IN INTER-CIRCUIT FINAL Barefield took the title in the 12-goal National Inter-Circuit Championship at Sarasota Polo Club in Sarasota, Florida, on March 15. After six hard-fought, round-robin games, Barefield (Mark Mulligan, Agustin Arellano, Hernan Tasso, Juan Martin Obregon) and Tito’s Handmade Vodka (Alan Martinez, Trevor Niznik Reeves, James P. Uihlein, Joe Wayne Barry) emerged to face off in the National Inter-Circuit Championship final. Going into overtime in its first match-up, the thrilling final came down to the wire, with Barefield narrowly capturing the title with an 8-7 victory. A choppy pace at the start of the game resulted in penalty opportunities for both teams, but it was Tito’s Handmade Vodka who took the early lead on a Penalty 3 conversion from Martinez. Securing two consecutive goals in the

second chukker, Martinez landed the first field goal of the game to end the chukker 3-1. Barefield finished the half strong due to Tasso, who quickly retaliated with back-to-back goals to open the third, bringing the team back within one goal, 4-3, at the close of the half. The pace increased over the final three chukkers with more goals from the field as Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Barefield battled for the lead down to the final minutes of the game. Singlehandedly scoring all his team’s goals, Martinez’s fifth goal of the game extended the lead to two, but a swift response from Barefield’s Arellano restored the deficit. Riding an explosive horse, Juan Martin Obregon scored two consecutive field goals to begin the fifth chukker, securing Barefield’s first lead at a crucial moment. Martinez converted a Penalty 2 to tie the scoreboard 6-all entering the sixth chukker. Going up against Martinez, Arellano added another field goal to the tally, but was matched yet again by the high scorer. With the title on the line and time running out, Tasso broke free to score his third goal of the game, securing the 8-7 win for Barefield. “The key to our win was that everyone on the team played for each other,” said Mark Mulligan. “No one was selfish with the ball or thought they could win

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Traveller’s Rest’s MVP Kristos Magrini, Robert Orthwein, Santino Magrini and Nachi Du Plessis won the Butler Handicap.

the game by themselves. We really worked well as a team and trusted each other.” Claiming the National Inter-Circuit Championship trophy for the second year in a row, Arellano revealed his team’s winning strategy. “We stayed close to each other and tried to finish our plays,” Arellano said. “We knew if we tried to run around and do everything we would be beaten. We did not change much after our first matchup, we just tried to come back and play our game.” Tito’s Handmade Vodka returned to face its opponents with a revised strategy in the final, after losing its first tournament matchup with Barefield. “After the first game, we kept our strategy the same, but they changed their strategy, which really made us work our same game plan harder,” Mulligan said. “They used James P. [Uihlein] more and that made my personal job a lot harder being that he’s such a good player to keep up with. Moving Joe Wayne Barry to the back is always a good move and I personally had to cover him when James was helping their team.” Hernan Tasso was named Most Valuable Player. “We had to play very tight defense because our opponents were a very fast team,” Tasso said. “In the first half they had more control of the ball,

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Best Playing Pony Los Machitos Ruspoli, played by Santino Magrini, with Sergio Escudero, Fernando Montoya, Jose Cardozo, Juan Pérez, Suri Navarro, Eduardo Monroy and Santino Magrini

but in the second half we took possession away from them to come back and end one goal ahead. It was anybody’s game, but we had the luck and scored before the end of the game.” Mac Pie, a 12-year-old American Thoroughbred mare played by Juan Martin Obregon in the fifth chukker, was named Best Playing Pony. “I think her strong points are her mouth and agility,” Obregon commented. “She is a mare my brother Facundo bought from Diego Gross when she was 4 years old.” Although the general public was unable to attend the game, it did not put a damper on the day for the finalists. “Overall it was a great day for polo,” Mulligan said. “We had a limited number of spectators since Sarasota Polo Club was closed to the public, but everyone said it was a fantastic game for both teams. We really all left it on the field.”

TRAVELLER’S REST ACES 22 G BUTLERS HANDICAP Traveller’s Rest came away the winner after besting two teams to win the 18goal Butler Handicap at Port Mayaca Polo Club in Okeechobee, Florida, from Feb. 15-March 10. The teams played each other, eliminating Aspen (Santos Merlos, Kris

Kampsen, Julian Daniels, Stewart Armstrong) and sending Traveller’s Rest (Kristos Magrini, Robert Orthwein, Santino Magrini, Matias Magrini) to face Palm Beach Equine (Scott Swerdlin, Gringo Colombres, Nico Escobar, Lucas Diaz Alberdi) in the final. Traveller’s Rest set out to revenge its previous loss to Palm Beach Equine. Following a strong offensive sixth chukker, Traveller’s Rest solidified its place as the champion, defeating Palm Beach Equine to take the title, 10-6. It all began at a fast pace as Santino Magrini executed an impressive rideoff to open the scoring and give Traveller’s Rest the early lead. Trading goals throughout the first two chukkers, the teams kept the tally within one. Scoring two goals in the second chukker, Palm Beach Equine was matched by Du Plessis (substituting for Matias Magrini), who provided offensive firepower for Traveller’s Rest with two consecutive field goals. Foul trouble slowed Traveller’s Rest’s momentum in the third, and despite their best efforts, neither team was able to make a successful shot on goal. Headed into halftime, Traveller’s Rest retained a narrow advantage, 4-3. Both teams produced strong defensive plays to start the second half, with missed opportunities frequenting the

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CHUKKER TV

POLO REPORT

Citizen’s First’s Joe Watkins, Lord Lyall, Tony Vita and Francisco Llosa won The Villages 8-goal tournament.

closely-matched game. Unable to land on the scoreboard for the second consecutive chukker, Palm Beach Equine saw its deficit grow after Du Plessis’ second Penalty 2 conversion provided the only offense in the fourth chukker. Landing his second Penalty 2 of the game, Escobar opened the fifth, but Traveller’s Rest held steadfast to the lead. Ending the fifth, 6-5, in favor of Traveller’s Rest, the team in red extended its advantage throughout the remainder of the game. Both teams trading penalty goals to start the sixth, Traveller’s Rest quickly began firing on goal. Following a strong goal by brother Kristos Magrini, Santino Magrini ran the ball from one end of the field to the other, increasing his team’s lead to three with just minutes remaining. A final goal from Kristos Magrini secured the victory and the Butler Handicap trophy for Traveller’s Rest, 10-6. After scoring three goals Kristos Magrini was named MVP. “After our opening defeat we played two more games together, which I think helped a lot,” Kristos Magrini said. “Our strategy didn’t change much at all playing Palm Beach Equine the second time, but I was playing more forward the first day and I think we were more focused in the final.” Santino Magrini’s Los Machitos Ruspoli was named Best Play Pony.

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Amaala’s Juan Bollini, Facu Llorente, MVP Nacho Figueras and Tincho Merlos won the WPL’s Power Horse Trophy.

CITIZEN’S FIRST WINS THE VILLAGES 8-GOAL Citizen’s First overcame Arden’s Fine Jewelers in The Villages 8-goal tournament at The Villages Polo Club in The Villages, Florida, March 8. Arden’s Fine Jewelers (Miguel Lis Planells, Paul Wadsworth, Nick Johnson, Francisco Bilboa) and Citizen’s First (Joe Watkins, Lord Lyall, Tony Vita, Francisco Llosa) first met on March 6. The teams ended in a 10-10 tie after six chukkers. Citizen’s First grew a narrow edge to a 6-2 lead after the first 14 minutes. Arden’s came back within one, 6-5, at the half. Citizen’s held the one-goal lead until five minutes into the fifth when Arden’s leveled the score, 8-8. Citizen’s fought back, jumping out front, 10-8, in the sixth but with just over a minute left, Arden’s rallied, scoring two in a row to tie the match. The final had Nick Johnson putting Arden’s on the board first, but Joe Watkins shot back with one of his own, added to a handicap goal. Paige Boone, replacing Lis Planells, knotted the score in the second, while Citizen’s was silenced. Tony Vita’s two goals in the third went unanswered, leaving Citizen’s ahead, 4-2, at the half. Johnson leveled the score in the fourth and

scored a hat trick in the fifth, with no answer from Citizen’s. But Francisco Llosa owned the sixth chukker, scoring four in a row, including two penalties, to give Citizen’s the win.

AMAALA TRIUMPHS IN POWER HORSE TROPHY Amaala defeated Seminole Casino, 108, to take the Power Horse Trophy at Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, Feb. 25. Amaala (Tincho Merlos, Nacho Figueras, Facu Llorente, Juan Bollini) rallied in the sixth chukker to overcome Seminole Casino (Melissa Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Lucas James, Alejandro Novillo Astrada). Figueras was named MVP after scoring a game-high seven goals. Twitter, an 8-year-old mare played by Figueras in the second chukker and bred by his Cria Yatay world-class breeding program in Argentina, was selected the WPL Best Playing Pony. “She is out of a mare called Luna Nueva, daughter of Luna, which is a legendary horse that Gonzalo Pieres used to play,” Figueras said. “It is a very famous bloodline and amazing to have a horse that you bred perform well. It’s always an extra emotion.” The lead changed hands four times

CHUKKER TV

P O L O

R E P O R T OBITUARY

DAVID RIZZO

Amaala’s MVP Nacho Figueras keeps his cool while being challenged by Seminole Casino’s Alejandro Novillo Astrada in the WPL’s Power Horse Trophy at Grand Champions Polo Club.

in the game. Amaala jumped out to a 5-2 advantage behind Figueras’ lofted goal late in the second chukker. Seminole Casino tied the game at 5-5 when Ganzi scooped up a missed Roldan shot to score. Amaala regained the lead, 6-5, in the fifth chukker and led, 7-5, before another Ganzi goal cut the lead to one, 7-6. The teams exchanged goals in the sixth chukker before back-to-back goals by Ganzi tied the game at 8-8. In the last three minutes, Llorente and Figueras gave Amaala a 10-8 lead. Roldan scored late in the game before time ran out. “It’s great that we can win a tournament with the name of this team and its colors,” Figueras said. “It’s a proud moment for all of us.” Figueras was recently named Brand Ambassador for Amaala, an ultra exclusive wellness tourism destination under development located on Saudi Arabia’s Northwest Coast. “I am very proud to be a part of Amaala,” Figueras said. “It involves wellness, sports and health. It’s really an amazing project. It’s a beautiful, fantastic part of the world.” Figueras is helping shape the

world-class polo facilities at Amaala, including design, construction, operations, marketing and event planning. He is also helping to establish the Amaala Polo Training Academy to encourage youth participation. The Power Horse title was Amaala’s second polo title. Last month Figueras led Team Amaala to a historical 7-3 victory over Adolfo Cambiaso’s Team Alula in the two-day Alula Desert Polo tournament. In addition to Figueras’ seven goals, Merlos had two goals and Llorente added one goal. For Seminole Casino, Ganzi scored a team-high six goals and Roldan had three. The season continued with 10 teams, divided into three brackets, competing in the 26-goal Palm Beach Open beginning on March 7. The opening weekend saw Seminole Casino top STM, 10-7; Valiente defeat Casablanca, 13-8; and Richard Mille down Amaala, 15-7, in three exciting matches. Unfortunately, the coronavirus threat prevented any further matches from being played and the spring season was cancelled. —Sharon Robb

“Davey” Rizzo died March 10 in Wellington, Florida, at 87 years old. Born David Moscarelli on Dec. 29, 1932, in Long Island City, New York, Davey learned to ride, train horses and play polo from his uncle Joe Rizzo. Over time, people referred to him as Davey Rizzo and the name stuck. Davey went on to become a 5-goal player on the grass and 7-goals in the arena. He earned a living as a professional horseman and managed clubs, including Squadron A Armory and Meadow Brook and Old Westbury Polo Clubs. For over half a century he sold horses to a wide variety of players at every level of polo. He was inducted into the National Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in 2010.

He was predeceased by his wife Marilyn, son Paul (Ella), sister Marie (John) and brother Vinny (Suzanne). He is survived by daughters Joan (Steven) and Lynn (Larry); sister Katherine (Pat); grandchildren David, Joseph (Tia), Madilyn (Stephano), Paul and Gary; great-grandchildren Otis, Mae and David; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations in memory of Dave may be made to the Museum of Polo & Hall of Fame, Polo Players Support Group, Inc., or Spondylitis Association of America. •

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 55

E Q U I N E AT H L E T E

(continued from page 17)

lives, and part of their defense against predators-relying on each other to be alert to danger. Horses are mentally healthiest and happiest when they have herd mates or buddies they can hang out with. With domestication, we have thwarted a normal herd existence. We often confine horses, and isolate them in individual stalls or pens, denying their natural need for social interaction. Some individuals adapt better than others to an artificial existence, and some are more stressed. This stress often shows up in horses that are confined, or living alone. The innate need for moving and living in a group is frustrated and the resultant stress may be exhibited in different ways. Some horses develop stereotypies like stall walking, weaving or cribbing, or channel their anxiety into pawing or kicking the stall walls.

Stress and ulcers Stress can lead to higher incidence of ulcers in horses. In humans, stress can result in production of more gastric acid, which can lead to stomach ulcers. In horses, stress can interfere with a horse’s normal eating habits, which in turn can hinder proper digestion. The horse is a grazing animal, programmed to eat more or less continually, and his stomach is designed to have some food in it at all times. Some horses, like some humans, handle stress better than others and keep eating. Something that might cause ulcers in one horse may not be a problem in another horse. A few years ago, Truman Prevatt, PhD (a Florida horseman and research scientist with a PhD in mathematics and physics) and Olin Balch, DVM, MS, PhD (an endurance ride veterinarian in Idaho) worked together on a project, looking at equine ulcers, with input from many sources and studies. In humans, the act of eating stimulates release of gastric acid. In horses, hydrochloric acid is produced continuously because under natural conditions they are eating forage continuously. “If they have to go without food, acid builds up in the stomach. The longer they go without food, the more

56 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

Change in Environment Horses are very adaptable but they are also creatures of habit. They get used to a certain routine and find comfort and security in what they can trust and expect. Drastic changes can be very stressful for most horses, and even minor changes can be a stress for some individuals. This is why it’s best to make major changes gradually, if possible. Young horses coming to a training stable from the farm they grew up on, horses going to a new home, racehorses going to a polo farm, etc. may do better if some of the things they are accustomed to (the type of feed, living arrangements and other facets of their lives) can be somewhat similar at first in their new environment and circumstance. Even the horses accustomed to traveling and going to polo events often do better if you take feed and water from home, or bring a buddy they get

acid buildup,” says Prevatt. “In horses, especially athletic performance horses, ulcers show up primarily in the top one-third of the stomach, which is not protected by mucus. Therefore diet management is essential, lifestyle management is essential, and when you put horses in a trailer for long periods of time and they don’t eat while traveling, they may be at risk for ulcers. Many performance horses go for long periods without food,” says Prevatt. A French study of 30 high-level endurance horses showed that most of them after a competitive event were diagnosed with ulcers. “Ulcers are prevalent in endurance horses and all types of performance horses, especially racehorses. But ulcers are also prevalent in broodmares at pasture. This leads us to believe we really don’t know how abnormal it is for horses to have ulcers,” says Prevatt. Balch says the French study looked at gastric ulcers in endurance horses during their off season and during the competition season—two to three days following competition in 60-100 mile rides. None of the horses had been treated for gastric ulcers within two months, or received NSAID medication within one month of the examination,

and none received electrolytes. The prevalence of ulcers during the off season was 48%, compared with 93% during the competitive season. Horses competing at longer distances showed greater severity of ulcers, visualized by scoping. “Despite the fact that scoping these horses showed competing endurance horses had more visible ulcers, there was no correlation to performance. So we are not sure how clinically relevant the scoping actually is,” says Balch. “It would be interesting to do more studies in performance horses and correlate how the horse actually does, as an athlete, with the presence of ulcers that are seen. Then we might get a better feel for what’s involved.” “What’s interesting is the equine stomach rapidly undergoes changes in the epithelium. We see development and healing of ulcers as a relatively normal event in any horse. It’s simplistic to say that if you’ve scoped and found an ulcer, the horse has a problem. It’s better to try to correlate this with clinical signs and then make a judgment, and also realize that damage to and healing of the epithelium is normal for many horses,” says Balch. Epithelial cells have a high turnover rate and can usually heal quickly. Some level of gastric ulceration

E Q U I N E AT H L E T E

along with. If something in the new environment and situation is the same as what they are familiar with and comfortable with, the stress of the change is not as severe and they may handle it better. Some horses also become bonded with a certain person (like they would a herd member) and feel most comfortable when handled or ridden by that person because he/she is someone they trust. The “one-man horse” may feel ill at ease, insecure and stressed when handled or ridden by someone else. Other things that cause stress include pain, injury, illness, etc. Anything out of the ordinary that disrupts a horse’s health or comfort level is a stress— which can lead to a cascade of detrimental effects. If a horse is stressed by one type of infection (such as a viral respiratory disease), this may hinder the immune system and open the way for another opportunistic infection (such as bacterial pneumonia).

may be normal, and it might be reasonable to expect that ulceration will resolve under good management. “Up to 93% of competing racehorses have been shown to have ulcers. Dr. Barney Fleming’s study in endurance horses showed about 50%. Most endurance horses are managed differently than racehorses. Most endurance horses live in pastures and have a high-fiber diet—and are not as confined when they are not working,” he says. An individual horse’s risk will also vary, depending on temperament and lifestyle. Prevatt and his wife had two endurance horses they rode for many years. “Mine was in his mid-20s and still going. As far as I could tell, he’d never shown any of the classic symptoms of an ulcer. We trailered all over the country, but if you put a flake of hay in front of him in the trailer, he ate it. When you stop a few hours up the road, you had to put another flake in front of him; he kept eating. By contrast, my wife’s horse was a picky eater and also more readily stressed. Whenever his buddy left him, he got upset. We had to treat him for ulcers at one point,” says Prevatt. There’s great variation among horses regarding risk for ulcers. “Horses trailered long distances that do not eat

Good health depends on many things, and the way we manage our horses (trying to reduce stresses of all kinds as much as possible) can make a big difference. Small stresses may never be recognized; some horses are stoic and seem unflappable. Yet multiple small stresses can be cumulative and push a horse over the edge. Sometimes you can’t put your finger on any one thing that causes the stress that finally made the horse sick or resulted in ulcers. At other times, it’s easy to see the big change that did it, but there may have been additional stresses that were part of that picture the horse owner was unaware of. This might be one reason some horses handle stressful events better than others; the horse that got ulcers after a trailer trip may have had some underlying stresses before that—and the transport was simply the last straw (that broke the camel’s back, so to speak). •

and drink while in transit are probably at higher risk. Riders who take a sport seriously do a lot of traveling. If the horse doesn’t have the personality to eat while traveling, this is a big risk factor,” he says. Balch agrees, and says any advice about ulcer prevention has to be general. “It’s just a place to start. We are always looking for a way to tailor advice for a specific horse to get the very best performance, and this also applies to ulcer prevention,” says Balch. What works nicely for one individual may not work for another. “Ulcers are present in many horses— not just high-level performance horses. Many horses with endoscopically observable ulcers do not show clinical disease and do not need medical treatment. For preventing or mitigating the effects of ulcers that are already causing clinical disease in a horse, management is the key,” says Prevatt. If a horse is managed in a way most like his natural environment, taking into consideration his own individual tendencies, ulcer problems can be minimized. Stress (from pain, illness, etc.) also predisposes horses to ulcers, or even a horse being away from its friends. “Some stress is inevitable with

performance and competition, but you can minimize stress by having feed in front of the horse at all times when he’s not in competition, and bringing his best buddy along to stay in an adjacent stall,” says Balch. “I wondered how long it would take for a normal horse’s stomach (when that horse is exposed to stress), to produce clinically-relevant ulcers with the horse showing symptoms. Two studies looked into this. One showed ulcers could appear within eight days after light-toheavy training. The other study showed it only took five days for ulcers to appear after shipping, stall confinement and light exercise. These studies suggests that when horses come to competitive events with healthy stomachs, a 48-hour period of stress should not be enough in itself to initiate ulcers.” The horse can go home after competition and relax again in his familiar environment, and whatever ulceration may have begun will likely start to heal. “There are many things we can do as horsemen and riders, to minimize some of the stress horses experience. It is very important for horse owners to realize that management procedures are paramount, in terms of making horses more comfortable. Then they are less apt to have ulcers,” says Balch.

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 57

CALENDAR

May APRIL 22-MAY 3 Jake Kneece Memorial Aiken, Aiken, SC

MAY 20-JUNE 7 Tommy Hitchcock Memorial (12) New Bridge, New Bridge, SC

A P R I L 2 2 - M AY 10 Spring Classic (8) New Bridge, New Bridge, SC

MAY 22-24 Rosemary Cup (8) Willow Bend, Little Elm, TX

A P R I L 2 9 - M A Y 17 Pete Bostwick Memorial (12) New Bridge, New Bridge, SC A P R I L 3 0 - M A Y 19 Players Cup (0-4) Officers Cup (4-8) Houston, Houston, TX A P R I L 3 0 - J U N E 21 Pro-Pool League Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA

SCHEDULES ARE VERY LIKELY TO BE IMPACTED DUE TO COVID-19. PLEASE CHECK VENUES FOR UPDATED INFORMATION.

MAY 2 Polo on the Lawn Prestonwood, Dallas, TX Derby Day Tournament Will Rogers, Los Angeles, CA MAY 2-3 USPA Mardi Gras Cup (0-2) New Orleans, Folsom, LA M A Y 8 - 17 USPA Congressional Cup (8) Willow Bend, Little Elm, TX MAY 9 Corporate Cup Prestonwood, Dallas, TX

MAY 23-24 Gen. George S. Patton Jr. (0-4) San Antonio, San Antonio, TX USPA Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cup (0-2) New Orleans, Folsom, LA MAY 23-JUNE 6 National Eight Goal (4-8) Houston, Houston, TX

MAY 1-3 Willow Bend Cup (8) Willow Bend, Little Elm, TX M AY 1 - 10 Folded Hills Polo Challenge (12) Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA

MAY 23 May Challenge Cup Prestonwood, Dallas, TX

M A Y 2 7 - 31 White Pants Open (4-8) Mashomack, Pine Plains, NY M AY 15 - 2 4 Lisle Nixon Memorial (12) Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA M A Y 16 Preakness Stakes Cup Prestonwood, Dallas, TX Polo On the Prairie Lazy 3 Ranch, Albany, TX M A Y 16 - 17 Arena Sportsmanship Cup (0-3) Triangle Area, Hurdle Mills, NC Carpathia Cup (4) New Orleans, Folsom, LA Asado League Will Rogers, Los Angeles, CA

MAY 29-JUNE 7 Vic Graber Cup (12) Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA USPA Gen. Brown Cup (8) Willow Bend, Little Elm, TX MAY 30 Memorial Day Cup Prestonwood, Dallas, TX International Cup USA vs. MX Franklin, Nashville, TN M A Y 3 0 - 31 Sportsmanship Cup Seneca, Poolesville, MD Mercedes Benz Club Cup New Orleans, Folsom, LA

M AY 9 - 10 Justin Addison Memorial New Orleans, Folsom, LA

M A Y 3 0 - S E P T 19 Saturday 2 Goal Mashomack, Pine Plains, NY

M A Y 1 3 - 31 USPA Presidents Cup (4-8) New Bridge, New Bridge, SC

JUNE 3-7 Constitution Cup (4-6) Denver, Littleton, CO

M AY 15 - 18 Joe Stahl Memorial Cup (0-4) Tinicum, Erwinna, PA

J U N E 3 - 14 Members Cup (8) New Bridge, New Bridge, SC

58 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

CALENDAR

June JUNE 3-28 USPA Officers Cup (8) Mashomack, Pine Plains, NY J U N E 4 - 14 Sportsmanship Cup (6-8) Nashville, Nashville, TN JUNE 5-7 Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic NYC Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ JUNE 6 Belmont Stakes Cup Prestonwood, Dallas, TX JUNE 7 Joseph Poor Cup Myopia, South Hamilton, MA JUNE 7-8 USPA Sportsmanship Cup New Orleans, Folsom, LA

NYTS J U N E 9 - 11 Maryland, Jarrettsville, MD J U N E 1 2 - 16 Houston, Houston, TX

J U N E 21 Cerro Pampa, Petaluma, CA

J U N E 21 - J U L Y 5 Monty Waterbury Cup (16-20) Greenwich, Greenwich, CT

JUNE 26-28 Gardnertown, Newburgh, NY Buffalo, Wainfleet, Ontario, Canada J U N E 3 0 - J U LY 2 Black Diamond, Millarville, Alberta

J U N E 10 - J U LY 15 Copa Miercoles (8) Mashomack, Pine Plains, NY

J U N E 1 8 - 21 Congressional Cup (0-2) Acoaxet, Tiverton, RI

J U N E 11 - 1 3 International Polo Challenge Mashomack, Pine Plains, NY

J U N E 18 - 2 8 Officers Cup (4-8) Nashville, Nashville, TN

J U N E 1 2 - 14 Texas Heritage Cup (8) Willow Bend, Little Elm, TX

J U N E 19 - 21 Heart of Texas Cup (0-4) Willow Bend, Little Elm, TX

J U N E 1 2 - 21 USPA Intra-Circuit (12) Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA

JUNE 20 Symphony Cup Prestonwood, Dallas, TX

J U N E 1 3 - 14 NOPC Summer Classic New Orleans, Folsom, LA

Women’s Cup (0-2) Seneca, Poolesville, MD J U N E 21 C.G. Rice Cup Myopia, South Hamilton, MA

J U N E 14 Neil Ayer Cup Myopia, South Hamilton, MA

Patriot Cup (4-8) Prestonwood, Dallas, TX

J U N E 2 0 - 21 Father’s Day Matches New Orleans, Folsom, LA

J U N E 1 3 - 14 Roseland, Crozet, VA Bluewater Creek, Rogersville, AL

J U N E 7 - 14 Greenwich Cup Greenwich, Greenwich, CT

J U N E 13 Hunterdon Polo Classic Fieldview Farm, Pittstown, NJ

Teen Cancer America Benefit Will Rogers, Los Angeles, CA

JUNE 24-28 Arena Women’s Challenge Central Coast, Los Osos, CA JUNE 25-28 Sportsmanship Cup (0-4) Farmington, Farmington, CT JUNE 26-28 Heat Wave Cup (0-4) Willow Bend, Little Elm, TX JUNE 27 Prestonwood Arena Cup (12) Prestonwood, Dallas, TX Ivy Hill Therapeutic Equestrian Center Benefit Tinicum, Erwinna, PA JUNE 27-28 24th Annual CD LeBlanc Mem. (1) Will Rogers, Los Angeles, CA Players Cup Cerro Pampa, Petaluma, CA Spring Season Finale New Orleans, Folsom, LA JUNE 28 Agassiz Club Cup (0) Myopia, South Hamilton, MA J U N E 2 8 - J U L Y 31 Tuckerman Cup (4) Myopia, South Hamilton, MA

USPA WCT Arena Challenge (6-9) Seneca, Poolesville, MD Note: All dates are subject to change. “USPA” refers to tournaments sponsored or sanctioned by the United States Polo Association.

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 59

Y E S T E RY E A R S

Marion Hollins An accomplished sportswoman was national champion By Peter Rizzo

Marion Hollins

60 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

Historians could make a solid case for Marion Hollins to have been one of the best female polo players of her time, though she is better known in annuals of sporting history as a championship golfer and a savvy golf course designer, developer, promotor and real estate investor. A promotion for a 1998 biography “Champion in a Man’s World: The Biography of Marion Hollins” announced, “David Outerbridge tells the tale of an extraordinary woman who is perhaps the sportswoman of the century. Yet, although she filled the newspapers and magazines of her day, her record of amazing accomplishments is not well known today.” Was Hollins the best sportswoman, or perhaps even the best horsewoman of the 20th century? From a young age, Marion excelled in a number of sporting endeavors including marksmanship, swimming, race car driving and tennis and tennis court development. As an equestrian, aside from polo, Hollins was instrumental in introducing steeplechase racing to northern California and helping found the Pacific Coast Steeplechase and Racing Association. She also was heavily involved in racehorses. Born in 1892, to a wealthy and socially prominent family in East Islip, New York, she grew up on her parent’s 600-acre country estate where she learned to manage four-in-hand horse carriages and ride horses. She also learned to play golf at nearby Westbrook Golf Club. Her father was Harry Bowly “H. B.” Hollins, an American financier, banker, railroad magnate, and partner and best friend of the immortal J.P. Morgan. Unfortunately, her father’s business went bankrupt in 1913 and most of the family estate had to be sold to address longstanding debts. Outerbridge describes Hollins as being born into a man’s world at a time that women “knew their place.” However, she rejected the notion throughout her tradition-shattering life and was not stopped by obstacles or convention about what she thought needed to be done. She marched in New York City for women’s right to vote in public elections and actively promoted sports for women and children. At 19, she sailed the Lusitania to spend two months in Europe, an annual sojourn for many years prior to World War I. She was reportedly also the first