M A R C H 2 01 8
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CONTENTS M A RC H 201 8
VO L . 21 ,
FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS
26 Snow tour
6
Alpine polo comes alive in dead of winter
32 Feeling the heat by Gwen Rizzo
NO. 7
Association News
USPA Bulletin Club Spotlight
12 Instructors Forum
Polo clubs escape unscathed after numerous fires
by Tom Goodspeed
38 Fighter by Gwen Rizzo
14 Usefuls
Horses and family help player tackle challenges
by Chris Adair
16 Equine Athlete 18 22 24 40
OUR COVER Ponies make their way to the field for the Snow Polo World Cup Kitzbühel. Photo courtesy of Snow Polo World Cup Kitzbühel
by Heather Smith Thomas Polo Scene News, notes, trends & quotes
Team USPA Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Polo in the Pampas by Ernesto Rodriguez
42 Polo around the Globe 55 Marketplace 64 Calendar 44 Polo Report
Four Trophies played for in Texas Arena League in Austin
OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN SIGNED COLUMNS ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHORS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE PUBLISHERS OF THIS MAGAZINE.
2 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
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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
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©Copyright 2018 by USPA Global LLC. No part of this issue may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process without written permission of the publisher. Paul Brown illustrations are ©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. 21, No.7 POLO Players’ Edition (ISSN #1096-2255) is published monthly by Rizzo Management Corp. 6008 Reynolds RD, Lake Worth, FL 33449 for U.S. Polo Association, 9011 Lake Worth RD, Lake Worth, FL 33467. Periodicals postage paid at West Palm Beach, FL and additional mailing offices. (USPS: 079-770). POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Polo Players’ Edition, 6008 Reynolds RD, Lake Worth, FL 33449. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement No. 40612608. Canada Returns to be sent to Imex Global, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.
4 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
USPA Umpires, LLC from 0 goal to 40 goal, we’ve gotcha covered! For information regarding a professional umpire at your club, please contact: Charlie Muldoon (240) 731-2248 cmuldoon@uspolo.org Maggie Mitchell (941) 928-4600 mmitchell@uspolo.org For information regarding umpire certification, online testing, umpire clinics or rule reviews, please contact: Steve Lane (352) 454-6611 slane@uspolo.org
High-goal Election Results The USPA held an election open to members of the high-goal community on Jan. 11, to select representation for the USPA High-Goal Committee. Votes were accepted to fill the open seats available for a high-goal team owner and high-goal professional player, team manager or coach. High-goal team owners that competed in USPA 20-goal-or-above events during the course of 2017 were eligible to vote for the high-goal team owner nominees of Gillian Johnston and Grant Ganzi. High-goal professional players, team managers or coaches that competed in USPA 20-goal-or-above events in 2017 were eligible to vote for the high-goal professional player/manager nominees of Jeff Hall, Miguel Novillo Astrada, Juan Olivera and Brandon Phillips. After the votes were tallied, it was announced that Gillian Johnston would fill the open position for a high-goal team owner and Jeff Hall would fill the open position as a high-goal professional player. Save The Date The Spring USPA Board of Governors Meeting will take place April 18-21, 2018, in South Florida, at a location yet to be determined. A Board of Governors cocktail reception will be held at the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in Lake Worth, Florida, on April 18, and the USPA/Polo Training Foundation Awards Dinner will be held at The International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida, April 20. USPA members are invited to attend all committee and LLC meetings. For more information, please visit uspolo.org. New Voice at IPC For a person to be a success when announcing a sports game, particularly one that has several stop-and-go periods such as polo, it requires more than just a clear voice and great pronunciation skills. It takes, in part, the ability to entertain without necessarily being seen, paired with immense knowledge of the game and a drive to share 6 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Gillian Johnston
Jeff Hall
their passion with others. The International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida, has built a reputation as the premier destination for American polo, a result of hosting the top USPA high-goal tournaments for the past several years. The club’s resident announcer and USPA President Tony Coppola has been affectionately nicknamed “The Voice of Polo” due to his recognizable flair and history of announcing many U.S. Open Polo Championship finals. Commentating alongside Coppola this year is Lindsay Heatley, a familiar voice in West Coast polo. Similar to many other positions in the industry, announcing has predominately and historically been a position filled by men. Heatley has taken the opportunity on American polo’s main stage to represent women in this sector of the sport by offering insightful, well-worded commentary, that complements Coppola’s well-known style. Heatley began announcing at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club in Carpinteria, California, and has been honing her craft for about three years. “I started announcing in Santa Barbara one summer when my dad was managing and they needed a substitute,” explained Heatley. “It is as much fun as playing sometimes, and is a great way to interact with the game. I come from a polo-playing family, and my sister and I are fourth genera-
tion polo players. We were those polo kids that you see running around the club. I have played my whole life, just like most polo kids. So, announcing is a great way for me to stay involved and take part in the game. I have known Tony my whole life, and now I get to announce with him, so it has been a really fun opportunity.” Eight horses and players, along with two umpires mounted on the field at all times, can be challenging to follow. Heatley prepares prior to each game so the play is easy for her to watch and share with others. “Before announcing a game, I look at the rosters as well as research some background on the players so that I can help people get to know them. I look at the rosters right before the game to make sure that I have the right line ups. A big asset for announcers is knowing what each player’s
Lindsay Heatley
helmet looks like, it makes them easier to pick out on the field.” Announcing with a well-established commentator such as Coppola has helped Heatley to develop her style and given her some insight on how to get the audience excited for the game. “Now that I have announced a bit with Tony, I feel like I have adapted to his style. I like to talk continuously and follow the play in real time. I try to give interesting background information on the players to those who may not have been to polo before and are not familiar with the game. Tony is really great about getting the audience involved. He will tell the crowd to cheer for the players and he makes sure that he explains things well. I think he is just really great at interacting with the audience and keeps them involved in the game so, I have learned a lot from him already and hope to carry that forward.” Although announcing is a rewarding endeavor for Heatley, she has big plans for the future in film production. “When I am not announcing, I work in film. I am based out of New Mexico, but I spend a lot of time in Santa Barbara in the summer and will be there again next year. I majored in composing for film music in college, and from there I started directing and started writing. I am currently working as a production assistant, and would love to become a director in the future.” Having quickly climbed the ranks to the top in terms of announcing, Heatley hopes to continue sharing her love for the game with spectators and fans. “I want to keep learning and improving, and hope to take everything I can from here and move forward with it to Santa Barbara next summer. Thank you to Tony, the International Polo Club, Hayley [Bryan] and Jimmy [Newman] for giving me this opportunity to learn so much!” Texas Arena League The Texas Arena League began its inaugural year with matches at County Line Polo Club in Kyle, Texas, Saturday,
Jan. 20. The TAL is a statewide polo league with teams playing USPA tournaments at different locations to earn points for season final awards. For 2018, three locations have been chosen: County Line Polo Club in the Austin area (see results page 44); Legend’s Horse Ranch/East Texas Polo in Kaufman, Texas, in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area (Feb. 3); and Midland Polo Club in Midland, Texas, in West Texas (March 3). Teams will compete in each location,
not only for USPA circuit events, but also for points to be named 2018 Texas Arena League Champion, Most Valuable Player and Best Playing Pony. TAL plays 0- to 3goal, 3- to 6-goal and club tournaments at each event. “We wanted to create something to bring the entire Southwestern Circuit together and make more competitive arena polo in Texas,” said organizer and Certified Polo Instructor Megan Flynn. “That was the idea behind the Texas Arena League. All of us on the TAL Tournament Committee were involved in college or high school polo in the arena. TAL seeks to bring back that same camaraderie and
Ricardo ‘Zorrino’ Force with Gonzalito Pieres’ mare So Easy
competition that we all enjoyed in Intercollegiate/Interscholastic polo.” Teams or players interested in learning more can contact Megan Flynn by email at megan@hiddenviewfarmpolo.com. TAL tournament recaps can be found in the “News and Social” section of uspolo.org. Florida High-Goal Scene The USPA has gone behind the scenes of high-goal polo to bring members and polo fans the inside story on many wellknown top grooms and horses. Exclusive interviews, photos and videos make up indepth articles that are housed on uspolo.org. These articles highlight the exceptional caretakers of the equine partners in the sport such as Gloria D’Angelo, Ricardo Force and Elly Brien who have turned their love of horses into a life-long career. Additionally, many of the sport’s well-loved horses have been featured, including Sapo Caset’s stallion Popular, Hilario Ulloa’s Lavinia Castellana, who took home Joe Barry Cup Best Playing Pony honors, and Gillian Johnston’s homebred Lola. These articles can be found in the “News and Social” section of uspolo.org. Published by the United States Polo Association Offices at 9011 Lake Worth Rd. Lake Worth, Florida 33467 (800) 232-USPA Chairman: Chip Campbell President: Tony Coppola Secretary: Stuart Armstrong Treasurer: Sam Ramirez Chief Executive Officer: Robert Puetz
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 7
Polo Club and California Polo Club for making the event a success.
Instructor Skilz Clinic
Tiger Kneece and Mason Wroe evaluate a player’s swing while Devan Groves captures footage.
NYTS Eldorado Polo Club hosted the first 2018 National Youth Tournament Series Qualifier. Three teams, featuring players from a variety of clubs, entered the two-day tournament held in conjunction with the launch of the Player Performance Analysis Clinic. Lakeside Polo Club took home the prize, defeating Antelope and Alegria over the course of the tournament. Cory Williams, Riley Jordan, Alonso Andrade, Grant Palmer and Garrett Bankhead were named All-Stars. Riley Jordan’s horse, Kewpie Doll, was named Best Playing Pony, the first official Best Playing Pony of the NYTS program.
Team USPA Team USPA members are deep in the trenches of the 2018 winter season. On the West Coast, Patrick Uretz and Jim Wright won the Coachella Valley USPA Officers Cup at Eldorado Polo Club. Mason Wroe, Remy Muller and Geronimo Obregon also competed at Eldorado Polo. In Florida, Jared Zenni earned a spot in the 20-goal Joe Barry Cup final. Steve Krueger and Rob Jornayvaz competed in the 20-goal Ylvisaker Cup. At press time, Jornayvaz’s team had advanced to the semi finals.
Player Performance Analysis USPA Polo Development, LLC hosted 8 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
a preview clinic of the newly-launched Player Performance Analysis program at Eldorado Polo Club in Indio, California. Participants began with a pre-riding warm-up program developed by Dr. Gretchen Oliver, director of the Sports Medicine and Movement Laboratory at Auburn University. The exercises are designed to activate specific muscles used in polo, priming for maximum efficacy during play. Following the warm-up, clinic participants progressed into the riding pattern analysis and swing analysis. Charles Smith, chair of the USPA Polo Development, LLC. board and Hall of Fame player, instructed each player to complete the USPA riding pattern. Similarly, participants completed several offside forehand swings to be analyzed by sports analysis software, Coach’s Eye. Following the clinic, Tiger Kneece (former 7-goal player), Mason Wroe (4goaler) and Smith recorded their analyses of each swing and riding pattern for players to access in their online PoloSkilz.com profile.
Certifiers Erik Wright and Cindy Halle led six instructors through an Instructor Skilz Clinic at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, as the second step toward testing for their USPA Certified Polo Instructor certification. Participants included Nicolas Maciel, Juan Martin Gutierrez, Marcial “Toto” Socas, Marcos Llambias, Ernie Ezcurra and Ted Okie.
I/I Dates to Remember The USPA Open National Interscholastic Championship will be hosted by Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, March 21-25. The USPA National Intercollegiate Championships will be held at Santa Barbara Polo Club in Carpinteria, California, April 2-7. The USPA Girls’ National Interscholastic Championship will be hosted by Virginia Polo Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, April 11-15. Good Luck to all teams!
CPI Training Congratulations to Kirsten Ludwig, Ismael Molina, Jeffrey Rewald, Stacey Galindo, and Carlos Galindo on earning their USPA Certified Polo Instructor certification. A special thank you to Empire
PD’s Justin Powers and Charles Smith analyze Martin Perez’s riding skills.
The Villages Polo Club The Villages, Florida
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part to The Villages’ surrounding 120,000 residents, the club flourishes by actively enhancing the turnkey polo experience for players and encouraging the continued knowledge of its polo fans. It is this investment in those on both sides of the boards which has called for expansion of the club’s programs and facilities.
Formed in 1988 and actively hosting tournaments since 1997, the Villages Polo Club was inspired by the Oxford Polo Club, a small club in neighboring Lady Lake, Florida. Founded by veterinarians Bill and Manulani Lyall along with their son Lord Lyall, Oxford Polo Club would spark the interest of the growing Villages community nearby. Wanting to offer polo in the rapidly expanding retirement community, The Villages contacted Lord Lyall and hired him as club manager once the new club was erected. Today, Oxford Polo Club functions as a sister club to TVPC, hosting 4 goal and below, as well as green horse chukkers on Saturdays. This partnership with the clubs enables Oxford Polo Club to serve as the training grounds for both children and professionals who frequently play their
DAVE BOEGE
estled within Central Florida’s largest and liveliest adult community, The Villages Polo Club in The Villages, Florida, hosts tournaments during the spring and fall seasons, offering 6 goal and above. Sprawling across nearly 200 lush acres of beautiful pasture land dotted with majestic live oaks, TVPC is a fixture within the vast community. Attracting anywhere from 800 to 1,500 spectators for Friday and Sunday games, the club showcases a unique polo community of educated “Villagers” embracing the sport in their golden years. Just a stone’s throw away from both an equestrian hub in Ocala and the popular tourist destination Orlando, the club thrives in an atmosphere saturated by endless recreational activities. Although high attendance can be attributed in large
With an emphasis on women’s polo, the club has hosted several women’s tournaments over the years.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 9
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Residents come out in full force to support the teams, packing the stadium. The Villages Polo Booster Club has 500 active members that attend classes at the club to be better educated about the sport and its players.
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green horses on the weekends. Since inception, TVPC has benefitted from its populous residential location, making the process for visiting players smooth and convenient. “Being inside The Villages adds a very different dynamic that people wouldn’t expect,” club manager Paige McCabe said.
“Everything is accessible by golf car so, as a player, you come here and can rent a cabana right on the town square. Then just drive your golf car to the barn. It’s very easy and unique.” Because the polo grounds are approximately four miles away from the central town square, Market Square at
Polo instructor Mike Harris works with students on their swings.
10 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Lake Sumter Landing, players can move about quickly and just as freely as the residents do. TVPC has not stopped there, however, undertaking a recent endeavor in the form of a major construction project geared at creating the ultimate “polo campus.” Additions currently underway include three new barns and
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barns and two grooms’ quarters, providing six bedrooms for grooms to stay at in one central compound. Also in the works is a brand-new, all-weather exercise track and 48 stalls. “Literally the players show up and we have convenient housing that comes with a golf car right here on the property, practice fields they can ride to from the barn, and an exercise track,” McCabe said. “Everything you need is encompassed in our one small facility.” Known for its emphasis on women’s polo, The Villages Polo Club has supported and hosted several important women’s tournaments over the years. The U.S. Open Women’s Handicap took residence at the club throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s. In late November, TVPC’s famous ladies 12- to 14-goal tournament, Florida Circuit Women’s Challenge, attracted female professionals such as Gillian Johnston and Hope Arellano. Earlier this year TVPC was chosen as the venue for several Florida Circuit tournaments including Masters, Constitution and Intra-Circuit Cups. While many clubs tend to operate with only the players’ needs in mind, TVPC has embraced the enthusiasm of fans and used it as an opportunity to cultivate an educated spectatorship. Resident crowds can be seen lining the idyllic fields in
Visiting players can rent a cabana in the town square and access barns, restaurants and shops by golf car.
their golf cars during weekly spring or fall season practices, but they come out in full force to tailgate and pack the covered stadium for the main games. Engagement is so high that in 1994, The Villages Polo Booster Club was formed, a self-sufficient organization that has grown over the years to more than 500 active members. The mission of the group is to have the most enthusiastic and best educated fans, and TVPC facilitates this by organizing Polo 101 through 104 classes every
The club is currently building three new barns and housing for grooms.
season. “Polo 101 is just your basic introduction to the game. We talk about the rules, strategy and player positions,” McCabe explained. “In 102 we go more in depth about some aspect of strategy, a day in the life of a player and what players do to prepare for the game. The 103 class focuses on the horse specifically and we might bring in a guest speaker, usually an equine veterinarian or a farrier.” For more advanced spectators, 104 is an annual rules clinic with USPA head umpire instructor, Steve Lane, typically held at the end of the fall season in November. Generating and retaining impressive crowd turnout and interest has naturally evolved into the need for an on-site polo school, which broke ground on Oct. 1, 2017. Head polo instructor of TVPC’s newly-established polo school is Mike Harris, formerly an instructor at Palm City Polo Club in Boynton Beach, Florida. With a string of club ponies available for the program, group lessons are now being held on Saturdays at Oxford Polo Club. “Oxford is a great tool for us as far as lessons go because once we get students riding and hitting, the next step is to put them in chukkers,” McCabe said. “This is very slow, friendly polo where we’ll put a pro on each team and they may even stop the chukker to explain rules. We use that as a stepping stone to The Villages, which offers 6-goal and above.” Looking ahead to the future, TVPC has plans to host Certified Polo Instructor clinics for the first time, as well as an umpire certification clinic. “We want to use our club as a training ground, both for players and umpires, because we do have that turnkey experience available,” McCabe said. “The idea is fun, competitive Florida polo, but also at affordable prices.” Equipped with the ideal facilities to streamline the tournament experience, as well as the infrastructure of a spectator-friendly club, TVPC is developing into the picture of the model polo campus, designed with everyone in mind. For more information on The Villages Polo Club please visit its website at thevillagespoloclub.com and “Like” The Villages Polo Club on Facebook. POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 11
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GOING LONG Stick length is determined by more than just the size of the horse
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hen players first begin to play this wonderful game, they are usually handed mallets and off they go. Most are not yet aware of the importance of the mallet and its many considerations, including length. The best hits are those when the mallet meets the ball’s sweet spot. If your mallet is not a good length for you, you will likely either hit the ground, top the ball or miss it completely. One of the most common mistakes a lot of players make is to adjust their mallet length to a favorite shot—the offside forehander. This shot is the easiest to physically hit, so the tendency is to lean more over the ball, requiring a shorter mallet. A shorter mallet is a little easier to handle, but it compromises all the other shots, especially the nearside since you literally have to reach over your left arm to get to the ball, requiring more reach. Find a comfortable length mallet for your nearside and then make the adjustment on the offside. How do you do this? Canter around, take various nearside swings and try to brush the surface with your mallet head. If you can comfortably brush the surface while cantering or galloping on your nearside, you have found the correct length. When you go back to your offside you may have to stay up in your hitting position a little more to avoid hitting the ground. Hitting position can also be referred to as polo’s two-point, a term hunter jumper riders are very familiar with. Two-point is riding with your seat just barely off the saddle with your torso leaning slightly forward and all of your weight being supported by your lower leg. Your legs are bent at the knee, with your lower leg slightly back. Lock your knee and thigh onto the saddle by turning the soles of 12 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
your boot away from the horse. Correct stirrup length allows for good leg angle and body position. Find the correct stirrup length by sitting in the saddle and straightening your legs with your feet out of the stirrups. Adjust your stirrups so the bottom of the stirrup is at your ankle. Foot position in the stirrup will also affect your body position. A lot of great players ride with their feet all the way into the stirrups, (referred to as driving them home) but in my upbringing in equitation, I was taught to keep the balls of my feet on the stirrup bar with my heels weighted down. I eventually started to put a little more foot into the stirrup, but I do not advocate putting them all the way in because it is important to be able to quickly get your feet out of the stirrups in the event of a fall. If your foot is too far in the stirrup, it may get stuck and could result in you being dragged. Boots with rubber-ridged soles make it easy to grip the stirrups without pushing the foot all the way in. What does the hitting two-point position have to do with mallet length? If you rise up into your leg (as you should) with the proper length stirrups, you will need a longer mallet than riders that stay in their seat or just prefer longer stirrups. Some amateurs will stand too tall in the saddle with their knees locked—what is called ‘post legged’—and no bend or angle in the leg. This is not a good position as you are not as balanced with the horse and it requires a longer mallet. Two players may not use the same length mallet, even on the same horse. You may need a 52-inch mallet on a horse another player uses a 51-inch mallet with. It all depends on riding style, as well as the length of your torso and arms. Players come in all shapes and sizes so find what is comfortable for you.
Mallet lengths are generally 49-53 inches but you can have longer and shorter mallets made. Back in college when I thought I knew everything, I used 46- to 49-inch mallets. As I improved and was rated at my highest (5 outdoors and 9 in the arena), I realized how little I knew and began to use 51to 54-inch mallets. I saw the best players in the world using longer mallets and I began to experience that a longer mallet simply got me to more plays. Longer mallets help when horses jump, balls hit divots and bounce or you are trying to push opponents away in a ride off while carrying the ball on the nearside. There are so many times when more length allows you to just make a play. You tend to forget about all of that action when you are hand cantering around the stickand-ball field. Too many amateurs choose their mallet length by swinging at a walk, then take off at a gallop and wonder why they are not connecting with the ball. The rocking gait of a canter or gallop is far more animated than a walk. Determine the proper mallet length at a gallop. Sometimes my students gallop over in a game and switch mallets several times looking for that perfect length. That initiates my “you should be able to adjust to any size mallet in the heat of play” speech. Let’s say your 51 breaks or you drop it, you should be able to grab the closest mallet on the sidelines, even a 53, run back into the play and make the mental adjustment to the mallet length now in your hand. The same is true if you pick up a shorter mallet, like if you lose your 53 and grab a 50. Your form may be compromised, but all of us can adjust a few inches down or up. If you cannot, that is something you should work on. Some players actually will move their hand up and down the grip, extending the grip into their hand for more reach and
USPOLO ASSOCIATION
Nearside shots require you to reach over your left arm. Find a comfortable mallet length for your nearside, then adjust for offside shots.
choking up the mallet for a shorter grip. If you are turning right and on your offside, your horse usually leans in and you are several inches closer to the ball, whereas when you are turning left and on your offside, you are further from the ball. If you are on your nearside and turning right, you’ll wish you had an extender button built into the mallet. So, whether you realize it or not, you should be adjusting your mallet length at various times, even with the same mallet. I know some great players who use the same mallet length on all horses, regardless of a horse’s size. They like the consistency of hand-eye coordination that you get with using the same length mallet. I grew up changing mallets from one horse to the next, so that never bothered me. Some of our greatest players have strings of horses that are all very close to the same frame and size allowing them the consistency of the size of the horse. However, even horses of the same size can require mallet adjustment based on their way of going. Some horses travel very flat and close to the ground where some horses have much more spring and more of a leaping stride. Playing surface can also affect mallet length. If you play on grass, a longer mallet will work better on a well-groomed field with the entire ball sitting on top then a field with long, thick grass or more dirt than grass, keeping the ball somewhat buried. In the arena, if the surface is deep, you may be 3-4 inches closer to the ball, allowing for a shorter mallet then if the arena footing is firm. Other considerations for mallet length
may never even occur to some. On a cold day, on a fresh horse or early in the season when you shouldn’t even be considering leaning off that horse, a longer mallet will eliminate the need to lean too far out. Horses are pretty frisky the first few weeks of any season and staying more centered is a good thing. Windy days or a cold snap can turn your reliable pony back into a playful handful. It is on those days, a longer mallet can be a very good friend. If you are introducing a horse to polo, a longer mallet allows you to swing easy without throwing your weight around. What about those horses shaped like a wine barrel? You know the ones, a little too much fat and not enough withers. We have one in our barn that is a perfect circle, so helpful in teaching riders to stay balanced. Those horses can be impossible to get the
girth tight no matter how much you huff and puff. I can tell you first hand, they are not the ones to be doing any leaning on. That is a horse requiring a longer mallet, allowing you to stay dead center. So, mallet length has something to do with so many aspects you may have never thought of. It may only be a matter of an inch or two, but polo is a game that can be decided by those exact inches. I would suggest mostly 52s and 53s in you mallet inventory, but whatever size you use, I wish you nothing but well hit balls. Tom Goodspeed is a renowned polo instructor, coach and horse trainer. He achieved a 5-goal handicap outdoors and 9 in the arena. He can be reached at polotom@usapolo.com.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 13
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RIDE STRONG Equestrian training routine focuses on stamina, flexibility and strength
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s a fitness professional in Wellington, Florida, a major target market from November through April is equestrians. This includes polo players, hunters, jumpers and dressage riders. Good fitness provides an edge in athletics and these equestrian sports are no different. Developing good fitness programs for equestrian athletes is very important. Poor fitness not only leads to soreness and injury, but can contribute to poor performance and even accidents. When your body position is off balanced in the saddle, your proprioception (awareness of where your body parts are in relation to your body and movement) is off and the horse will not be in balance either. The main goals of fitness programs for equestrian athletes is to build stamina, improve or maintain flexibility and strength and work on balance while on the horse. While most of the programming for equestrian athletes is similar, there are a few modifications based on your specific discipline. Keep in mind, the Law of Specificity says that to get better at something, you must do that something. I have seen so many examples of trainers telling their clients to do crazy exercises like balancing on an exercise ball while lifting a weight to help with their balance and coordination on the horse. It may look innovative and high-tech, but the reality is those physical skills will not transfer to you while on a horse. So, stick with the basics. Stamina The physical demands of each equestrian sport may be different, but having great stamina is always a plus no matter 14 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
cular Facilitation (PNF) stretching can improve long-term flexibility rapidly.
Stamina is an important component in any equestrian sport, so be sure to include exercises to increase your stamina.
your discipline. Playing 18 holes of golf isn’t very physically demanding, but you would be surprised at how many scores drop on the last nine holes compared to the first nine, simply due to poor stamina. This is one component of fitness for trainers to work on with equestrian athletes. Flexibility Flexibility is one of the most neglected exercise components. Good range of motion is important in allowing riders to move as one with the horse, while minimizing injury by relaxing the connective tissues and muscles around your joints. Poor hamstrings and hip flexors are two of the leading causes of back pain and strain, while poor shoulder flexibility can cause rotator cuff tears. While some experts now say pre-event stretching does not reduce injury, increasing overall flexibility does. This, however, requires stretches to be held for 30-60 seconds. More advanced techniques, like Proprioceptive Neuromus-
Strength Equestrian sports impose specific demands on the body. Fitness programs for equestrian athletes should include exercises to train all muscles, not just the muscles used in your sport. For example, training the back and not the chest creates an unequal pull on the shoulder joint and can result in impingement, and making your quadriceps 25 percent stronger than your hamstrings can cause knee problems. The following exercises for equestrian athletes, focus on strengthening your core, legs, back, shoulders and forearms. CORE Stabilized Crunches Although it is normally contraindicated to brace your feet while doing crunch-
Fitness routines should include exercises to train all muscles, not just some.
Planks The plank is the ultimate total-body movement. Hold the “up” push-up position, supporting your body weight either on your elbows (directly under your shoulders) and toes or on the palms of your hands (with arms fully extended and hands directly under your shoulders) and toes. Engage your entire body to keep your spine straight (no bend at the waist) and hold the plank for as long as you can. Slowly build up the length of time you can hold the position. Engage the core and do crunches with a limited range of motion.
es, for equestrians, it mimics you in stirrups. Do not do a full sit-up, but engage the core and do crunches with a limited range of motion.
Russian Twists Despite the name, don’t twist! Lock your core and rotate the weight you are holding slowly from side to side without twisting. Avoid twisting your lower back while rotating. Done wrong, this exercise can actually be harmful to your spine.
Steve Krueger uses Russian Twists to strengthen his abs and stabilizers.
Maintain this rigid position to crush your abs and stabilizers while your (continued on page 56)
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HOOF CRACKS Managing the feet for health and strength
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at Burton, a Texas farrier, has developed effective ways to rehabilitate cracked feet, often using management rather than bar shoes or other types of special shoeing. “Every day the hoof grows and changes. My philosophy is to try to encourage good hoof growth and minimize anything that would inhibit that growth or put pressure on the area of the crack,” he says. “We’re trying to repair damaged tissue, facilitate healing and regeneration, and prevent future fractures in the epidermal structures. We have to look at the whole picture. It’s not just management of the hoof (trimming) but also nutrition, exercise, environment, etc. This is all part of what goes into correcting cracked feet,” he explains. Burton has dealt with many severe cracks that tend to persist in spite of attempts to heal them. There is often damage at the base of the tubules; there may be old scars that are difficult to get rid of. Even on feet that have grown out, some still have a line in the hoof wall. “There’s often a weaker area, but in some instances scarring creates a stronger area. If the hoof is going to crack again, it will crack on either side of that. It won’t crack on that old fracture line,” he explains. Causes of Cracks Identifying location of cracks and their causes is important in devising a plan to correct them. “There are many types of cracks—quarter cracks, toe cracks, heel cracks, bar cracks, horizontal cracks, some that occur in the superficial structures and some that go all the way through the wall and intra-tubular horn. Some go across the horn. Others are micro-fractures: little fractures in the hoof wall that may be precursors of problems to come,” he says. The 16 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Hoof management, nutrition, exercise and environment should all be considered when correcting cracked feet.
hoof wall is weakened and at risk for more damage. Burton thinks the majority of cracks are caused by hoof imbalance, some kind of blunt trauma to the external surface, sheer force due to the heels being out of balance, or laceration of the coronary band. “Nutritional issues may contribute to cracks, if the
If cracks penetrate into sensitive structures, they can cause pain and lameness.
horse is on a poor nutritional plane and the hoof wall is weak. The entire wall sometimes has fractures or superficial cracks if it’s a nutritional cause,” says Burton. Superficial cracks are usually not debilitating, but if they penetrate into sensitive structures, the resulting damage can be serious and cause pain and lameness. “Superficial cracks can usually be repaired with routine farrier care and sometime veterinary help with x-rays to guide the farrier,” he says. Resolving most cracks involves balancing the hoof and preventing excess moisture or dryness. Serious cracks demand attention from both the veterinarian and farrier, working together and finding a method to stop the crack’s progress so it can begin to heal. “You’ve got to trim the feet often, so there is very little pressure on the crack,” he says. Generally about 80 percent of quarter cracks are on the medial (inside) of the hoof. Some horses have multiple cracks on the same foot, in one area. “These are caused by long-term damage and lots of pressure. If you take the pressure away, they can resolve. That’s the beauty of better hoof management—to just take the cause of the crack away,” says Burton. He accomplishes this by careful trimming, good nutrition, routine hoof care and more natural support for the sole. The farrier needs a good concept of functional anatomy and biomechanics of the horse, as well as understanding the physiology and individual conformation of each horse’s feet and legs. “It’s important to be able to ‘read’ the foot—to understand the structures and know what’s going on with them—being able to assess the extent of damage to the tissues, and evaluating the injuries,” he says. He says farriers need to understand all of this, and have a well-structured plan for
addressing the problem. The key to a good plan is observation of the horse. “Watch him while he’s resting, to see if he’s uncomfortable on his feet or more comfortable in one position or on a certain footing. If he’s on sand, does he try to point his toes down or change the way he stands, or shift his weight?” Watch the horse walking and trotting, and observe foot flight, to know what part concussion plays in the problem, and how you might alleviate it. Burton advises farriers to take notes as well as photos, and videos if possible, to know what’s going on with the animal. The horse owner can take videos of the horse walking and trotting. Radiographs are essential, to determine what the bony column looks like in relation to what’s happening on the inside of the foot. Documenting the history of that horse is important because the farrier may look
Horizontal cracks are less likely and are usually the result of an injury or abscess.
back after treating the horse for six months and need to know exactly what changed. “You can watch the video and see a difference in foot flight, or a difference in the way the horse moves and if he’s more comfort-
able,” says Burton. What works for one horse to address a problem may not work for the next horse. He recalls a bad toe crack that was severe and persistent in spite of treatment by a number of people over several years. It turned out there was a keratoma (a growth inside the foot), and after it was removed, the cracks started healing. No one had taken x-rays to determine what was causing the problem. Micro-fractures are small tears in the hoof wall. Burton says most quarter cracks start from the top down (at the coronary band) and from inside out. “By the time we see the crack in the exterior of the wall, a lot of damage is already done underneath.” The horn tubules are like thousands of tiny straws welded together. “As micro-fractures and weaknesses (continued on page 54)
TRIPLE CROWN OF POLO C.V. WHITNEY CUP | USPA GOLD CUP | U.S. OPEN POLO CHAMPIONSHIP FEBRUARY 22 - APRIL 22, 2018
USPOLO.ORG POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 17
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GOING NATURAL
British polo player teaches horsemanship clinics
BORN FROM THE WILD WEST, a rebellion against
cruel methods used to train horses, natural horsemanship has been around for decades and has changed the way mainstream equestrianism deals with horse training, yet arguably the polo world has been slower to embrace this movement. Eden Ormerod, from Druids Lodge Polo Club in England, seeks to change that. Eden took some time out of polo and worked with Pat Parelli, a famous horse trainer who has helped popularize natural horsemanship. Eden now teaches methods and philosophies about working with horses that he learned from Parelli. He demonstrated how these principals create a softer, lighter polo horse at a series of clinics at the California Polo Club in Los Angeles and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Rodney Fragodt, president and owner of CPC, explained, “California Polo Club’s emphasis has always been to develop good horse people to appreciate and love their equine partner.” “The challenge,” Eden says, “is to translate these principles in a way that speaks to and is practical to polo players. I believe it is important to recognize that horses, just like humans, thrive off of purpose, and polo, like any horse sport, can be a wonderful and positive thing for horses. The
The clinic included both mounted and unmounted discussion.
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Eden Ormerod demonstrates his gentle training methods with a young horse in front of clinic participants.
biggest thing I try to get across to people in my clinics is horses will, by and large, take a lead from the way you are with them, so if you want your horse to listen and ... have soft feel, you have to be soft with them.” Nearly 30 people attended the clinic over the course of the weekend and dozens more had the opportunity to learn natural horsemanship methods from Eden during his stay at CPC. Troy Crumley, a member of CPC who attended the clinic with one of his horses, said, “It was a true pleasure having the opportunity to work with Eden. His deep connection with the horses and peaceful nature are magical. What a unique and fresh perspective!” Natural horsemanship is not completely foreign to some polo professionals. Former 10-goaler Adam Snow promotes a soft approach to horsemanship, and several professional players have worked with Monty Roberts and Buck Branaman among others. Eden will be returning to CPC throughout the year. If you are interested in lessons in California please contact the CPC polo office at (626) 201 2419 or bchm2008@gmail.com. Eden can be reached by email at his base in England, Druids Lodge Polo Club at office@druidspolo.co.uk. —Elizabeth Humphreys
TEXAS TECH
Club carrying on at battle speed
Coach Walker Rainey, second from left, and Robin Sanchez, fourth from left, work on drills with Texas Tech students during its fall clinic.
AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, Texas Tech University Polo Club
lost its greatest supporter and coach, Clyde Waddell, less than two years ago. Since then, club members and alumni have been working diligently to keep the club going and purchase the property Texas Tech Polo has called home for almost 20 years. Recently, Robin Sanchez traveled to Lubbock, Texas, to give a clinic to the players and offer advice to the officers, barn manager and horse manager. The clinic was held over four days with both group and individual sessions. Swing mechanics, riding for polo, arena strategy, rules and horsemanship were all covered. Students put their newlylearned skills to the test in coached scrimmages. From new members, who are beginner riders, to varsity team to volunteer coaches, everyone benefited from the clinic. Robin even ran through several drills that the players could use once she was gone to better hone their skills. Later in the season, the varsity teams and JV players competed at Fall Fandango with Tech Men’s Team giving a solid showing in the USPA Sherman Memorial. Former Texas Tech player, Walker Rainey has taken over the coaching duties. “The passing of Clyde Waddell dealt the Texas Tech Polo Club a serious blow. The club lost its friend, coach, and a major benefactor. Since then, the Tech Polo Alumni Association has picked up the reins and taken over management of the club. Myself, along with my good friend Matt Lofquist, have taken over the coach/advisor roles. Clyde left some big shoes to fill, and we are working diligently to fill those shoes. “As a former member of the Texas Tech Polo Club, I benefited tremendously from my experience in the club. I do
not come from a polo family. I got a taste for polo when I was really young. My father played, but a spinal cord injury ended his polo playing days, thus ending mine—until I came to Texas Tech and had the opportunity to play for Clyde. In the years of my association with the club, I have had the chance to play with some great players, establish myself in the polo world, and make lifelong friends. In that time, I have also met many people with very similar experiences. These experiences were made possible by collegiate polo. I believe that successful collegiate polo programs are essential to the continuation and growth of our sport,” Rainey said. “Texas Tech Polo has always received a tremendous amount of support from its alumni, the USPA, and the PTF. Robin Sanchez has been particularly supportive throughout the years, especially since Clyde’s passing. The clinic she put on this past October was amazing. The kids and I learned a substantial amount. I have been able to take away significant knowledge from that clinic, as well as other clinics Robin has put on, and implement that knowledge into my coaching routine. The passion she has for the sport shows in her teaching methods and really resonates with the kids because they respect her. It is through programs such as these that Texas Tech Polo will survive through the loss of a legend and continue to thrive. BATTLE SPEED!” The Texas Tech Polo Alumni Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to oversee, advise, and sustain the operations of the Texas Tech Polo Club. If you would like to donate funds, horses or equipment please contact: Texas Tech Polo Alumni Association, PO Box 9102, Midland, TX 79708 or email it at: TTPAA2016@gmail.com. POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 19
TAKING THE REINS
J. Michael Prince to succeed David Cummings as CEO
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SPA GLOBAL LICENSING INC., which manages the U.S. Polo Assn. brand, recently promoted J. Michael Prince to CEO and elected outgoing CEO W. David Cummings as chairman of the board. Prince said, “I am honored and humbled by this amazing opportunity to work with a brand and sport that have unlimited potential. I want to thank David, our board, the USPA, and all of our global partners for their support of me over the past year. We are very excited and optimistic about what the future holds.” Prince was hired as COO of USPA Global Licensing in May 2017 as part of a long-term succession plan for Cummings who has served as president and CEO since 2004. As board chairman, Cummings will continue to work with USPAGL and USPA on strategic opportunities and collaborative measures intended to bring broader awareness to the sport and drive consumer desire for USPA official licensed product. A veteran executive of iconic global lifestyle brands such as Cole Haan, Nike, Converse, and Guess, Prince believes the U.S. Polo Assn. brand’s authenticity to the sport of polo creates a unique opportunity in the global marketplace that appeals to today’s consumers, especially the younger Millennial and Gen Z generations. Prince said, “The authenticity of U.S. Polo Assn. sets it apart from all of its competitors as the only officially sanctioned brand for the
sport of polo in the United States. The Huffington Post recently noted that millennials want authentic messages, authentic brands and authentic interactions. Our brand delivers on all three of those experiences combined with a level of fashion and quality that appeals to today’s consumer.” Prince, Cummings and the USPAGL senior leadership team have spent the past year working on a longterm strategic plan to expand to over 1,300 monobrand retail stores worldwide and a transition into a digital and media content driven brand to more fully engage global consumers and sports fans through the brand’s “Live Authentically” platform.
WALL TO WALL
Aiken’s only USPA arena club has a lot to offer
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USPA WELCOMES FireStar Polo Club, its newest member polo club, located in Aiken, South Carolina. The club is owned by Dennis Freeland and managed by Ken Cresswell, a USPA certified instructor. It is the USPA’s only arena club in South Carolina and one of four in the Southeast region. Freeland built the arena four years ago, initially to simply enjoy the game and have a place to practice. “I wanted to have a place where I could play year-round and bring up my green ponies,” Freeland explained. Last spring, Freeland teamed up with Cresswell and began offering practice chukkers. “I grew up playing arena polo and wanted to share the sport with others,” Cresswell explained. I met Dennis, who was eager to have players use his facility, and shared his passion for expanding the game of arena polo in Aiken. We began offering practice chukkers, and with strong support from the local polo community as well as traveling players, grew our schedule and ran our first match game in March 2017,” explained Cresswell. He also 20 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
offers private and group lesson, as well as polo clinics at the club. “What’s particularly great about the arena is our ability to schedule games when you might not be able to play on grass. Because we are fully-lighted facility, we can offer evening practices and games,” Cresswell said. Last year, FireStar Polo Club hosted several I/I matches and tournaments, including hosting a USPA tournament, and plans to offer more USPA tournaments in 2018, scheduling the first one this spring. FireStar Polo Club also hosted Polo Under the Stars, which raised money for the Aiken charity, Friends of the Animal Shelter, sponsored by Dennis and Janice Freeland. “It was a great event, we had a lot of fun, and raised over $8,000 for FOTAS,” said Freeland. The club offers practice chukkers on Sunday mornings, as well as Wednesday and Friday afternoons or evenings, and is working with the local community to attract the public to attend games and practices. “We want to share the exciting sport of polo with the general public. Arena polo is a great spectator sport, and we have a first-class facility that makes it an accessible game to watch,” explained Cresswell. For more information follow it on Facebook @Firestarpoloclub or contact Ken Cresswell by phone at 631u 457-9630.
PARKER’S POLO MINUTE BY PARKER SCOTT
Offside forehand shots look great, but without strokes from the nearside, or tail/open/away/angled shots or neckshots, you have no defense and an incomplete quiver. Practice the harder strokes and they become easy. Learning to use the right stroke can keep you from fouling too. SanDiegoPolo@hotmail.com
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 21
On a roll Player profile: Jim Wright The United States Polo Association established Team USPA in 2009 to grow and sustain the sport of polo by identifying talented young American players and providing opportunities to grow their abilities. By Hayley Heatley
Team USPA member Jim Wright started the year off right, winning the Coachella Valley USPA Officers Cup at the Eldorado Polo Club in Indio, California. Wright is looking to continue his successful streak he began in 2017. Last year, he made waves in Santa Barbara after being asked to join a 16goal team midseason, easily fulfilling his role on the team. Wright rose to the occasion and mounted himself, proving that his diligence in building a string was paying off. Shortly after, he was selected to represent the American team during the FIP World Cup in Sydney, Australia. Wright is well established on the West Coast circuit, but is continually looking to improve his polo and compete at the highest level available. USPA Polo Development, LLC. player development director, Amanda Snow, sat down with Wright to discuss his upbringing in polo, experience with Team USPA and his professional goals. Amanda Snow: How did you get started in polo? Jim Wright: Like many professional players, my father was involved in the sport. I grew up playing pee-wee polo at Eldorado Polo Club and never stopped. I have had many great memories playing throughout my life, but one that stands out in particular was my first professional job. I had just finished working with Adam Snow for the summer in Santa Barbara and received an opportunity to play an 822 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Jim Wright
goal at the San Diego Polo Club. I loaded up my horses and headed down south to play with Danny Juarez and Jesse Bray. I don’t think you ever forget your first job.
improving my string. Playing the 16 goal was a great experience, and after going to Argentina and playing down there as well, I am hungry to get into the high goal in the next year or two.
AS: Being a professional player requires a great amount of sacrifice and hard work. Was there something specific that helped you decide to pursue polo professionally? JW: I believe the one thing that really pushed me towards pursuing a professional polo career was the horses. Growing up, I was really into soccer and contemplated trying to stick with soccer, but you really can’t compare anything to a sport involving horses. I loved learning to ride and train young horses as a kid. My focus now is on elevating my level of play and constantly
AS: How has being selected as a member of Team USPA impacted your career? JW: More than anything, being on Team USPA has opened my eyes to what is available in the polo world, and it has helped me find opportunities to improve as a player. Team USPA helped me get a job working with Adam for two years and working in Argentina for four months. It can be difficult to find those opportunities when you are on your own. This year, playing the FIP was an incredible experience. Playing with three other Team USPA members
halfway across the globe and having our coaches, Joel Baker and Carlucho Arellano, there to guide us was an experience you can’t replicate. I think having the credential of being on Team USPA sets you apart as a player. You have to take the initiative, but if you are willing to work hard and prove that you are eager to learn, I think the resource base available to Team USPA players is huge. AS: What is your goal for the next year? JW: I have been working really hard to get organized and get better mounted. Last summer I played in the 16 goal in Santa Barbara and I am eager to get back and play the Pacific Coast Open again. One of my longer-term goals is to play the Cámara [de Diputados Cup] in Argentina. Polo is a long game, you can’t phase out. You always need to be playing in better polo and buying the horses that will help you
in any industry or sport. Besides your dad, do you have any specific person you turn to for advice? JW: Definitely Santi Trotz. He will tell you how it is and he won’t sugar coat it. Trotz has also been instrumental in helping young players in California get jobs. There is a group of us who really lean on Trotz when we need advice on our careers.
get to the next level. AS: What would your dream team be? JW: I think I would have to go with Bauti Heguy, Facundo Pieres and Adolfo Cambiaso. And I want them to bring the horses, too! AS: Mentors are incredibly important in developing as a player and as a person
AS: What is your favorite thing to do when you are not in the saddle? JW: Being with family, traveling and experiencing new things are always high on the list. I also really enjoy playing golf because it is something you can do on your off days when you are playing. After we finished playing the FIP World Cup in Australia, my girlfriend and I went and climbed the Sydney bridge, which was absolutely incredible. I think being with family and friends is the most important part. You can always find fun things to do.
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Inside the walls USPA I/I introduces two new circuit arena events
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wo new circuit arena events have been added to the USPA tournament list in 2018: the I/I JV & Club Level Tournament and the I/I Alumni Tournament. These tournaments are open to all USPA arena clubs, including collegiate clubs, who otherwise are not eligible to host circuit-level events. The USPA I/I team saw a gap that needed to be filled with regards to young alumni and the JV and club-level players on the tournament scene. With endorsement from the arena committee, the tournament committee adopted these two new events. Four years ago, the National I/I Alumni Tournament, The Feldman Cup, was introduced to give an affordable venue for all alumni to participate in whether they have continued with their polo post grad, or have taken a hiatus. The Feldman Cup has been widely popular and growing each year, begging the question from alumni, More?! The Circuit Level Alumni tournament allows any USPA arena club to host an alumni tournament, whether a regular USPA member club that has many alumni in the area, or an intercollegiate club that is hosting an alumni tournament at its school. Many collegiate clubs already offer an alumni tournament as a fundraiser, and now they can sanction this event officially with the USPA. By sanctioning the event, the club benefits with USPA support and promotion, free trophies, the opportunity to apply for umpire support and publication of the results in the USPA Blue Book. The alumni rejoin the USPA as members and reconnect, not only with their old teammates, but also with polo. If a club has many alumni in the area with a 24 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
MIKE RYAN
BY AMY FRASER
Erin Bold finesses the ball in the 2017 Feldman Cup, a national I/I alumni tournament that continues to grow each year.
wide range of abilities, or a school has alumni who haven’t played in 10 years, tournament conditions allow for the club’s host tournament committee to decide if the game is to be played on the flat or with handicaps. The I/I regular season and tournament season showcase the varsity members of over 40 intercollegiate clubs, but many of the programs extend past the varsity line up and offer full JV teams, as well as clublevel participation. There is a lot of excitement surrounding the National
Intercollegiate Championships and the teams competing all the way through prelims, regionals and, finally, onto nationals. But, what a lot of people don’t realize about I/I is there are many other teams and players that are a huge part of the program that never get the opportunity to compete at the collegiate level. With the addition of the USPA JV and club-level events, we hope to give all the players an opportunity to compete at a USPA event. Texas A&M boasts 70 students that
Alumni tournaments are great vehicles for raising funds.
comprise the polo club and only a handful of them get the tournament experience. Through the JV and club-level tournament, collegiate clubs can host a USPA-sanctioned event for their JV and club members, and those players will get an opportunity to compete for their college in a USPA-sanctioned event, letting that polo bug bite a bit deeper. Collegiate clubs can also open it up to other teams, and invite other JV clubs to compete in it. Not only does it offer a great experience for the players, but teams can use it as a fundraising event and raise awareness for their club. There is no limit on the number of JV and clublevel tournaments hosted by circuit, so each region is able to host multiple events to be able to accommodate all the players. Nationally, there is a strong drive to promote, not only arena play, but USPA tournament play. USPA Arena Chairman Dan Coleman said, “There has been a large increase in the number and quality of USPA arena tournaments in the last several years. To continue the growth of our sport, we are excited to have the two new circuit-level arena events available in 2018. I encourage all clubs to apply for and put on these exciting events.” To apply for a circuit-level event, complete the tournament application on uspolo.org or contact James Dodge by email: jdodge@uspolo.org. For more information and any questions on how you can host an I/I JV & club or alumni circuit event, please contact Amy Fraser by email: afraser@uspolo.org.
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Snow tour
Alpine polo comes alive in dead of winter
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The St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship in Aspen, Colorado, the only snow polo event in North America, kicked off the snow polo season Dec. 1517. Six teams, comprised of some of the best players in the world, played off for a chance at the coveted St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship trophy. The event was co-hosted by Melissa and Marc Ganzi, co-founders of Aspen Valley Polo Club, and polo ambassador and St. Regis Connoisseur Nacho Figueras and his wife, Delfina. Players and teams were introduced at St. Regis Aspen Resort on Thursday, Dec. 14. A draw determined the match-ups for the qualifying rounds while guests enjoyed St. Regis Aspen Resort fare and champagne. With little natural snow on the ground, the qualifying round were played at Aspen Valley Polo Club’s indoor arena in nearby Carbondale. Flexjet advanced with a thrilling comefrom-behind 6-5 victory over Aspen Valley Polo Club and tied Audi, 5-5 in the opening six-chukker round robin. In the other round, Aspen Valley Polo Club defeated Audi, 7-5. In a second hard-fought round robin, U.S. Polo Assn. edged Moet, 5-4, and defeated one of the pre-tournament favorites St. Regis, 9-5. In the other round, St. Regis topped Moet, 6-3. On Saturday, which served as media day for international and local press, action moved to Rio Grande Park, Aspen’s largest multi-functional park 26 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Nic Roldan keeps his eye on the ball in the St. Regis World Snow Polo in Aspen.
within the city’s limits and just minutes away from the St. Regis Aspen Resort. Snow was brought in to add to what was ARI DELIN/CHUKKER TV
Aspen, Colorado
ARI DELIN/CHUKKER TV
here was a flurry of activity in the international snow polo circuit as action got underway with events every few weeks in several of the world’s most luxurious destinations
U.S. Polo Assn.’s Juancito Bollini, Grant Ganzi and Nic Roldan
on the ground, ensuring a superb playing surface. Guests in the sold-out heated VIP tent that featured Alpine Luxe furnishings, were treated to signature St. Regis Aspen Resort rituals including afternoon tea, a fine array of light fare and its iconic St. Regis Bloody Mary cocktail. Actress and singer songwriter Kelley Alice Jakle, who starred in the “Pitch Perfect” movies, sang a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem on both days. First, Audi took on Moet for fifth place honors and the Aspen Valley Snow Cup title. After two shootouts, Audi defeated Moet, 6-5. Later, celebrities took to the field for a Celebrity Chukker with Saye Yabandeh, Tucan Pereyra Iraola and Nacho Figueras against U.S. Polo Assn.’s Sterling Jones, Sarah Magness and Nacho Novillo Astrada. Actor Sterling Jones led U.S. Polo Assn. with two goals, including the game-winner. The action continued on Sunday with the final, but first, St. Regis captured the subsidiary St. Regis Snow Cup with an 87 win over Aspen Valley. Nico Pieres, making his snow polo debut, scored an incredible backshot off the post for the game-winner as time ran out. Figueras was named MVP and Fendi, an 11-yearold black mare ridden by Figueras, was Best Playing Pony. The record crowd in the sold-out VIP tent settled in for the championship pitting defending champion Flexjet against 2015 winner U.S. Polo Assn. U.S. Polo Assn., making it fourth finals
ASPEN, COLORADO the second half, keeping Corum ahead 8½-4. In the next match, Ganzi and Novillo Astrada joined event organizer Tito Gaudenzi on the Bendura Bank team, taking on Engel & Völkers after affording it a half-goal handicap. Engel & Völkers initially jumped out front, but Novillo Astrada fired back to put his team narrowly ahead 3-2½ at the halftime break. Engel & Völkers rallied in the second half, capitalizing on numerous penalties to close ahead 6½-5. “We’ll come into tomorrow’s match fighting, following a difficult day today,” said Bendura Bank team captain Ganzi. “Today was our first day on these horses and we hope to know them better by tomorrow’s match.” Rounding out the day’s matches was Maserati against Bernd Gruber, that began the match with a half-goal handicap, in the best match of the day. From the word go, Maserati roared past
U.S. Polo Assn. Grant Ganzi Juancito Bollini Nic Roldan
Flexjet Melissa Ganzi Juan Bollini Alejandro Novillo Astrada
Aspen Valley Polo Club Bernie Uechtritz Carlitos Gracida Nacho Novillo Astrada
Audi Jim Miller Luis Escobar Magoo Laprida
Moet Bash Kazi Mike Azzaro Jason Crowder
St. Regis Marc Ganzi Nacho Figueras Nico Pieres
SNOW POLO WORLD CUP KITZBÜHEL
appearance in five years, relied on its team chemistry to jump out to a 4-1 halftime lead. Flexjet found its offensive punch in the second half, outscoring U.S. Polo Assn., 3-1, but ran out of time. U.S. Polo Assn. took the thrilling 5-4 victory. Nic Roldan, the team’s field general, was named MVP for the fourth time in five years after scoring three goals. Roldan finished with 11 goals for the tournament. Javi, a 7-year-old stallion ridden by Alejandro Novillo Astrada and owned by Santa Rita Polo Farm, was Best Playing Pony. “It’s good to get the trophy back on our squad,” Roldan said. “This event was really successful. This was probably one of the most successful and competitive ones and we just had a great time.” “I got lucky playing with Nic and Juan,” said Grant Ganzi, playing his third straight tournament with the dynamic duo, including 2016 with Audi. “I have played with them the last three years. They are two guys I know so well. Chemistry is a huge thing in the snow.” The glitz, glamour and excitement of one of the world’s top snow polo tournaments is a major attraction for both the local community and fans from all over the world that fly in for the breathtaking scenery and world-class polo action.
Kitzbühel, Austria A month later, Jan. 11-14, six teams from around the world gathered in the small medieval town of Kitzbühel, in western Austria, for the 16th Bendura Bank Snow Polo World Cup. The event kicked off with the team presentations in front of the Hotel Zür Tenne in the heart of the picturesque Alpine Village. The players arrived in style in a fleet of Maseratis. Among the players was Melissa Ganzi and Alejandro Novillo Astrada, both whom had competed in Aspen. The following day, plenty of pristine snow provided a terrific surface for the games under a bright sun. The first match was between the local rivals, Polo Club Kitzbühel and defending champion Corum, which began with a 2½-goal handicap. Corum carried a 6½-2 lead into the half. The teams matched goals in
Bendura Bank’s Tito Gaudenzi, Melissa Ganzi and Alejandro Novillo Astrada won the 16th Bendura Bank Snow Polo World Cup title in Kitzbühel.
Bernd Gruber to take a 7-2½ lead into the half. Bernd Gruber rallied in the third, scoring three unanswered goals. Maserati doubled down in the last chukker, outscoring Bernd Gruber 4-2 to take the 11-7½ victory. The next day, on a freshly prepared ground, Bernd Gruber and Polo Club Kitzbühel started off the action. Bernd Gruber began with a 2½-goal handicap,
but Polo Club Kitzbühel was undeterred. Kitzbühel took the lead at the end of the half and, led by Valentin Novillo Astrada, controlled the second half, leading to a 97½ victory. The next game saw another Novillo Astrada—Alejandro—lead Bendura Bank as it plowed through its opponent, Maserati, en route to a 10-4½ win. The victory earned Bendura Bank a spot in POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 27
KITZBÜHEL, AUSTRIA Bendura Bank Melissa Ganzi Alejandro Novillo Astrada Tito Gaudenzi
Engel & Völkers Kutlay Yaprak Augustin Kronhaus Adrian Laplacette Jr.
Polo Club Kitzbühel Sebastian Schneberger Hector Monserrat Valentin Novillo Astrada
Bernd Gruber Steffi von Pock Marty van Scherpenzeel Eduardo Anca
Corum Philip Sommer Lukas Sdrenka Patrick Maleitzke
Maserati Marc Aberle Caspar Crasemann Thomas Winter
Corum took advantage to increase its lead and finish on top 10½-9. The much anticipated final was next as Bendura Bank faced Engel & Völkers in a
rematch of Round 1 play when Engel & Völkers took the win. Bendura Bank gave its opponent a half-goal head start, then quickly got to work. Ganzi capitalized on a pair of penalty conversion and Alejandro Novillo Astrada added two goals to take a 4-3½ lead at the half. Engel & Völkers outscored Bendura 32 in the next chukker to regain the lead. Novillo Astrada came alive in the last chukker, scoring three goals in as many minutes. With time ticking down, Ganzi passed to a waiting Novillo Astrada, who stroked the ball through the goal, putting the final nail in the coffin. Bendura Bank finished on top 10-6½. Novillo Astrada was named MVP for his efforts. “What a weekend we’ve had, and this win really tops it off,” said Ganzi. “Following our defeat to Engel & Völkers two days ago, we’ve been honing our team skills and the work really paid off today. We can’t wait to take this perfect trio to St. Moritz next!”
St. Moritz, Switzerland The Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz is
SNOW POLO WORLD CUP KITZBÜHEL
the final the next day. The final match of the day pitted Engel & Völkers against Corum, which stared with a 1½-goal handicap, as snow started to fall. Penalties slowed the play in the first half, leaving Corum ahead 4½-2. Engel & Völkers regrouped at the half, coming out swinging in the last two chukkers. It successfully took control, outplaying Corum 6-2 for a 8-6½ final score. The win put Engel & Völkers in the final opposite Bendura Bank. The final day began with the subsidiary matches. First, Polo Club Kitzbühel took on longtime rival Bernd Gruber for the Engel & Völkers Cup. Valentin Novillo Astrada again shone as he and his teammates racked up a 9-3½ halftime score. Bernd Gruber fought back in the second half, but came up short, falling 11-8½. Next up, Corum met Maserati for the Kitzbühel Country Club Cup. In one of the closest contests, Corum held on to its half-goal handicap to narrowly lead 5½-5 at the half. Maserati’s Thomas Winter and Caspar Crasemann suffered injuries in the second half but continued to battle.
Bendura Bank’s Tito Gaudenzi is surrounded by Maserati players in Round 2 action in Kitzbühel.
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SNOW POLO WORLD CUP KITZBÜHEL
Team presentations were held in front of Hotel Zür Tenne in the heart of Kitzbühel, in Western Austria. Players arrived in a fleet of Maseratis.
SNOW POLO WORLD CUP KITZBÜHEL
a unique event in that games are played on the frozen Lake St. Moritz, located in the Engadin Valley, known as the birthplace of snow polo. It is also known for several other winter sports and hosted the 1928 winter Olympics. St. Moritz Snow Polo is the world’s highest-rated snow polo event and features four players per team rather than three used in other events. The field measures roughly 200 x 100 yards and shares the lake with 2,600 tons
of tents, fences, grandstands and other infrastructure, which took 40 men three weeks to erect. The weight is no problem for the ice, which measured 21 inches at the start of the 34th edition of the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz. About 6,500 cubic yards of manmade snow is used to prepare the field’s surface. By game time, field conditions were pristine and bathed in bright sunshine. The first match saw defending champion Cartier up against Badrutt’s Palace,
whose team members were fresh off their Kitzbühel snow polo victory just weeks earlier. They added Juan Bollini to their line-up. In the match, Chris Hyde scored two quick goals to put Cartier ahead. Like in the previous snow polo tournament, the Badrutt team members took time to find their legs. Cartier, however, steamrolled ahead to a 5-2 victory. Guests and players were treated to a delicious lunch with local specialties and
Upscale shops and cafes line the streets of Kitzbühel’s medieval center.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 29
FOTOSWISS.COM/GIANCARLO CATTANEO IMAGES OF POLO.COM
St. Moritz Snow Polo is the only snow polo tournament played on a frozen lake and with four to a side.
Maserati’s Gerardo Mazzini puts the pressure on Cartier’s Dario Musso in the final of the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz. Musso was later named MVP.
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delectable delights in the lavish VIP tent. In the second match, Maserati challenged the new Azerbaijan team. After a somewhat patchy start, both teams found their stride, fighting tooth and nail for possession. Despite the 2-1½ halftime score, favoring Maserati, Azerbaijan seemed to be gaining traction. Despite a valiant effort, stopping Maserati from scoring, it wasn’t to be. Azerbaijan failed to find the goal and Maserati drove away the 2-1½ winner. Guests gathered at the field, snuggled under Cartier blankets and sipping hot cocoa for Day 2 action. In the first match, Cartier faced Maserati, both with firstround wins under their belts. Cartier jumped out with a quick goal by Dario Musso added to a half-goal handicap, but goals by Robert Strom and Gerardo Mazzini ended the half 2-1½ for Maserati. Cartier shot back in the second half to take the narrow win. The second match pitted Badrutt’s Palace against Azerbaijan. Andrés “Lala” Laplacette got the scoring started with two quick goals before Alejandro Novillo Astrada put Badrutt on the board. A penalty conversion ended the half with Azerbaijan on top 3-1. Azerbaijan turned
Cartier Rommy Gianni Chris Hyde Dario Musso Juan Cruz Greguoli
Azerbaijan Land of Fire Elchin Jamalli Lala Laplacette Adrian Laplacette Jr. Rashad Hasanov/Tarlan Gurbanaliyev
Badrutt’s Palace Hotel Melissa Ganzi Tito Gaudenzi Alejandro Novillo Astrada Juan Bollini
Maserati Zhanna Bandurko/Raya Sidorenko Gerardo Mazzini Hissam al Hyder Robert Strom
FOTOSWISS.COM/GIANCARLO CATTANEO
up the heat in the third, putting in four goals while holding Badrutt to a single tally. Elchin Jamalli sealed the deal with two unanswered goals in the fourth for the 9-4 win.
That night, players and guests enjoyed a Snow Polo Night Gala Dinner Baku Moritz Night at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, located in the center of St. Moritz. The birthplace of Alpine winter sports and a favorite European destination, the fivestar hotel celebrated 120 years since opening its doors. Excellent weather and playing conditions continued as 7,000 fans gathered for the final action, beginning with the subsidiary La Martina Cup, a rematch between Badrutt’s Palace and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan again got out front, carrying a 3-2 lead into the half. The teams continued to battle, keeping it close, but Azerbaijan got the edge for the 5-4 win. Melissa Ganzi, who was high-scorer with three goals, said, “Three years ago, I was the first woman to come to St. Moritz to play snow polo and it’s so amazing to see so many lady players now showing an interest and taking part. I feel like I had a little part to play in that. It’s a great feeling.”
USPA Florida Circuit Governor Melissa Ganzi was the first women to compete in Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz three years ago. She has competed every year since.
KATRIN GRALLA
ST. MORITZ, SWITZERLAND
Players in St. Moritz compete for the unique Cartier Trophy.
Ganzi, the USPA Florida Circuit Governor and Grand Champions Polo Club president, was making her third St. Moritz appearance. “Although I was not in the final, I accomplished a personal goal,” Ganzi said. “Clearly my participation in polo and events like St. Moritz inspire individuals to achieve their dreams.” The final was an epic battle, reflecting the three days of fierce challenges. Cartier, which began with a half-goal handicap, struck three times to get the jump on Maserati, while shutting it out to end the half 3½-0. Maserati answered back with three in a row in the third to enter the final chukker separated by just the half-goal handicap. Chris Hyde’s Penalty 4 conversion increased Cartier’s lead. With less than two minutes on the clock Maserati found the mark to come back within a half goal but time was not on its side and Cartier hung on for the win. MVP honors went to Dario Musso, while Zedan, a pony Musso played, was Best Playing Pony. Best Playing Patron went to Cartier’s Rommy Gianni, who counted his third victory. —Sharon Robb contributed to this report POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 31
Feeling the heat Polo clubs escape unscathed after numerous fires By Gwen Rizzo
C
lubs in California were put to the test late last year when wild fires ravaged the area, sending local residents and horse owners scrambling to get out of harm’s way
Santa Rosa Erik Wright happened to wake up early one October morning and heard reports of fires in the area. Though they weren’t close to where he was in Menlo Park, he could see from the maps it was close to a friend John Ziegler’s polo ranch. “It was 4 a.m. so I texted his groom, Matt Koaklin, and asked if he was OK. He texted back, ‘No, I’m not OK. We had to evacuate the ranch and I’m in the Walmart parking lot with 30 horses,’” explained Wright. Road closures complicated evacuation efforts. Koaklin and another driver were in an active fire zone, but sought the protection of the paved parking lot until they could safely get the horses out of the area. According to Wright, Ziegler just made it out of his house before it burned to the ground. “His dog saved his life because the fire was moving so fast. It hit his house about 2 a.m. and he was asleep. His dog jumped up on his bed and woke him
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up. He was in his pajamas and just had time to chuck the dog in the car and run. He wasn’t able to grab anything,” Wright explained. Wright had been playing at the Cerro Pampa Polo Club in Petaluma and the Wine Country Polo Club in Santa Rosa. The season had just ended so he had moved his horses and polo rigs to Indio, California, the week before. “I was two hours south of Koaklin but I asked what he needed and said I was headed his way,” explained Wright. Koaklin explained Vladimir Rivkin’s polo horses were still at the ranch. He couldn’t fit them on the trailer and he hadn’t been able to get ahold of Rivkin. He asked Wright to keep trying to reach him. “One thing we discovered in all of this is that in fires, sometimes you lose cell towers. The ones that aren’t immediately hit get overloaded. I initially was just talking to this guy via text because texts would get through but calls wouldn’t,” said Wright.
Koaklin was eventually able to make his way to Cerro Pampa, about 45 minutes south, with the horses he was driving. When Wright reached Rivkin, he learned his trailer was in the shop for maintenance. “I said, get it out and lets get the horses,” explained Wright. The horses were in a pasture so Wright agreed to help him catch them. “My girlfriend, Rachel Thurman, and I stopped at Home Depot, grabbed some face masks, extinguishers, wire and rope and headed north,” said Wright. Rivkin said, “I immediately went to get my truck and trailer and proceeded to make my way into the fire zone. It took me about three-plus hours to get in there. I had no idea what was going to happen when I got there but I had to go try.” Fortunately, the horses were still safe when Rivkin arrived and were easy enough to catch. “If I take out my dividers I can fit 19 horses so I picked up all of my horses, and there were horses other people had left so
we picked those up. And there were a couple of horses wandering around outside the ranch so we grabbed those too.” Lastly, Rivkin loaded up a couple of goats as the fire moved to within a mile and a half of the ranch. Luckily, the only rig Wright still had at Cerro Pampa is basically an equipment trailer filled with buckets and blankets. “It was a miracle. Where do you get buckets to water 60 stalls,” said Wright. Once they got Rivkin’s horses to safety, another polo player, Elizabeth Duffy, started getting calls about other ranches that need to be evacuated. Some players had left their rigs in Petaluma so Duffy and Wright called them to ask if they could borrow the rigs. “They were all generous and said, ‘whatever you need,’” said Wright. “Duffy coordinated us, sending us places to go and pull horses out of backyard ranches.” “Vets would call and tell me someone needed to be evacuated and there were notices on Facebook with my number so I’d get random calls,” said Duffy. Facebook ended up being a blessing and a curse. Someone would post that they needed to be evacuated and it would be shared multiple times, even after horses were picked up. Numerous rigs would show up to the same place. “It was frustrating because I could have used the time to help someone else, but Facebook was also a great way to get the word around that people needed to get out,” explained Duffy. With the cell towers down, GPS was spotty and calls weren’t going through, so finding some of these ranches was a challenge. To make matters worse, Wright said some of the horses he was picking up were not halter broke and had never been in a trailer before. “We pulled into one ranch and there were probably 30 horses there, all owned by different people. Most weren’t halter broke so you can imagine trying to get them all in the same trailer together. It was a rodeo, for sure. At one point, I loaded a 17-hand 3-year-old into the trailer. They told me his pasture buddy was a mini pony and to load it next to him to keep him calm. We were loading other rigs and waiting to leave and the Thoroughbred had the pony’s entire head in its mouth. … As we were loading, I was
Some cell towers were down so GPS was not working well and unexpected road closures added to the confusion.
Even with face masks, Elizabeth Duffy said the smoke made her eyes and lungs burn. She got sick after the ordeal.
thinking this has a lot of potential for disaster. We got them there, unloaded them and then were off to the next spot. “We evacuated those horses to the Sonoma Horse Park and there were literally
planes buzzing across the street from the horse park dropping flame retardant. That’s how close [the fire] was,” explained Wright. The horse park had tractors plowing the ground around the barns so POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 33
the fire didn’t have anything to burn. “The problem was we would evacuate horses and get them some place safe and the wind would shift and it wasn’t safe anymore. It was a vicious cycle figuring out where to take them,” said Duffy. Once Rivkin’s horses were unloaded to the safety of the polo club, he was sent to pick up another group of horses. “It was a very surreal situation. You are driving around during the day and it’s like a movie. It feels like it’s nighttime. It reminded me of watching movies when U.S. troops were going into Iran and Iraq and the oilfields were burning. … “There was so much ash in the air being sucked into the air filter of the truck. After 30 minutes the truck was not running right. I blew the air filter out at a gas station with an air hose and put a wet paper towel over it. About every 10 minutes, I’d stop, throw one towel out and put a new one in so I didn’t get ash inside the air intake. ... The ambient air temperature was over 100 degrees so it feels weird. If you turn the fan on in the truck, its almost like you’re getting air coming out of a hair dryer.
Panicked, owners of a neighboring farm let their horses loose in the California Polo Club arena and left. Members of the club caught them and evacuated them to safety.
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“I drove to a ranch up the road with a bunch of animals. I picked up two horses, a zebra, goats, turkeys and a couple of emus. They put one emu in large dog container and the other in a cardboard box with its head sticking out the top and two legs sticking out the bottom. As soon as I loaded them into the horse trailer, the emus broke out of their cages. So, now I have two emus running around. It was an interesting experience. The zebra didn’t stop kicking the entire time and did a number on my trailer. I have all these bulges in the side of my trailer. It went right back in for repair for about $4,500 worth of damage.” At one point Duffy and Thurman were trying to get up on to Route 12 to rescue another player, Collin White’s horses by Santa Rosa. They were turned back by the California Highway Patrol. White’s horses eventually did get evacuated but not for a few days. “[White’s] house, I believe, was the only house on the block that didn’t burn,” said Wright. Duffy explained, “Rachel and I headed to [another ranch] in Santa Rosa where the fire was at the base and it took us
forever to get there. I was driving a big 10horse polo trailer and Rachel was playing dispatch, figuring out where we needed to go and giving me directions. We were stopped by the California Highway Patrol saying we couldn’t go any further because of downed power lines. It was devastating because we knew there were horses there and it turned out a few died.” Duffy said while evacuating horses the masks were really helpful but even with them her lungs and eyes were burning. “I got pretty sick the week after. I think it was just so much crap being in my lungs. It’s really toxic,” said Duffy. Thanks to the generosity of the polo club, the polo horses were able to stay at the Cerro Pampa Polo Club for almost two weeks. “It’s kind of amazing to see everybody just really wanting to help. It’s a lesson in human kindness. It’s amazing to see people come together when you really need them to,” said Duffy.
Los Angeles In the early morning hours of Dec. 5 Rodney Fragodt, co-owner of the California Polo Club, received a call from
Kirsten Ludwig leads a group of horses down the road to escape the approaching fires.
Unusually high winds spread the wildfires quickly, sometimes into areas where horses had been evacuated to, making it necessary to move them again.
the local fire department warning him of a fire a couple of miles away that had started just before 4 a.m. Fragodt’s home is about 15 miles away but smoke was settling in and ash covered his car and swimming pool in just a few hours. Heavy winds were quickly spreading the fire. “We have a really good relationship with the fire department. Fortunately or unfortunately, we have had this experience—not to this degree— over the years so I’ve got a really good system in place as far as getting enough
rigs to move horses fast,” explained Fragodt. He made his way to the club to prepare in case the horses had to be evacuated. Fragodt, sitting on the club’s deck talking with Rege Ludwig, watched as helicopters dumped water on the club and surrounding area. Fragodt remembers saying, “God, I hope this gets under control so we don’t have to evacuate.” It was about five minutes later when someone from the fire department pulled in and said they had to get out of
there. The club has three rigs and Fragodt had made arrangements with club members Domingo Questel, Kim Garced and Ardeshir Radpour to have their rigs available as well. “We had all the vehicles and we got our horses out very fast,” said Fragodt. “We were lucky we had to evacuate or we probably would have lost our trailers. The fire got so close that a very upscale hunter jumper place on the top of the hill next to us burned, as well as the trees right up to our [property] line. Sparks were flying into our shavings and we had to keep putting them out. A spark had flown into a trailer and started the shavings as well as the rubber mats on fire. If we hadn’t gone to the trailers to evacuate, we probably wouldn’t have noticed until it was too late.” With 65 horses at the club, Fragodt made arrangements for the horses to go to different places. Some went to Moorpark Polo Club, about 20 minutes away, some went to the LA Equestrian Center and others were just a about a mile away, but still completely protected from the fires. Most were hauled in the trailers but some were led down the road. Fragodt said driving and even walking the horses was difficult with the unrelenting winds. Once the polo ponies were moved to safety, club members began helping evacuate a neighboring boarding facility POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 35
on the west side, which only had a few small trailers. Police had begun telling horse owners to leave their horses and just get out. Some people panicked, let their horses loose in the club’s arena and left. Polo club members scrambled to find halters and catch these horses to evacuate them while grooms hosed down flames approaching the arena. Police were blocking some roads and at times had to escort the trailers because the smoke was so thick. Club member Lovine Laverdure was driving one of the trailers and said at one point, he drove through an area to get horses despite the police telling him he couldn’t go through. They moved the neighbor’s horses in the polo rigs to a different ranch but there was fire all around it and helicopters dropping water. By 10 p.m. they were back to evacuate them again. “As we were helping move the horses, ashes were landing on their long winter coats, leaving little burn spots on their backs where the sparks were landing,” explained Fragodt. By 2 a.m. the horses were moved to a Boys and Girls Club, founded by the owner of the stable. The horses spent the night in the parking lot tied to the trailer while the facility they had just left burned down. Fortunately, all the horses stayed relatively calm throughout the ordeal. Fragodt stayed at the polo club for the next few nights, while things literally burned all around it. With embers blowing around, he made sure the shavings, hay and buildings didn’t catch fire. Fortunately, the club was saved, however a ranch across the street was burned and another ranch a mile from the club lost its home, barns and over 30 horses in the blaze. “The whole place went so fast. We were very fortunate,” said Fragodt. “… There were places up the canyon from us that turned horses out of their stalls and the horses went right back into their stalls and burned to death.” The fires were complicated by high winds that at times grounded planes and helicopters trying to drop water and retardant to put out fires and prevent its spread. “There were gusts like 60-70 mph. It was so windy you could hardly 36 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
stand,” explained Fragodt. “After the initial fire had gone through, smoke became the problem. We had to keep the horses out of the area for a few days because the air quality was incredibly poor.” Fragodt said seeing the aftermath was surreal. “It looked like the earth was burning. It was like the whole world was on fire, almost the end of time,” said Fragodt. It was about three days before the air quality had improved enough that the horses could return. “There was one night I came back and spent the night because they were concerned the wind was going to be up to 70 mph. Fortunately, the winds didn’t materialize that high and it was so burned around us that even if the winds did change, there
Santa Barbara Wildfires in California may be nothing new, but the scope of the Thomas Fire, one of several that began in early December, grew to be the largest wildfire in modern history. Santa Barbara’s polo school manager Jeff Scheraga, enjoying his first year in Santa Barbara, took no chances and at the first signs of smoke drove his school horses to Megan Judge’s Central Coast Polo Club in Los Osos, California, about a three-hour drive north. “With the smoke, I wasn’t going to work them anyway. I didn’t want them in the smoke and I didn’t want to focus on my horses when I could help other people,” said Scheraga. Once back in Santa Barbara, he and his wife, Naima, woke up one morning,
Fire trucks line the road between Santa Barbara’s polo fields. The fire department used the club as a staging area once horses were evacuated to another facility.
wasn’t a lot more that could burn near us,” explained Fragodt. “Our property backs up to the Angeles National Forest and a couple of members were trail riding about two-and-a-half weeks after the fire and spotted a log that was still smoldering.” Fragodt said fires are a part of living in the state. “Being in California, where you have the drafts and fires, we’ve evacuated as a precaution maybe three times in the last 20 years. But, we’ve never had the winds like this combined with a fire.”
looked out the window and saw smoke. “I was hoping for a cloud, but no, it was smoke. We went outside and you could see the sun just behind the smoke level and it was bright orange,” said Scheraga. The new University of California Santa Barbara girls’ team Scheraga is coaching, was set to practice at 8 a.m. Once they were done, Scheraga and his wife hooked up their trailer and drove to Ojai, the general area the fire was threatening, to help remove horses. “We grabbed my trailer and … were just driving toward the flames and
Lessons Learned • Keep a fire extinguisher and medical first aid kit for horses and people in your trailer. • Leave pasture and farm gates closed but unlocked. • Keep halters on or near horses. • Have a relationship with local fire and police departments. • Have access to reliable help and trailers at a moment’s notice for the number of horses at your facility. • Organize a place to evacuate to and back-ups in case the fire threatens the place you plan to evacuate to. • Don’t hesitate. If the fire is getting close, get the horses out while you have time. • Be prepared. Cell phone service and GPS may not be reliable. finding horses. Our manager was on vacation that day, so I just made the call to start bringing horses to the club,” said Scheraga. The fires were still far enough away from the club, so with some 300 nearly-empty stalls, the first evacuees began trickling in, but within a few days the fire just exploded faster than anyone had ever seen. People began calling the club asking if anyone had a horse trailer to help evacuate their animals. Polo manager Melanja Jones, who rushed back from vacation in Florida, sat down with others at the club to make an evacuation plan, just in case. “We had some rigs that were on-site, so we said, OK, here are the numbers of the people who parked rigs here. This person will take these horses and so-in-so will take these horses,” explained Jones. Scheraga explained, “We went to a town meeting and they basically told us to be ready, have all your stuff and leave. We made a plan that if the fires came too fast we were going to close off the front and let the horses on the field so they didn’t burn in the barns.” Eventually, as the fire continued to grow, the club took in 160 horses, a few mini horses, some 42 alpacas, nine mules,
four goats, three cows, a bull and some bunnies. Some of the animals’ owners were displaced themselves and were not able to care for their animals while at the club. Additionally, in most cases, people didn’t have time to load up feed and hay for their animals, and feed stores weren’t delivering. So, the club scrambled to locate volunteers to help care for the animals and feed and hay to feed them. Shannon McGraw, a Marine veteran, horse owner and club member, helped organize the volunteers. As animals arrived and were put in stalls, the owners’ names and contact numbers were written on duct tape and applied to the front of their animals’ stalls. No riding was allowed and animals had to be hand walked. Volunteers came at one of three time slots: 9 a.m., Noon and 3 p.m. Everyone signed waivers and if someone had horse experience, they helped clean stalls. If they didn’t, they checked water, swept aisles, moved hay and helped distribute supplies. McGraw, Scheraga and his wife, along with club member John Westley, helped out the entire time. “These four did the most when the horses were first coming in and got things set up,” explained Jones. The UC Santa Barbara polo team members helped clean stalls and one helped set up a GoFundMe page to ask for monetary donations to help with the club’s efforts. “People we know in polo were like, hey, we’ll come by for a day or for a shift and help you out with the tougher horses. So, people just really wanted to help. It was amazing,” explained Jones. Others sent donations and feed stores donated hay. Smoke permeated the air forcing everyone to wear protective masks. Scheraga explained, “People were actually paying the feed stores so the stores would call and say, ‘Hey, you’ve got $500 here. Just come, get whatever you need.’ We had volunteers and vets who volunteered their services for free.” Things began looking up in some areas and some evacuation warnings were lifted. But, while returning home from visiting friends one night Jones could see an orange glow over the mountains. Later
Melanja Jones, John Wesley and Leesan Kwok don masks while caring for the animals.
that night she looked outside and the mountains were on fire. By then it was about 2 a.m. on Dec. 10. Jones immediately headed to the club to hook up her trailer so it was ready to move horses, and check on things. “Just in the hour that I went back and did that, you could tell the fire had gotten significantly bigger and brighter. That is when I said, OK, we’ve got to get these horses out of here,” said Jones. “It is the dark of night and you could see the fire. It went from being a glow kind of around the corner of the mountain to where you could start to see flames, and it was coming closer.” Fortunately, they still had time so with some 225 animals at the club, Jones and others began calling owners to let them know they were evacuating. They notified owners, posted something on Facebook and made a call to Santa Barbara Equine Assistance and Evacuation Team, Inc., a non-profit that assists with evacuations. “People just started sending trailers over,” said Jones. “People were amazing. (continued on page 59) POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 37
Fighter Horses and family help player tackle challenges By Gwen Rizzo • Photos by Eric Nalpas
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obody likes to take a spill in a polo match, but for Josh Shelton it likely saved his life
While finishing up his chemotherapy treatments, Josh Shelton has been competing in some polo leagues in Sarasota.
38 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Shelton is staying positive and looking ahead. He said his horses have been like therapy for him.
On Jan. 16, 2016, Shelton was competing in a 12-goal in Wellington, Florida, when, in the fifth chukker, in a play along the boards, his horse slipped and he was knocked out. “It was a little wet on the other side of the boards, [we] went across and he just slipped and fell down. I woke up in the hospital,” explained Shelton. Other than being sore, he said he had no other obvious injuries. Since he had been knocked out for five to seven minutes, they did an MRI and CAT scan to make sure there wasn’t any bleeding. “They found something and they weren’t sure what it was so they just said to go see somebody and follow up with it,” said Shelton. Reacting like most 27 year olds would, and feeling fine, he put it off a bit until he was back in his hometown of Kansas and his family and friends convinced him to do something. Shelton finally saw a neurologist, who performed more tests including more MRIs. “They weren’t sure what it was. It had a very strange genetic make up and it wasn’t something they had seen a lot of but decided to get it out. They were saying maybe we should just do a
biopsy but the surgeon said if he was going in there he should just take it out,” explained Josh. He explained that brain surgery is always a risk but the mass, which was behind his right eye and in front of his ear, seemed to be in a good place for removal. Shelton admitted he was more than a little scared at that thought, especially since they didn’t know what it was, just that it didn’t belong there. So, on Oct. 6, 2016, Shelton had a craniotomy and the large marshmallowsized tumor was removed. “So, they cut all the muscles and ligaments there, and they took a chunk of skull out and then went in and took it out,” explained Shelton. The surgery took about five hours and once removed, the tumor was sent to a cancer institute in Minnesota for examination and identification. Shelton said, “The surgeon [initially] said it didn’t show any of the same genetic makeup of cancer cells, so he was pretty certain it wasn’t [cancer].” Shelton doesn’t remember the first couple of days after the surgery, but his girlfriend, Amanda, who stayed at the hospital with him, recalls him being in a lot of pain.
Remarkably, Shelton recovered relatively quickly from the surgery. “I decided, all right, well, I made it through the recovery and everything, so I loaded up my horses and came to Sarasota [in Southwest Florida] to play again,” said Shelton. “I had to go back for my six-week checkup and when I got back [to Kansas], they told me it was Grade 3 cancer.” The official diagnosis was Anaplastic astrocytoma. With this type of rare, malignant tumor, doctors were surprised Shelton hadn’t experienced any type of symptoms. “Where it was and what it was, they said I should have been having seizures or at least headaches or blurred vision. I had nothing,” said Shelton. Doctors strongly recommended not googling about the cancer, but instead focusing on treating it. To keep from getting down, he said he just looked at it as something he had to do. Shelton made arrangements to begin treatment at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, Florida. “I started on Jan. 5. We came up with a plan with the doctor that we were going to go (continued on page 58) POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 39
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BY ERNESTO RODRIGUEZ
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TITLE AND OPPORTUNITY Chapaleufú Biopolo won the Cámara de Diputados Cup PHOTOS BY SERGIO LLAMERA
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ince its first edition, the Cámara de Diputados Cup has been one of the most important tournaments in the Argentine calendar, considered by each of its participants as the necessary prelude to the Argentine Open in Palermo. This year, aside from taking home the title, the winner of the tournament was given the opportunity to go head to head with the eighth place team in the Argentine Open, with the winner securing a place in next year’s Hurlingham and Argentine Opens. With this novelty, it was no surprise that a total of 16 quartets of between 24 and 28 goals in handicap registered to play. The teams included four former 10goalers (Bautista and Ignacio Heguy and Juan Ignacio Merlos and Sebastián Merlos), plus three polo players developed in the USA: Nic Roldán, Jared Zenni and Agustín Obregón. The qualifying rounds were played between Nov. 9-22 at the Alfredo Lalor complex the Asociación Argentina de Polo has in Pilar, 35 miles north of Buenos Aires. Three teams arrived undefeated. With a handicap of 27 goals, Chapaleufú Biopolo (Pedro Falabella, Marcos Araya, Julio Novillo Astrada and Diego Araya) won Zone 2 without any setbacks thanks to its defensive solidity, as it was the team that suffered the least conversions in the competition (just 22 goals in three matches). La Mariana ONA (Christopher Mackenzie, Juan Cruz Merlos, Juan Ignacio Merlos and Sebastián Merlos) lived up to its highest score—28 goals—and won Zone 3, achieving the best goal difference of all the participants (+12). With only 24 goals, La Irenita
40 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Chapaleufú Biopolo’s Diego Araya, Julio Novillo Astrada, Marcos Araya and Pedro Falabella won the Cámara de Diputados Cup.
(Santiago Loza, Martin Podestá, Facundo Fernández Llorente and Hector Jacinto Crotto) not only gave the surprise to win Zone 4 but was the top scorer of the first stage with 40 conversions. The fourth semifinalist was Pilarchico La Ensenada (Tomás Fernández Llorente, Isidro Strada, Juan Martín Zubía and Jerónimo del Carril). This fresh quartet—Zubía and Del Carril won the last four Youth Opens and Strada was champion of the same tournament between 2014 and 2016—fell in the debut against Las Monjitas but then recovered by defeating Tortugas Etiqueta Negra and Alegría Land Rover (one of the 28-goal quartets) to earn a spot in the top four. The action was moved to Palermo’s Field 2 for the semifinals, on Monday, Nov. 27. In the first match, in the morning, the two teams of 24 goals collided. Pilarchico La Ensenada again
showed the ease and potential of its four young members to defeat La Irenita 9-8 in a match that it dominated with solvency for six chukkas. It suffered in the last period when, after commanding the actions from the start and maintaining up to a three-goal advantage, in the last chukker La Irenita closed the gap to only one. But the final bell brought calm and sealed the deal for the rookies. In the afternoon, Chapaleufú Biopolo and La Mariana ONA offered an even more balanced duel, with several twists and turns in the score and both squads alternating control. The Merlos family team got off to a good start with a 2-1 lead in the opening chukker. Chapa recovered and remained in front until the fourth quarter closed 8-6. La Mariana ONA regained the lead (10-9 in the fifth), and the teams entered the last episode tied
Juan Martín Zubía gives it all he’s got in the final against Marcos Araya.
with 11 goals apiece. After five minutes, each team had scored a goal but just when there was a smell in the air of supplementary time, Pedro Falabella gave Chapaleufú the victory and the ticket to the final. The final was played on Friday, Dec. 1, also on Palermo’s Field 2. It was the classic clash between youth and experience. And, at least this time, the experts were able to do more than the newcomers. Chapaleufú Biopolo dominated from the first attack, and although it could not take wide advantages, always managed the score until completing a narrow, but deserved, 11-9 victory that allowed Diego Araya (top scorer of the match with five goals) to raise the traditional trophy 13 years after doing it as a member of Coronel Suárez. At that time, his rivals were beginning elementary school. Araya’s celebration did not stop there as he also won the AAP and AACCP prizes for the best horse of the final for Uñorquín Míster. It was also the second celebration for Julio Novillo Astrada after winning it in 2010 with La Aguada. The success in the Cámara allowed
Chapaleufú Biopolo to play for a place in next year’s Hurlingham and Palermo rosters. On Dec. 5, on Palermo’s Field 1,
the team took on La Irenita San Germán Seguros (Juan Ruiz Guiñazú, Juan Martín Zavaleta, Clemente Zavaleta and Guillermo Willington), eighth place of the 10 teams competing in the Triple Crown after finishing with a 3-5 record. Coincidentally, this team was the “A version” of the team it defeated in the Cámara final. As rarely happens among highhandicap teams, the teams were held scoreless in the first two chukkers. And in the third, Chapaleufú Biopolo finally connected on three drives to end the drought. In the fourth period, the pair of Juan Gris Zavaleta and Temi Willington outscored Chapa 6-1 to take control of the match and did not let up. In the last three periods, Chapaleufú fought but never came close to turning the score. The 11-7 final allowed La Irenita San Germán Seguros to remain with the elite and gave Chapaleufú Biopolo the satisfaction of having been close to entering Palermo with one of the lowest handicapped teams of recent decades.
Pilarchico La Ensenada’s Isidro Strada hugs himself with his mallet in the final of the Cámara.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 41
MARK GILLESPIE
The Twelve Twelve Polo and Turf Club in the heart of Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, hosted six teams from around the world competing for the Armed Forces tournament. The club was named for the date, December 12, 1991, that Abuja replaced Lagos as the capital of Nigeria. Polo in the area dates Polo Club hosts Armed Forces tournament back to 1904, with the first club opening in Zaria soon after. The Twelve Twelve club facility, located on 150 acres, includes two polo fields, a three-story clubhouse, air conditioned stables and a mile-long exercise track. The USPA Armed Forces Committee sent a team to participate in the tournament played Jan. 8-15 in conjunction with celebrations of Nigeria’s equivalent to our Memorial Day. Other teams included Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt, India and Pakistan. The U.S. team consisted of Marine Capt. Jeffrey Palmer, Army Sgt. 1st Class Joseph England, Army Sgt. Alex Wicker, Marine Sgt. Chris Jones, former Army Sgt. Paul Knapp and retired Army Maj. Mark
DESTINATION: NIGERIA
Army Sgt. 1st Class Joe England interacts with the Nigerian military security detail.
Gillespie. The foreign teams drew pony strings from a group of horses assembled for the event while the Nigerian team played their own horses. The Moroccans were they only team with a professional, enlisting 4goal Argentine Santiago Novillo Astrada. The teams were divided into two brackets, with the best record in each bracket moving on to the final. Pakistan led Group A after defeating India 15-3½ and Egypt 7-3, while Egypt edged India 11-9½. In Group B, the Americans led
Games were attended by Nigeria’s minister of defence, vice president, ambassadors and other foreign dignitaries.
42 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
S P O T L I G H T
MARK GILLESPIE
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
AGUSTINA LACROZE
Morocco takes on Pakistan in the final.
the Nigerians 5-1 but the Nigerians rallied to catch up and eventually double the U.S. score, 12-6. Next, USA faced Morocco. Led by Novillo Astrada, Morocco proved too tough for the U.S. squad, which fell 12-2½. Morocco also downed Nigeria 7-5. In the final of the Armed Forces tournament, Morocco came away the winner after downing Pakistan 11-6. The teams were level for the first two chukkers until Morocco took a slight lead in the third. It went on to dominate the fourth chukker to secure the victory. The tournament was attended by Nigeria’s Minister of Defence Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, as well as many ambassadors and other foreign dignitaries. Representatives from all the teams participated in the Nigerian Armed Forces Remembrance Day ceremonies on the morning following the final, then had a chance for a quick peek around the city before departing that evening. The event offered a great opportunity to meet and establish friendships with military players from different countries which should help strengthen relationships that will pay dividends in the future. In addition, as a result of the camaraderie generated at the event, the Americans have been invited to send military teams to India and Pakistan.
AGUSTINA LACROZE
Horses and grooms arrive at the Twelve Twelve Polo and Turf Club for the military tournament.
Group A India:
Lt. Col. Sammer Chaudhary Maj. Arjun Patil Maj. Yatindar Kumar SWR Santosh
Egypt:
Adel Mohamadin Mohamed Saleh Mohamed El Swedy Marwan Mostafa
Pakistan:
Maj. Haseeb Minhas Maj. Salman Feroz Lt. Col. Usman Azad Maj. Adil Sultan Rao
5 2 2 1 0
5 0 1 2 2
5 2 0 2 1
Group B Nigeria:
5
USA:
3
Morocco:
5
Lt. Col. Y Bello Lado Ibrahim Abdulmalik Badamasi Col. Kakazir
0 2 2 1
Capt. Jeff Palmer/Maj. Mark Gillespie0 Sgt. Chris Jones 1 Sgt. Alex Wicker/Sgt. Joe England 0 Sgt. Paul Knapp 2 Cpt. Sidi Mohammed El Mhamdi Lt. Ahmed Mounkachi Sgt. Moulay Abdeslam el Hanafi Santiago Novillo Astrada
1 0 0 4
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 43
POLO REPORT DISPATCHES FROM THE WORLD OF POLO SOUTHWEST
FOUR TROPHIES PLAYED FOR IN TEXAS ARENA LEAGUE IN AUSTIN
Pud Nieto battles with MVP Tiamo Hudspeth in the final of the Sherman Memorial.
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he Texas Arena League played the first leg of its 2018 tour at County Line Polo Club in Kyle, Texas, near Austin. Six teams competed in the 3- to 6-goal bracket and five teams competed in the 0- to 3-goal bracket. The TAL was created to bring players together from all over the Southwest Circuit for some competitive polo and camaraderie. County Line was a great host, offering practice chukkers the night before the tournament and a get-
44 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
together for the players. The set up for spectators and players at County Line is ‘rustic’ Texas—a relaxed atmosphere with lots of great viewing points for the game. Teams and players will be competing and traveling to three host locations to earn points to be named League Champions. MVP and Best Playing Pony points are also accumulated throughout the entire series of tournaments. In the USPA Sherman Memorial, the
County Line team of Tiamo Hudspeth, Wendy Stover and Amanda Massey were victorious over Central Texas Polo Association’s Pud Nieto, Karl Hilberg, and Cody Goetz. Tiamo Hudspeth was named MVP and Wendy Stover’s Wild won the Best Playing Pony. Prevalacer’s Loreto Natividad, Megan Flynn and Ashley Owen defeated San Antonio Polo Club (Jack Crea, Ursula Pari, Gal Shweiki, Patrick Macleod) for the USPA Gen. Puller
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KAYLEE WROE
P O L O
Prevalacer’s Ashley Owen, Megan Flynn and Loreto Natividad won the Gen. Puller Military Tournament.
Military Tournament. To compete in this tournament, both teams had players that are either active duty or retired military or have family who served in the military. MVP was Loreto Natividad and Best Playing Pony was India, played by Ursula Pari. The closest game of the 3- to 6-goal bracket was played between Legend’s Polo Club and Midland Polo Club and ended in a tie match (which garners each team equal points for the league). Both teams fought hard and played well. Wyatt Myr was named MVP and Dalton Woodfin’s Payaso took Best Playing Pony honors. Playing for the USPA Admiral Nimitz military tournament was two County Line teams, all players were either former or current I/I players. Former Texas Tech teammates John Hand and Dallas Taylor were pitted against each other in a match that excelled in sportsmanship from all players. County Line 2 (Dallas Taylor, Jason Atkins and Ismael Vasquez) took home the win over County Line 3 (John Hand, Keanu Mueller, Rowan Neidinger) with John Hand as MVP and Pedro, played by Taylor and owned by Javier Insua, as the Best Playing Pony. Final game of the day was the 0- to 3goal USPA Arena Challenge played as a round robin between County Line 1 (Drew Richardson, Evan Murray, Zain Saud), Central Texas Polo Association (Loreto Natividad, Taylor Morris,
Identity Polo’s Diego Cossio, Anne Evamy, Alex Green and Kyle Fargey won the Coachella Valley Officer’s Cup 4-Goal.
Lauren Platt) and Legend’s Polo Club (Nacho Estrada, Steve Gilchrist, Katie Anderson). Many of the players in this match were also current or former I/I players. CTPA took home the Arena Challenge win. MVP was Loreto Natividad and Best Playing Pony honors went to Tres Equis, owned and played by Steve Gilchrist. East Texas Polo Club will host the second leg of the Texas Arena League at Legend’s Horse Ranch. The league will conclude at Midland Polo Club where the season awards will be given out. Special thanks to the USPA Arena, Marketing and Armed Forces Committees for all their help with the Texas Arena League. CALIFORNIA
IDENTITY STEALS OFFICERS CUP The final of the Coachella Valley Officer’s Cup 4-Goal at Eldorado Polo Club in Indio, California, turned out to be a very fast and open polo game. Identity Polo (Anne Evamy, Alex Green, Kyle Fargey, Diego Cossio) arrived with a perfect record and Palm Desert/Film Finance (Dan Horn, Leigh Brecheen, Remy Du Celliee Muller, Antonio Juarez) came with just one loss. From the start it was obvious that
both teams were prepared to hit and run and as a result, the large crowd was well entertained throughout. The first period featured many chances for both contenders with neither able to score. The fast and open play continued in the second as Fargey counted two field goals and Identity led by that pair, 2-0, at halftime. Palm Desert/Film Finance counted the first goal of the third frame as Du Celliee Muller ran to score and narrowed the gap to just one. Fargey replied for Identity with a magnificent run and cut shot from 90 yards and ‘way’ left—the announcer’s shot of the day— to grab the two-goal lead back for Identity. It was on to the final chukker with the count still narrowly favoring Identity at 3-1. Fargey struck again in the early fourth with another bomb but Du Celliee Muller replied with a missile of his own to again trail by two with ample time left on the clock for a comeback. However, Fargey was the one to take advantage of that time and ran to score his fifth of the day to create a final score of 5-2 to favor Identity. While everyone on both teams played well and displayed the teamwork that got them to the final, the difference was Fargey and as a result, he was appointed MVP. To cap off an extraordinary afternoon for Fargey, his fourth
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 45
R E P O R T
KAYLEE WROE
JIM BREMNER/POLOZONE.COM
P O L O
Antelope Junior’s Caroline Anier, Grant Palmer, Jimmy Wright and Patrick Uretz (with Geoff Palmer, center) won the Officer’s Cup.
chukker mare, Milly, was chosen as the Best Playing Pony. The 8-goal Officers Cup featured eight teams in a format that would see every team play every other team once, with the top two advancing to the final. Over the course of the onemonth event, Grant Palmer and his Antelope Junior group (Palmer, Patrick Uretz, Carolyn Anier, Jimmy Wright) and Virgil Kyle and Ryan Robertson’s Bush League foursome (Kyle, Robertson, Ulysses Escapite, Shane Rice) finished one and two respectively and therefore met in the Jan. 28 final. Palmer and Co. defeated Bush League in their Jan. 6 game by a final count of 12-7 and, as such, were favored to win again and grab the championship trophy. The contest, presented by Bulleit Bourbon, was played on an unbelievably perfect desert afternoon in front of a huge crowd with an above average high temperature of 85 degrees and nothing but sunshine. While the weather was flawless, the game, although entertaining at times, was restrained often by penalties. From the start, the younger Antelope group controlled most of the play and led after the first by a score of 3-2. In what would be the situation almost throughout, the mostly younger Palmer group continued to hold the upper hand in the second
46 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Evergreen’s Juan Jo Gonzalez, Bayne Bossom, Carlitos Galindo and Tom Sprung won three 4-goal tournaments at Empire Polo Club.
period as well and led by three going to the third at 7-4. The country boys mounted a come back (somewhat) in the third to outscore the Juniors by one, 2-1. When the half was over, the Palmer group lead by two, 8-6. The fourth was Antelope Junior’s as it outscored Bush League 3-1 and its lead was now four at 11-7 with 14 minutes to go in regulation. The penultimate frame was a copy of the third chukker as the orange men grabbed a pair to just one for the young pronghorns and the count was now 129 with one period left. Bush League was able to stay with the Palmer group in the final stanza but it wouldn’t be nearly enough and the final count saw Antelope Junior prevail by a 13-10 final. Scoring for the winners was led by Uretz with eight goals, including six penalty conversions, Wright with four, and Anier with one. The reply from Bush League was led by Rice, grabbing eight goals including seven penalty conversions, and Escapite with a pair (one penalty conversion). Because of his dominant and controlling style of play, Uretz was chosen as the Most Valuable Player in the final. Black, owned and played by the veteran Anier in the fourth, was selected as the Best Playing Pony. —Tony Gregg
4-GOAL TRIFECTA FOR EVERGREEN
Evergreen (Tom Sprung, Carlitos Galindo, Juan Jo Gonzales and Bayne Bossom) and Hanalei Bay (Krista Bonaguidi, Ashton Wolf, Taylor Freeman and Ian Schnoebelen) rode into the final of the Stagecoach Challenge at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, with high-scoring offenses that averaged about 13 goals per game (Evergreen 13; Hanalei Bay, 12.6) after three games, setting the stage for a high-scoring championship match that would feature some of the tournament’s top scorers, and they didn’t disappoint. Carlitos Galindo rocked the Hanalei Bay defenders in first-chukker action that saw him score three consecutive goals for the early 3-1 edge (Hanalei Bay received one goal by handicap). Taylor Freeman scored Hanalei Bay’s first goal from the field to end the first with Evergreen holding on to a 3-2 advantage. Fouls by Hanalei Bay got it into trouble early in the second period, and Evergreen made them pay. Galindo converted a penalty shot from 60-yards while teammate Bayne scored on a 30yarder. Both Galindo and Bossom added goals from the field as Evergreen rocketed out to a 7-2 lead. Ashton Wolf scored the final goal of the period, but Hanalei Bay trailed by four goals, 7-3.
JIM BREMNER/POLOZONE.COM
P O L O Hanalei Bay scratched its way back into the game in the third, cutting the lead back to 7-5 on goals from Wolf and Freeman (a 40-yard penalty conversion), but it wasn’t to be. Galindo added a penalty goal and a goal from the field with Juan Jo Gonzalez scoring his first goal of the day on a penalty shot to give Evergreen a commanding 10-5 halftime lead. The Hanalei Bay defense stepped it up in the fourth, holding Evergreen scoreless for the first time all day, but was unable to capitalize on it. A single goal from Wolf was all the team could muster, offensively, and continued to trail, 10-6. Bossom’s single goal in the fifth for Evergreen was the only score of the period as solid defensive efforts slowed down both attacking efforts. The Evergreen lead returned to five goals, 11-6, with one period left in regulation play. Gonzalez added a goal and Galindo scored twice (one on a penalty shot) while an impotent Hanalei Bay attack was unable to mount a successful scoring effort for the second consecutive chukker. When the final horn sounded it was Evergreen with the convincing 14-6 victory. Carlitos Galindo led all scoring with an impressive nine goals. He also finished the tournament as high-scorer with a total of 26 goals in four games. In a noon Stagecoach Challenge consolation game, it was Empire (Rob Scapa, Eileen Duffy, Erik Wright and Nicolas Maciel) sneaking past Granite Bay (Eric Hammon, Julie Fernandez, Alvaro Tadeo and Goyo Mariscal), 7-5. Evergreen followed up the win with the USPA Sportsmanship title over Hanalei Bay (Krista Bonaguidi, Ashton Wolf, Taylor Freeman, Ian Schnoebelen). A hearty and enthusiastic crowd saw the two teams match one another
STG’s Francisco Guinazu, Max Menini, Tommy Costello and John Ziegler won the Regional President’s Cup.
goal for goal in the opening chukker, with Hanalei Bay taking a 3-2 advantage on the strength of a handicap goal. Bonaguidi converted a 30-yard penalty for a goal and a 2-0 lead before Gonzalez shot from the field to make it 2-1. Taylor Freeman converted a 40yard penalty before Galindo closed out the scoring with the final goal of the chukker. Freeman scored the only goal of the second for a 4-2 Hanalei Bay advantage. Evergreen took the field in the third with renewed determination. Shutout defense was complimented by goals from Galindo and Bossom for a 4-4 tie at the half. A lone goal from Galindo in the fourth gave Evergreen the edge. Bossom increased the lead to 6-4, when Hanalei Bay came alive. Back-to-back goals from Freeman tied the score 6-6. Galindo opened the scoring in the final chukker with a 40-yard penalty. Gonzalez added two from the field as Evergreen exploded for a 9-6 lead. Freeman converted a Penalty 2 and Bonaguidi added one from the field, but time ran out on the late rally as Evergreen held on for the 9-8 victory. Galindo’s four goals led the Evergreen attack and made him high-scorer with 25 goals. Wolf was MVP and Best Playing Pony honors went to Galindo’s Kahuna.
R E P O R T Evergreen took its third victory after romping Empire (Rob Scapa, Eileen Duffy, Erik Wright, Dan Juarez) in the final of the USPA Players Cup. In that final, Evergreen operated like a well-oiled machine as it raced out to a commanding 7-1 halftime lead behind a four-goal firsthalf performance from Carlitos Galindo in the noon match. Galindo scored all three of Evergreen’s first period goals while a struggling Empire attack failed to score. Evergreen rode off the field after the opening seven minutes trailing, 3-0. Second chukker goals from Bayne Bossom, Galindo and Tom Sprung went unanswered by the Empire offense (with Dan Juarez playing in place of Jim Wright). The Evergreen lead grew to six goals, 6-0, with Empire trying to find a way through the Evergreen defenders. Sprung’s second goal of the game extended Evergreen’s lead to seven goals in the third, with Empire finally showing signs of life. Erik Wright finally got Empire on the scoreboard with the final goal of the period, but they had a long way to go, trailing 7-1 at the end of the first half. Galindo cranked it up again in the fourth, scoring two more goals from the field. Dan Juarez responded with a goal for Empire, but after four chukkers, the deficit had grown to seven goals, 9-2. Bossom and Galindo added single goals in the fifth as Evergreen’s lead continued to grow to 11-2. Juarez and Eileen Duffy each scored a goal to end the chukker with Evergreen on top, 114. Duffy scored the first goal of the sixth chukker when the Empire offense fell flat. Sixth period goals from Sprung and Juan Jo Gonzalez ended the game with Evergreen
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 47
R E P O R T
CPC’s Rick Karayan, Alejandro Nordheimer and Domingo Questel won the National Arena Chairman’s Cup.
enjoying a decisive 13-5 victory. Galindo averaged over seven goals a game throughout the USPA Circuit Players Cup tournament and earned MVP honors for his efforts. Sprung’s horse, Megan, was named Best Playing Pony. In 8 goal action, STG (Max Menini, John Ziegler, Tommy Costello and Francisco Guinazu) snuck past a talented Lockton polo team (Tim Kelly, Bryan Middleton, Hernan Tejera and Alejandro Gonzalez) in the final of the Regional USPA Presidents Cup in the final seconds of play. STG spotted the 7-goal Lockton team one goal by handicap and watched Jessica Bailey and Bryan Middleton add single goals from the field. STG got two penalty goals from Max Menini but trailed 3-2 after the opening period. Lockton kept the pressure on in the second with Bailey and Middleton (40yard penalty shot) adding goals and Alejandro Gonzalez scoring once from the field and once on a 60-yard penalty conversion. Two goals from Francisco Guinazu and a goal from Menini kept STG in the game, but it was Lockton with the 7-5, two-goal lead. STG’s defense stepped up in the third, holding Lockton to a single goal from the field from Middleton. Menini scored on a 40-yard penalty shot and Guinazu scored the final three goals of
48 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
MELISSA RATH
MELISSA RATH
P O L O
Rodney Fragodt, winners Nora Kahn, Anthony Nannkompanom and David Chun, and Ralph Rosato and Carlos Figueroa
the chukker for a narrow 9-8 halftime edge. Middleton and Gonzalez scored consecutive goals in the fourth to put Lockton on top, 10-9, but STG batted back. Menini tied it with the final goal of the chukker, 10-10. Menini exploded for three fifth chukker goals and Guinazu scored from 40-yards out on a penalty shot. Goals from Middleton and Gonzalez kept them in the hunt, but it was STG with the two-goal lead, 14-12, going into the final chukker. There was no letup from Lockton in the sixth. A goal from Gonzalez and two goals from Middleton moved Lockton back into the lead, but there was still time on the clock. Tommy Costello’s first goal of the game leveled the score at 15-15, and with time running out, a last ditch run at the Lockton goal had John Ziegler score the winning goal, 16-15, with time expiring. Menini scored a game-high eight goals for STG (three on penalty shots). Costello’s horse, Estrella, was named Best Playing Pony with Gonzalez picking up MVP honors. --Alex Webbe
CPC CAPTURES
CHAIRMAN’S CUP The California Polo Club team won the
USPA National Arena Chairman’s Cup title, played at its home club in Los Angeles, California, Oct. 27-28. The action got started with CPC (Rick Karayan, Alejandro Nordheimer, Domingo Questel) taking on Arroyo Polo (Chuck Stanislawski, Skyler Dale, Robin Ormerod), which began with a handicap goal. Nordheimer struck first, knocking in a pair of goals to take the 2-1 lead but Ormerod found the goal to tie it up. Nordheimer and Ormerod traded goals again, but a goal by Stanislawski ended the chukker with Arroyo on top 4-3. Questel briefly leveled the score early in the second before Dale and Ormerod struck for Arroyo. Nordheimer and Questel leveled it again to end the half 6-6. Nordheimer and Questel took control in the third with two goals each, while Arroyo was silenced. Nordheimer added two more in the fourth and Karayan knocked in his first goal to take a convincing 13-6 lead. Arroyo rallied with a trifecta by Dale and one by Ormerod but ran out of time with CPC on top 10-6, advancing it to the final. In the second match, LA Training Center (Kirsten Ludwig, Kailey Eldredge, Victor Soto) faced Mercenarios (Jeff Lin, Ernie Ezcurra, Sebastian Hancock). Lin slammed in three unanswered goals in the first period to put Mercenarios ahead.
MELISSA RATH
P O L O
Fred Celest of Celest Champagne, Rodney Fragodt, Ralph Rosato and Carlos Figueroa present trophies to Ricardo Caravetta, Alejandro Nordheimer and Matias Doorn.
Adding insult to injury, a Penalty 1 for Mercenarios started off the second chukker and Hancock found the goal. Ludwig fought back to get LA Training Center on the board, but Ezcurra got in the last word to end the half 6-1. La Training Center slowed the bleeding in the third, allowing just one goal from Hancock, matched by one from Eldredge, to end the chukker 7-2. Eldredge traded goals with Hancock and Lin in the final chukker, ending the match with Mercenarios advancing with a 10-5 victory. The teams came back the following day to finish out the action, beginning with the consolation match between LA Training Center and Arroyo Polo. Crowds came from all over the area and were treated to hand-rolled sushi, handmade ice cream, drinks and luxurious viewing accommodations for VIP guests. In the consolation, Ormerod got the scoring started but Ludwig and Soto fired back. Ormerod slammed in four goals and Dale two before Soto reached the goal again, ending the chukker with Arroyo ahead 7-3. Stanislawski and Ormerod found the mark before Eldredge and Soto combined for four goals to end the half with Arroyo ahead 9-7. Arroyo started the second half with a Penalty 1, but Eldredge fired back with a goal and Soto added two to level
the score at 10all. Dale broke the tie and a pony goal put Arroyo up by two, 12-10, to end the chukker. Dale and Omerod increased Arroyo’s lead in the fourth, but Ludwig and Eldredge answered. Arroyo held on
for the 15-13 victory. In the championship game, CPC took on Mercenarios. A Penalty 1 for CPC early in the match countered Mercenarios’ one-goal handicap. Nordheimer landed four goals, interrupted only by a pony goal for Mercenarios, for a 5-2 CPC lead. Hancock and Questel traded goals to end the chukker 6-3. CPC got on a roll with a goal by Nordheimer followed by five in a row from Questel. Hancock got Mercenarios back in the game with a pair of goals and a Penalty 1, to end the first half 12-6. Mercenarios fought back after the half, counting a Penalty 1, a goal by Ezcurra and two from Hancock. Nordheimer shot back but Hancock had the answer, bringing Mercenarios within two, 13-11. Mercenarios continued its momentum with goals by Ezcurra and Lin briefly leveling the score, but in a desperate attempt to keep CPC from scoring, the team made a costly error and CPC was awarded a Penalty 1. Questel added another goal to take a 15-13 lead. Hancock shot back to cut the deficit to a single goal before Nordheimer tallied twice to ensure the hard-fought 17-14 victory. Domingo Questel was Pro MVP and Jeff Lin was Amateur MVP, while Elizabeth Humphreys’ Dalaylay, played by Sebastian Hancock, was Best Playing Pony Pro.
R E P O R T The club finished out the year with its aptly name End of Year Tournament. The tournament was played at two levels with the games extending over two days from Dec. 1617. A coaching level game started the action with Little Drummer Boy (Anthony Nannkompanom, David Chun, Nora Kahn) taking on 12 Days of Christmas (Julie Galetar, Frank Li, Lindsay Bellack). Li put 12 Days on the board but was swiftly answered by Nannkompanom. A Penalty 1 was awarded to 12 Days and a goal by Galetar stretched the difference to 3-1 in favor of 12 Days. Drummer Boy found its rhythm in the second chukker, beginning with a pair of goals by Chun to tie the score. Kahn followed with the tie-breaker and Nannkompanom stretched the lead to 6-3. Chun finished the chukker with a goal to end with Drummer Boy ahead by four, 7-3. All eyes than focused on the three teams vying for the Rodney Cup in a round-robin format. First up was Silent Night (Alejandro Nordheimer, Matias Doorn, Ricardo Caravetta) facing Jingle Bells (Imran Jumabhoy, Carole Lessine, Katty Wong), which began with a half-goal handicap. Lessine struck first but Caravetta responded. Nordheimer hit the mark but Jumabhoy fired back with three in a row. Nordheimer ended the chukker with a tally, leaving Jingle Bells ahead 4½-3. Doorn got the scoring started in the second and a Penalty 1 gave Silent Night the slight edge. Goals by Caravetta and Nordheimer increased the lead to 7-4½ as Jingle Bells was silenced. Jumabhoy rang out for Jingle Bells in the next two chukkers as the team took on Sleigh Ride (Chuck Stanislawski, Robert McGinley/Charles Torroba, Troy Crumley/Igor Seyranov). Jumabhoy slammed in six goals added to one by Lessine and a Penalty 1. Meanwhile, Sleigh Ride was limited to single goals by Stanislawski
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 49
R E P O R T
DAVID LOMINSKA
DAVID LOMINSKA
P O L O
Tackeria’s Tony Coppola, Wes Finlayson, Jason Crowder, Matt Coppola and Pelon Escapite won the Herbie Pennell Cup.
and Seyranov and a Penalty 1 for an 83 Jingle Bells’ advantage. In the last round, Sleigh Ride took on Silent Night, which was anything but silent. Stanislawski got off the first goal, added to a half-goal handicap but Nordheimer shot back with two. Crumley found the mark, but Nordheimer again struck back with two, ending the first chukker 4-2½ for Silent Night. Caravetta increased the lead before McGinley scored. Doorn successfully shot to goal, but Seyranov got the next two, bringing Sleigh Ride to within a half goal. The teams battled for control but time ran out with Silent Night holding the 6-5½ lead. All the teams would meet again the next day, carrying over their scores. The coaching level game started the day’s action. Julia Baum took over for Nora Kahn on Drummer Boy, while Adam Lafferty replaced Lindsay Bellack on 12 Days of Christmas. Drummer Boy started with the 7-3 advantage and a Penalty 1 early in the chukker increased the spread. Before long, 12 Days got its own Penalty 1 but Nannkompanom shot back with a pair of goals to give Drummer Boy a 10-4 advantage. In the last chukker, 12 Days came alive. Two in a row from Li set the tone. Lafferty did his part, slipping the ball into the goal. Galetar followed with one of her own to bring 12 Days to within two, but time was not on 12
50 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Tonkawa’s Julian de Lusarreta, MVP Sapo Caset, Sterling Giannico and Jeff Hildebrand won the Joe Barry Cup.
Days’ side and Little Drummer Boy held on for the win. The round robin began soon after with Silent Night carrying a 6-5½ advantage into its match-up with Sleigh Ride, but a half-goal handicap leveled the store. Torroba gave Sleigh Ride the lead until Nordheimer shot back with a hat trick. Doorn added another but Crumley responded and a Penalty 1 brought Sleigh Ride to within one, 10-9. Seyranov leveled the score early in the next chukker but Nordheimer and Caravetta combined for three goals to give Silent Night a three-goal lead. McGinley hit the mark and Seyranov added another but time ran out with Silent Night holding the 13-12 lead. Sleigh Ride’s last hurrah was against Jingle Bells, which held the 8-3 advantage. Stanislawski and Torroba cut the deficit to three, while holding Jingle Bells silent. But that all changed in the last chukker when Jingle Bells cut loose. Jumabhoy connected with three in a row. Not to be outdone, Lessine and Wong followed with goals of their own as time was running out. Sleigh Ride was awarded a Penalty 1 but that would be the only goal they would see and Jingle Bells took the 13-6 win. The final round between Silent Night and Jingle Bells was for the title. Silent Night held the 7-4½ lead going into the round so Jingle Bells had its work cut out for it. A half-goal
handicap put Jingles Bells slightly closer but Nordheimer put the pressure on as he fired in three goals, stopping only for a single goal from Wong. In the second chukker, Caravetta increased Silent Night’s lead and Nordheimer cut deeper with his fourth goal. Wong found the mark with two in a row but it was too little too late and Silent Night took the 12-8 victory. All the teams celebrated afterward. Fun year-end award winners were also announced for such things as best falls, horsemanship, MVP, most talkative, Speedy Gonzalez and more. Everyone enjoyed a good laugh, good food and lots of fun. Finally, thank you gifts from members were given to the club and the incredible people that came out to help keep the club’s horses safe from the wildfires. The club looks forward to another great year. FLORIDA
TACKERIA ACES
HERBIE PENNELL CUP Tackeria carried a one-goal advantage through the second half of the Herbie Pennell Cup final to win the title at International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida, Dec. 31. Tackeria (Wes Finlayson, Jason Crowder, Matt Coppola, Pelon Escapite) and Coca Cola (Gillian Johnston, Sugar
R E P O R T
ARI DELIN/CHUKKERTV
ARI DELIN/CHUKKERTV
P O L O
Patagones’ Lorenzo Merlotti, Benjamin Avendano, Santiago Avendano and Robi Bilbao won the 8-Goal Aspen Valley Cup.
Erskine, Julio Arellano, Steve Krueger) began the match even with both teams rated 20 goals. Coppola hammered in the first two goals in the first chukker to put Tackeria ahead. Finlayson split the uprights early in the second, and Coppola struck again to take a comfortable four-goal lead after the first 14 minutes. Finlayson scored early in the third, but Arellano found the goal to put Coca Cola on the board. A costly mistake by Coca Cola gave Coppola an opportunity from the 40yard line, which he seized to take a fivegoal lead. Krueger scored for Coca Cola, but Crowder responded, ending the first half 7-2. The Coca Cola squad must have had a pep-talk at the halftime break, and came out firing on all cylinders. Arellano sunk a Penalty 4 to get the scoring started. Krueger scored his second goal and Erskine sunk his first before Coppola converted a Penalty 6. Krueger shot in two more goals to bring Coca Cola within a goal, 8-7. Johnston tied the score early in the fifth, and Krueger added another but Escapite wrapped goals around Krueger’s to stay ahead. A Penalty 2 by Arellano in the opening minutes of the sixth leveled the score, but Tackeria shot back with goals by Escapite and Coppola. The following month, Sapo Caset led Tonkawa to a 12-9 victory over Modere in the final of the Joe Barry
Palm Beach Equine’s Nick Manifold, Gringo Colombres, Scott Swerdlin and Nico Escobar won the Limited Edition 12-Goal.
Memorial Cup. Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Sterling Giannico, Sapo Caset, Julian de Lusarreta) led 6-2 at the half before Modere (Jim Zenni, Agustin Obregon, Hilario Ulloa, Jared Zenni) rallied in the fourth and fifth chukkers, but ultimately fell short. Giannico got the scoring started early in the first chukker, but Ulloa responded. A Penalty 4 by Caset put Tonkawa on top at the end of the first, 2-1. Caset scored four more goals in the next 14 minutes while Modere was held to a single Ulloa goal for the 6-2 halftime score. Modere regrouped at the half and Ulloa tallied early in the fourth. A Penalty 1 for Modere cut the deficit to two. Caset and de Lusarreta sandwiched goals around one from Jared Zenni and a Penalty 4 from Ulloa ended the chukker with Tonkawa ahead 8-6. A pair of Penalty 3s in the fifth knotted the score and goals by de Lusarreta and Ulloa kept it level heading into the final chukker. While spectators were contemplating the likelihood of overtime, Tonkawa jumped back into the lead with a Penalty 5 conversion, then a Penalty 2. Modere was unable to reach the goal, while de Lusarreta put the game out of reach with a run through the posts as time ticked away. Caset led the day with eight goals and was named MVP and Ulloa’s 6year-old homebred, Lavinia Castellana,
was named Best Playing Pony.
PATAGONES TAKES ASPEN VALLEY CUP
Patagones broke open an evenlybalanced contest to capture the Aspen Valley Cup 8-Goal Feb. 2, at Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Florida. Patagones (Santiago Avendano, Lorenzo Merlotti, Benjamin Avendano, Robi Bilbao) avenged its early season loss to Altair (Ashley Busch, Kristo Magrini, Henry Porter, Brandon Phillips) with a 10-8 victory. The lead changed hands eight times in the first half with Altair leading 6-4 at the half. The close battled continued in the second half with the lead changing twice and the score tied twice. Altair had scoring opportunities in the sixth chukker but could not take advantage. With the game tied 8-8 entering the sixth chukker, Bilbao scored the goahead goal early in the chukker and added a Penalty 2 conversion with 1:18 left to put the game away. Patagones finished with a 3-1 record and Altair finished 2-2. Benjamin Avendano was Most Valuable Player and Bilbao’s JM Lisa was Best Playing Pony. A Patagones team tried to carry its momentum into the Limited Edition 12-Goal final the next day, but was
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 51
P O L O
R E P O R T
CrossFit El Cid’s Jennifer Williams, Cecelia Cochran, Marcos Onetto and Jason Wates won the Mayaca Challenge.
edged out in the last seven minutes. After trailing for most of the game, Palm Beach Equine rallied for five goals in the final chukker to capture the title. Palm Beach Equine (Nico Escobar, Nick Manifold, Gringo Colombres, Scott Swerdlin) knocked off defending champion Patagones (Joaquin Avendano, Robi Bilbao, Benjamin Avendano, Santi Wulff) with a thrilling 13-12 victory in a hard-fought battle of unbeaten teams. It was the second time in three years Palm Beach Equine won the title. Colombres scored a game-high nine goals with four in the final chukker including the game winner to earn Most Valuable Player honors. His horse Africano was named tournament Best Playing Pony and Bilbao’s JM Lisa took home game Best Playing Pony for the second day in a row. Patagones jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening chukker behind Bilbao. Palm Beach Equine got goals from Escobar and Colombres to trail by one after two chukkers. With balanced scoring in the third chukker, Patagones outscored Palm Beach Equine, 4-2, to lead 7-3 with 1:42 left and 7-4 at the half. After two even chukkers, 1-1 and 3-3, Palm Beach Equine came alive in the sixth chukker for a 5-1 advantage. Trailing 12-10 with 4:29 left,
52 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Shamrock’s John Walsh, Hayden Walsh, Trevor Niznik and Max Secunda won the Cypress Cup at Port Mayaca Polo Club.
Colombres converted a 60-yard penalty to trail 12-11 and tied the game following up a missed shot. Colombres scored the game-winner with 1:25 remaining on another penalty shot. Days earlier, in the January women’s league, CrossFit/El Cid took up where it left off last season to win the January league title. Last year’s season-finale winners opened the 2018 season with a thrilling victory over Masai of Palm Beach on Jan. 31. CrossFit/ El Cid (Nicole Watson, Malicia von Falkenhausen, Jennifer Williams, Cecilia Cochran) defeated Masai of Palm Beach (Molly Houlton, Slaney O’Hanlon, Alina Carta, Malia Bryan, Anita Avendano), 1-0. Watson was named the Sanda Gane European Day Spa Most Valuable Player. Cecilia Cochran’s Lychee was the Masai of Palm Beach Best Playing Pony. After a hard-fought defensive battle for three chukkers, Malicia von Falkenhausen, 21, of Hamburg, Germany, scored the winning goal with 2:40 remaining in the match. —Sharon Robb
CROSSFIT EL CID WINS 8G MAYACA CHALLENGE
CrossFit El Cid got the best of Mt. Airy in a spirited final of the 8-Goal Mayaca Challenge at Port Mayaca Polo Club in
Okeechobee, Florida, on January 30. CrossFit El Cid (Jennifer Williams, Cecelia Cochran, Jason Wates, Marcos Onetto) was tied with Mt. Airy (Garrick Steele, Adrian Wade, Frank Evans, Max Secunda) in the first half, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4. Onetto put El Cid ahead 6-4 at the end of the fourth, but Mt. Airy rallied to tie the match 7-7 in the fifth. A field goal and a penalty conversion by Onetto sealed the deal for El Cid, 9-7. Onetto was named MVP and Secunda’s Fiddle was Best Playing Pony. In preliminary matches, Horseware edged Graymar Farm, 10-9; Graymar defeated CrossFit El Cid, 9-8; PMPC defeated Horseware, 10-7; Crossfit El Cid defeated Wildcat, 12-8; Mt. Airy defeated PMPC, 9-8; Wildcat defeated Horseware, 14-7; Graymar defeated Mt. Airy, 9-7; CrossFit El Cid defeated PMPC, 11-9; and Mt. Airy defeated Wildcat, 10-9, in overtime. In the 6-goal Cypress Cup, Shamrock (John Walsh, Hayden Walsh, Max Secunda, Trevor Niznik) trounced Aliano Realty (Nick Aliano, Hugo Lloret, Malia Bryan, Santos Merlos) 82. Shamrock led 4-2 at the half and shut out Aliano in the second half, while doubling its score. Secundo was named MVP and Niznik’s Molly Mortimer was Best Playing Pony. In the consolation, The Island House defeated Novo Polo 9-4.
P O L O OBITUARY
WILLIAM G. ATKINSON
On Jan. 7, one month before his 91st birthday, Bill Atkinson, retired West Coast 7-goal player, passed away after a long struggle with cancer. “Uncle” Bill Atkinson was born in 1927 in Okeechobee, Florida. Though his legal name was Gordon Atkinson, his father called him “Billy Buck” after a famous Seminole Indian. The nickname stuck and his name was later changed to William Gordon Atkinson. Bill’s early education was spent between Okeechobee and Jacksonville, Florida, where he developed his skills as a natural athlete, whether it was shooting marbles or track. During his teenage years, Bill’s father, Joe Atkinson, had a famous trick horse named Ot. Bill’s job was to “pass the hat” during Ot and Joe’s performances at horse shows. At Hyde Park in New York, Bill spoke of meeting Franklin Roosevelt as he sat in his open air car watching the performance. After the performance, Eleanor Roosevelt, asked Bill how much money Franklin contributed to the hat, then she doubled the amount. As Ot’s fame spread, the decision was made to relocate to the West Coast to be closer to Hollywood. In Los Angeles, Ot proved to be a sensation and landed starring roles in the 1946 movies, “Gallant Bess” and “The Horse With A Human Mind.” Being on the MGM set with Ot and his father, young Bill met a variety of film stars from Mickey Rooney, Elizabeth Taylor, Jimmy Durante, all wanting photos with Ot. Ultimately, the family returned to Florida where Bill graduated from Lee High School in Jacksonville with a track scholarship to the University of Florida. In addition to his success as a runner, Bill was equally talented in basketball. As a Florida Gator, Bill was a high scorer for the Gator’s basketball team and captain in his senior year. He
participated in several sports and was elected vice president of his university class, while maintaining an “A” average in his academics. After graduation Bill returned to California. Though he had been accepted into veterinary school in
Washington, he shifted his career when he met his first wife, Carol Smith. At that time, he was playing on a semi pro basketball team in Santa Maria and employed as an athletic coach at the local army base. Bill and Carol finally settled in Atherton, California, and Bill began working with his father-in-law, L.C. Smith, in the road paving industry. It was L.C. Smith who introduced Bill to playing polo at the age of 27. Bill played passionately for 43 years, mostly on the Concar team. Bill’s goal rating quickly grew even though his career limited his playing time to weekends. He played with and against the best players of his time such as Roy Barry, Charles Smith, Billy Linfoot, Tommy Wayman, John Oxley , Michael Butler, Ray Harrington, Bobby Beverage, Billy Mayberry and others, the list too numerous to mention all of polo’s super players of this era. Polo career highlights include winning the U.S. Open in 1969 and again in 1973. He also won the prestigious Pacific Coast Open numerous times. Through polo, Bill traveled to many places in the world. He played anywhere there was a polo field and, being a scratch golfer, a golf course nearby. From the hunting fields of Mt. Kenya, to Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica,
R E P O R T England and Jaipur, India, his adventure stories about his polo travels made him a wonderful dinner guest at any table. Bill’s greatest joy in the sport of polo was playing with his brother, Glenn, and his son, Joe, and nephews Jeff, Larry and Greg. These Atkinson men and boys made Menlo Circus Club, Santa Barbara and Eldorado Polo Club great polo destinations. Following his divorce from Carol, Bill decided to play polo full time. Taking himself and his horses to Santa Barbara, he did much to improve the stabling conditions by building the many tack rooms upon the hill. People who love polo, especially those living on the West Coast, have more than one “Uncle” Bill Atkinson story to tell. He did much to give opportunities to many individuals wanting to be a part of the wonderful world of polo. His long list of those he helped along the way, with his infectious smile and words of encouragement, giving players horses when they needed them, tips on their game, sharing his home, made him a super hero. He looks like Captain America, observed Eileen Duffy after looking at the photo walls at the Santa Barbara Polo Club, In 1996, he met Connie Keyfauver through daughters, Jenny and Roxy. They were married in 2002. “These will be the best years of your life,” he told her as she was adjusting to her empty nest situation. Bill was right. Over the past 20 years together their adventures included much traveling throughout the world, being with family and watching them grow, raising and training young horses for polo and providing a program for junior polo players living in Coachella Valley at Empire Polo Club. He leaves behind his loving family, including wife, Connie; two step daughters, Jenny Vargas and Roxy Keyfauver; his older brother, Glenn (Nancy); his three children, Joe (Cordi), Jennifer Newell (Steve) and Jesse Biglow (Russ); and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 53
(continued from page 17) occur, and the horse continues to run and perform, pivoting and turning—if the foot gets longer and more out of balance—there’s more stress and tearing, and eventually a full-blown crack,” he says. Things that exacerbate a problem include moisture or excess dryness. Alternating wet-dry conditions are probably worst. If the environment is always wet or
But I do this with materials that mimic the sole of the foot or the hoof wall. I like to use a product that still has some flexibility after it sets up,” he says. Material that is really hard is not forgiving enough; it doesn’t flex with the foot, so the hoof develops fracture lines. “This is one reason I leave the frog exposed when I pour material into the bottom of the foot. I pour it around the frog and mimic thickening of the sole. I find that horses working on
proper footing will develop a stronger, thicker sole. I just try to encourage this with the first pour. Sometimes I’ll do a second and third pour, but I want to get away from this as soon as I can, and let the horse develop more sole on his own,” explains Burton. “If the foot has 8- to 10-millimeter sole depth, and I pour another 4 millimeters, I’ve created 12 to 14 millimeters of protection—something that can handle the weight. If a sole becomes too thin, like less than 8
Shoes may not be needed to heal cracks
Pads or pour-in products help protect the sole and make the horse less tender.
always dry it’s not as bad. If feet are continually changing from wet to dry, it’s like your hands chapping from being constantly in and out of water. They tend to chap and crack. “It’s also similar to taking a piece of leather and wetting it, then putting it in the sun to dry. It gets stiff and eventually cracks,” says Burton. Pour-ins for Sole Support In the past 10 years Burton started using some pour-in products to help develop parts of the foot that need to accept the load. “I use the pour-in products and shape that material to the bottom of the foot so it still has some concavity and flexibility. That’s the key. It’s not a rigid substance. The foot has to move and you need to accommodate and manage that movement,” he says. “I load the rest of the foot—which is the same premise behind putting on a bar shoe. 54 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
“Many people think horses have to be shod to compete in athletic sports, especially if they have hoof cracks. But that’s not necessarily true. They just need a healthy foot. I use the analogy of a race car. If the shock-absorbing system in the car is shot, you shouldn’t put it back on the track until it’s fixed,” says Burton. “Farriers reconstruct a lot of racehorses’ feet to get them through another race, or put a temporary fix on other equine athletes to get them through their next competition, using pads, lacing, screws, bar shoes, etc. and I’ve done this, too. But experience has shown me that the most effective way to treat cracks is to regenerate the foot.” It has to become stronger and sounder. “You have an investment in that horse and his future athletic ability, and you shouldn’t risk this by running him hard before his shock absorbing system is healthy again. But people often try to get that horse into one more competition, and may compromise his long-term ability to handle the stress on his feet. I realize they are often up against the wall, but if the farrier is working with a quarter crack and tells the owner that the horse needs six months off to become sound again, he’ll be listened to more readily if he can cite the research behind this,” Burton says. “We also need to pay attention to biomechanics and balance. Some of the horses I work with come along beautifully with
The best treatment for cracks is to regenerate the hoof so it becomes stronger.
no shoes, and their feet become strong enough that I leave them without shoes. I think we’re going to see more research on this. The more we understand the function of the foot, and how Nature designed it to accommodate a lot of things, we’ll realize that man has screwed it up,” says Burton. Most of the horses he sees with quarter cracks are shod. “I can only remember one barefoot horse that developed a quarter crack. In many cases horses can do fine without shoes. I shoe horses, but on horses I can rehabilitate and have their foot structure come back to normal without shoes, I find they stay sounder if they’re barefoot.” He says there are really only a few horses that cannot go without shoes.
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Cleaning up a crack
Pour-in products are less rigid and can be shaped to the bottom of the foot.
millimeters, you’re in trouble. Some horses are OK with 10 millimeters and some are not. If you can get 12 to 15 millimeters of sole, those horses can walk on rocks and gravel and not get tender,” he says. “When I pour the feet I get an exact impression of the bottom of the foot. I’ve saved some of those. If you look at the first and second pour side-by-side you may not see a significant difference. But if you take the first one and the fifth or a later one, you can see how much change has occurred in increments over that period of time. I see changes in the dimension of the frog, changes in the heels, and a change in the depth of the digital cushion,” he says. These structures become stronger, and healthier. By doing these pours, he mimics what Nature wants to do with that foot—to thicken and toughen it. I consider it a synthetic sole that I’m pouring over the foot. I sculpt it out, to retain some concavity and leave the frog exposed so it takes some weight and stimulates the foot to work properly,” says Burton. The next pour is usually not as thick—just enough to enable the horse to keep moving around without becoming tender, because movement and exercise is the key to healing and stronger hoof development. This will help resolve the problem with cracks. “If the horse doesn’t move and exercise, the foot won’t heal. If the horse is in pain, he isn’t going to move, and the foot won’t develop properly. Once it starts degenerating, it’s like a house of cards—it all starts to fall down. It starts atrophying. We need to go the other direction—and get the foot to start working again. This can help the digital depth increase.” Then the foot will be u stronger and less prone to cracking.
To begin a repair Burton often dremels out the crack and cleans it up to get rid of underlying bacteria. “Often there’s more of a cavity than you can see externally. Cleaning it out allows us to treat any anaerobic bacteria and also takes pressure off that area so it’s no longer bearing any weight. This can also be accomplished by grooving the foot,” he says. Sometimes tissue integrity is poor in that area. It may be flaky or looks like a white line problem. It helps if this is all cleaned out when you start working on the foot.
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To repair a crack, cleaning it out with a dremel allows any bacteria to be removed and takes pressure off the crack so it is no longer bearing any weight.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 55
(continued from page 15)
shape muscles in the back), rhomboids (muscles that pull the shoulder blades together), rear delts (back of the shoulder) and lower traps to give you better control of the horse using the reins and keep you from muscling the horse with your biceps.
oblique work to prevent your torso from rotating as you move the weight back and forth. This exercise is especially beneficial for polo players who move their torso from one side of the horse to the other throughout a match. LEGS Squats Strong legs are crucial for any equestrian so the squat remains king of all exercises. Squats strengthen the quadriceps (thighs), glutes (butt) and, depending on foot position, sometimes adductors (inner thighs). Contrary to popular belief, the hamstrings are only slightly activated in a squat. Plié Squats Plié squats are squats done with your toes pointed at 45 degrees or more outward. This toe position forces the adductors to come into play, which, once strengthened, helps riders hug the horse with their legs to stay on and maneuver. An adductor machine will also strengthen the same muscles. Deadlifts Deadlifts are another great total-body movement that works the quads, glutes, spinal erectors and lower back, all crucial muscles to keep strong for riding. Glute Bridge Another total-body movement, the bridge will work your glutes, as well as your transverse abdominous (lower abdominals/pelvic girdle).
Strengthening your back muscles gives you better control while riding.
Forearm and wrist muscles are often overlooked in equestrian fitness routines.
Calf Raises Just as the name implies, lay on your back and raise your calfs a few inches off the floor. This will help with flexibility to keep your heels down, a key feature of good leg position while riding. BACK Rows Mimicking the motion of rowing of a boat, rows help strengthen the lats (the vMatt Coppola demonstrates a plank used to strengthen his core.
REAR DELTS/ POSTERIOR DELTOIDS While it is true, rows will work the rear ‘delts’, a more targeted exercise is the bent-over lateral raise. Sit on the end of a bench with moderate-weight dumbbells. Lean over, with your chest on your lap and raise the dumbbells to the side with a slightly bent elbow. Strong rear delts are also key for better control of your horse. FOREARMS Wrist & Dumbbell Curls Forearms, including wrist flexors, wrist extensors and brachio-radials, are often highly-overlooked muscles in equestrian fitness routines. A variety of wrist curls and dumbbell hammer curls are great ways to strengthen the muscles responsible for controlling the reins. Like any athlete, equestrians like to perform well and win so they spend a lot of time practicing their craft. Investing an extra four to five hours per week by incorporating a good fitness program into the overall plan gives a lot of bang for the buck. Working with the right coach and trainer is equally important so before you start a routine with anyone, do your homework and find a trainer who understands your needs. Chris Adair is the co-owner of Get Fit Wellington & CrossFit Wellington in Wellington, Florida. He is also a personal trainer with 22 years of experience working with a variety of athletes. He has developed several fitness programs for equestrian athletes. In addition, he has trained and developed hundreds of personal trainers, helping them increase their fitness and nutrition knowledge and develop their personal training skills. Go to getfitwellington.com. POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 56
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POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 57
Josh and his fiancée Amanda will marry this month at the Sarasota Polo Club.
(continued from page 39) after this pretty aggressively. So, I did 42 days in a row of concurrent radiation and chemotherapy,” explained Shelton. At the same time, Shelton was still caring for his horses, practicing and even played a game. “Everything was going good, I’d lost a bunch of weight and my hair was falling out, you know, the normal things. But on Mar. 16, I had a seizure. That was my body saying, hey, maybe you need to take it easy,” said Shelton. Once he had the seizure, he wasn’t allowed to ride anymore and couldn’t drive, but continued to care for his horses. He took about six weeks off, which ended the Florida season for him. “I’m kind of a busy body so I just continued cleaning tack and doing everything and anything I could,” Shelton said. He eventually went back to Kansas for the 2017 summer and started riding and taking out sets as soon as he was able. The 42 days of radiation and chemo were followed by 10 months of chemo for five days every 28 days. He returned to Sarasota this season and his last treatment 58 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
was scheduled for February 23. Doctors will continue to monitor him with MRIs every 60 days. “When I was doing [chemotherapy] for 42 straight days, I just didn’t have an appetite. I would just try to snack small. Now, when I do the five days, it usually doesn’t hit until about the fourth day and then I start losing my appetite and getting tired. Every once in a while I get nauseous, but not too often. Those weeks, I stay very well hydrated and try to get as much rest as possible, eat a lot when I can and if I can’t, then I can’t,” explained Shelton. He has gained all his weight back, his hair has mostly grown back in and he is riding again. “I feel totally normal riding. ... The past few months have been really good,” he said. “My horse [that fell with me] is named Mick. I played him probably two weeks ago for the first time since the accident and felt great on him. It’s good to be back on him.” If Josh and Mick hadn’t had their fall, the tumor might not have been found until it was too late to remove. Shelton says the prognosis is good. “So
far nothing [has come back], but we’ll just keep monitoring it. I got lucky. We found it before it started causing problems and we got it out. It is not saying it won’t come back at some point, but right now, I mean, I think we beat it,” said Shelton. Shelton is staying positive and looking ahead. He credits his family and friends for being there for him and says spending time with his horses throughout the ordeal has been like therapy for him. “[Riding and polo] is what I do. I love what I do and it’s great I can continue to do it,” said Shelton. He is competing this season in several leagues in Sarasota. After his initial treatment, the doctor indicated if he got to August (2017) without any setbacks it was a really good sign. Amanda had been by Shelton’s side the entire time so when they got the good news in August that everything was going well, Shelton asked her to marry him. “We got some good news and I said, you know what, I’ve got to marry this girl. I can’t let her get away,” explained Shelton. The couple plan to marry this month (Mar. 17) at the Sarasota Polo Club in Sarasota, Florida.
(continued from page 37) It was a very scary time, very stressful ... but through all that, it was great to see how everyone rallied to take care of the horses.” And it wasn’t just the horses. The cows, mules and alpacas needed to be moved too. “That was probably one of the more challenging aspects. You really become aware of the weight of responsibility of what happens if something goes wrong. Usually, when they are at the club, most of the owners come by or send someone that knew them to check on them but loading them, that was misery!” said Jones. “It really makes you appreciate polo horses because they are used to loading up in the middle of the night. They will get on a trailer no matter what. But, a lot of backyard animals and exotic animals, they don’t have that experience.” They loaded up the last of the animals by 9 a.m. and brought them to the Earl Warren Equestrian Center in Santa Barbara, which has 600 stalls and several arenas. Owners and volunteers took over the care of the animals so after being in smoke for a week, Scheraga and his wife, ready for some fresh, clean air took a much-needed vacation. The club became a staging site for the fire department’s trucks and equipment. “We had all these strike teams parked at the end of the field and up the driveway that goes between the two fields. Then they had flatbeds with bulldozers on them that they would send into the canyons to carve fire breaks,” said Jones. “With all those fire engines parked around the edges of the field I felt a lot better.” It wasn’t until after Christmas, when things began to quiet down, that the fire trucks began filtering out. By then, the fire had burned over 280,000 acres. Just when things were beginning to get back to normal forecasters warned of a big storm, with flooding and the possibility of mudslides. Scheraga had just brought his school horses back when the rains began. “I was really lucky I still had all my hay and happened to have gone grocery shopping the day before because we were in for a couple of days with no escape,” he said. According to Jones the fires had
Jeffrey Scheraga and his wife, Naima hooked up their trailer and headed toward the fires to help evacuate animals in Ojai.
burned across the face of the mountain, but the little ridge behind the club was unscathed. Having that foliage intact when the rains came saved the club from the mudslides. “We also have really good water management practices because the environmental regulations out here are very strict for large scale animal operations. Every year, no matter what, my grounds crew goes around and sets out hay bales in strategic locations, they check all the streams and always have a guy on-site. ... So, it was a combination for us; we were lucky and we were super prepared,” explained Jones. “It was very peaceful here after the mudslides because we were an island. The mud fell south and north of us,” said Scheraga. “Normally there is a lot of highway noise so it was super quiet with
the highway shut down. Then there were helicopters constantly going over to rescue people or look at the mud. It was bizarre.” Jones said the rain washed away the thick layer of ash, which resembled snow especially on the polo field, and everything was beginning to perk up. Overall, the club was lucky. “They had so many warnings and text messages, a lot of us thought they were just being a little overcautious, but it was something else. Even with the one little mudslide between Carpinteria and the club, there were boulders the size of my car that came down,” said Jones. Remarkably, with the number of fires and all the heavy smoke, no polo ponies suffered any respiratory problems and all were evacuated to safety. POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 59
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BY ROBERT V. HOFFMAN
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AN EARLY TRANSFORMATION A rough start was followed by a slow game until talented players sped it up
I
n its first 60 years, after its introduction in 1876, American polo passed through three periods of development, characterized at first by a rough, then by a slow, and finally by a fast type of game. In the formative stage, the game consisted chiefly in a wild scramble for goals. Teams were then made up of eight players each; they lined up on opposite sides, far enough from the center to get a good running start. The ball was then placed in midfield and, at a signal from the referee, the opposing captains, or designated players, made a dash for it. In the melee, which was certain to follow, mallets were smashed, ponies maimed, shins cracked, and occasionally a player placed hors du combat. The ponies got all the worst for it, for the game lasted until one side or the other had made two out of three or three out of five goals, and horse changes were made only between chukkers or during knock outs. To correct these abuses, the number of
The British team, which won the 1886 Westchester Cup, put an end to the American’s leisurely style of play by hooking, backing the ball and passing its way to an easy victory.
players on a team was first reduced to five, then four, and the game divided into definite periods—at this time, three of 20 minutes each, with 10-minute rest periods, and,
In the 1890s, a Dedham team used signals to confuse its opponents. When a player said ‘easy’ to his teammate, it meant hit a backhander very hard.
60 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
by mutual consent, ‘time out’ when both sides were exhausted. The offside rule was also abolished, hooking of mallets forbidden, and backhand strokes abandoned. The result was a slow game in which the star player had a grand time dribbling the ball down the field and scoring. The English put an end to this leisurely style of play, when they hooked, backhanded, and passed their way to an easy victory over Capt. Thomas Hitchcock’s picked American four in the first international matches at Newport in 1886. After that, the arts were diligently practiced and, though the game continued to be a bit slow, some fine players were developed. Foxhall P. Keene was recognized as the outstanding player of his day. He was brilliant at No. 2 and No. 3 in the international matches of 1886 and ‘02, and is said to have been at his best in the latter position. Not far behind
The American team, captained by Foxhall Keene, in the 1902 Westchester Cup competition in England was equal to the British team. It won the first match 2-1, but lost the next two matches after the first few chukkers as their ponies began to tire.
were his contemporaries, R. L. Agassiz, J.E. Cowdin, and Thomas Hitchcock Sr., all internationalists with 10-goal ratings. Strategy was also practiced. Allan Forbes, one of the leading players in the 1890s, said that the old Dedham four won many match-
es by using signals, which confused their opponents. “A teammate, C.H.W. Foster, devised a signal, which was successfully used in many important games,” wrote Mr. Forbes. “When we wanted one of our side to back the ball we always said ‘easy.’ To the
The 1909 team—the first Big Four—of Devereux Milburn, Harry Payne Whitney, Monty Waterbury and Lawrence Waterbury exhibited great passing skill, ran with the ball and hit harder than the English team. It was a new style of play introduced by Whitney.
other side, this meant the player should hit the ball a very short distance; it meant to us that he should hit it very hard, and be sure to back it. Our players were not so good as some of the players on opposing teams, and we probably were not mounted quite so well; but we worked things out very carefully and developed team play, which frequently beat teams of better individual players.” Speed, for which American polo is distinguished, was not realized suddenly. Nor was it (public opinion to the contrary notwithstanding) the controlling factor in the development of the modern game. It took American poloists 30 years to realize that individual skill and daring cannot successfully contend against organized team play and well-trained ponies. If players had been chosen for international competition on the basis of sheer speed, the American game would be as ineffectual now as it was before the coming of the Big Four. Early teams were not lacking in speed. Man for man the quartette of 1902, captained by Foxhall P. Keene, was the equal of the English four, as was indicated in the first match which the invaders won, two goals to one. But after the opening chukkers, their ponies tiring, the AmeriPOLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 61
Devereux Milburn’s unorthodox game tended to confuse the English, who regarded a Back as strictly a defensive player. An expert horseman, Milburn often left his position to intercept a drive or take a pass. He could play all four positions and be 10 goals in each of them.
cans were unable to cope with the skillfully executed combination plays of their opponents and were beaten by decisive scores. The new style game, which Harry Payne Whitney introduced, was nothing more or less than organized team play developed to the peak of efficiency. Increased speed was its natural concomitant. The Big Four was a combination of stars who played together until they acquired consummate skill in passing and running with the ball. Their hitting, as compared with that of the English, was equally accurate, but harder and more daring. The forwards, Lawrence and Monty Waterbury, were seasoned campaigners, having played on the 1902 team, and were in top form in these matches. The young and brilliant Devereux Milburn was a revelation. His unorthodox game tended to further confuse the English, who regarded a Back as strictly a defensive player. Mr. Milburn frequently left his position to intercept a drive or take a passing shot from a teammate. An expert horse62 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Harry Payne Whitney introduced a new style of organized team play, developed to the peak of efficiency. A faster game naturally went along with it. His inspiring leadership has been credited with making the Big Four the invincible combination it was.
man, lithe of movement and possessed of great courage, he would rove the field, smashing up formations and turning back plays so that the opposition seldom had a chance to make a goal. He made the most difficult shots seem
The Westchester Cup
easy. But it was his genius in diagnosis that raised his game above that of his contemporaries. He not only knew how, but when, to strike. He was the pivot man in a team strategy that kept the ball constantly moving toward the enemies’ goals, and he seemed always to be in the right place at precisely the right time. His emulators have been many and some have achieved conspicuous success at his style of play, but it is the consensus that he is the only man the game has yet produced who could play all four positions and be worth 10 goals in each of them. This is superlative praise but it is richly deserved. At the time of this writing in 1933, he was still a top-flight player, rated at 7 goals. There were but six in this country who stood above him. Although never spectacular or a hard hitter, Harry Payne Whitney was a great field general. His contemporaries, here and abroad, have said that the Big Four would not have been the invincible combination it was but for his inspiring leader-
Victory in the 1911 Westchester Cup was attributed to the strategy and leadership of Harry Payne Whitney. Not a spectacular hitter, he was a great field general. He was said to have the ideal polo temperament—quick thinking and best under pressure.
ship. English players highly praised his judgement and ability to think quickly. He had the ideal polo temperament. A keen student of the game, he understood the psychology of team play, and never permitted himself or his teammates to be discon-
certed. He was at his best under pressure. Victory in the second international match, in 1911, is attributed to the strategy, which he employed to stand off a powerful offensive led by captains Wilson and Lloyd in the final minutes of play. Need-
ing only one goal to even the score, the English stars were so hard pressed that they repeatedly missed the mark. Adapted from an article in Country Life.
The Big Four team played organized team play developed to the peak of efficiency.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 63
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F E B R U A R Y 21 - M A R C H 4 C.V. Whitney Cup (26) International, Wellington, FL
The C.V. Whitney Cup kicks off International Polo Club Palm Beach’s highly-anticipated 26-goal polo season. The cup, established in 1979, is named for Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, an American businessman, sportsman and polo player. Rated 6 goals at his highest, Whitney won the U.S. Open three times (1928, 1937, 1938), as well as the Monty Waterbury (1937).
F E B R U A R Y 21 - M A R C H 17 Sterling Cup & Subsidiary (16-20) Grand Champions, Wellington, FL F E B RUA RY 2 2 - M A RC H 10 Iglehart Cup (20) International, Wellington, FL F E B R U A R Y 2 8 - M A R C H 11 Schroeder Manatee Ranch (8-10) Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, FL MARCH 1-3 USPA Sarasota Women’s Challenge Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, FL M A RC H 1 - 10 $50K National 12-Goal Tournament Grand Champions, Wellington, FL
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USPA Heritage Cup (14) Shady Lady (8) Port Mayaca, Okeechobee, FL
M A R C H 14 - 31 Oxley Memorial & Subsidiary (16-20) Grand Champions, Wellington, FL
MARCH 3 Molly’s House Benefit Port Mayaca, Okeechobee, FL
M A R C H 14 - A P R I L 1 USPA National Inter-Circuit (8-10) Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, FL
MARCH 3-25 USPA Governors Cup (6) Eldorado, Indio, CA
M A R C H 16 - 1 8 4 Goal Tournament Hobe Sound, Hobe Sound, FL
USPA Kay Colee (6-10) Trust Cup (4-6) Palm City, Boynton Beach, FL M A R C H 3 - 31 March 4 Goal Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, FL MARCH 4 Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Benefit BG, Vero Beach, FL MARCH 7-25 USPA Gold Cup (26) International, Wellington, FL M A R C H 9 - 11 6 Goal Tournament Hobe Sound, Hobe Sound, FL M A RC H 9 - 18 USPA Constitution Cup (8) Empire, Indio, CA
M A RC H 10 Ponies for Pups Charity Match Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, FL
M A RC H 1 - 18 USPA Officers Cup (6) Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, FL
Sarasota Polo Club is hosting its 9th annual Ponies for Pups charity polo match, benefiting Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue of Bradenton, Florida.
MARCH 1-24 Madelon Bourdieu Memorial (6) Limited Edition 8-Goal Series Grand Champions, Wellington, FL
M A R C H 1 0 - 11 One Goal Tournament Empire, Indio, CA
M A R C H 1 - 31 Top Pony 12-Goal Series Grand Champions, Wellington, FL
M A RC H 10 - 18 USPA Congressional Cup (4) Empire, Indio, CA
MARCH 2-4 Hobe Sound Polo Challenge (4) Hobe Sound, Hobe Sound, FL
M A R C H 11 - 1 8 USPA Congressional Cup (6) BG, Vero Beach, FL
MARCH 2-25 USPA Rossmore Cup (12) Eldorado, Indio, CA
M A R C H 11 - 31 Carlos Gracida Cup (20) International, Wellington, FL
64 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
MARCH
M A R C H 17 - 1 8 One Goal Tournament Empire, Indio, CA Arty Cameron Tournament Eldorado, Indio, CA MARCH 22- APRIL 1 Butler Handicap (26) International, Wellington, FL MARCH 23-25 6 Goal Tournament Hobe Sound, Hobe Sound, FL MARCH 23- APRIL 1 Champion’s Cup (8) Empire, Indio, CA MARCH 24 USPA NYTS Qualifier Sarasota Junior Invitational Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, FL MARCH 24-25 One Goal Tournament Empire, Indio, CA MARCH 24- APRIL 1 Lion’s Cup (4) Empire, Indio, CA MARCH 25 SKINS Match (12) Eldorado, Indio, CA MARCH 30- APRIL 1 One Goal Tournament Empire, Indio, CA 4 Goal Tournament Hobe Sound, Hobe Sound, FL MARCH 30- APRIL 8 Ringling Cup (6) Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, FL M A R C H 31 - A P R I L 1 USPA Women’s Tournament (WCT) USPA NYTS Qualifier Eldorado, Indio, CA
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