Barrel O’ Fun Players cowboy up for support group Photos and words by C. Maybe Ortiz
Using her smooth riding skills and natural desire to compete, Hope Arellano was able to bring organizer Chase Butler’s Poker Face home to victory. All the top riders were separated by milliseconds.
Much hooting and hollering was heard over on Big Tree Road outside of Aiken, South Carolina, on Saturday night, Oct. 17. The polo community gathered to encourage their favorite players as they put their handiest horses to a standard barrel racing course with an electronic timer. Chase Butler of St. Louis has been entering teams in Aiken polo tournaments for a couple of years. He partnered with La Bourgogne team sponsor David Meunier, spiritual leader of the recently opened Aiken restaurant La Parisienne, and Tim Zekany, 28 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
cancer survivor and owner of Big Tree polo farm and arena, to stage a casual night of friendly competition and outdoor dining, all for the benefit of Polo Players Support Group. Despite their packed schedules, a sufficient number of pros found a way to show up on a Saturday evening with one horse and the saddle of their choice. They figured they could handle three turns, a lead change and a run for home. However, even Pelon Escapite, who has lent his mighty stick to just about every tournament in town with the
