7 minute read
By Gwen Rizzo
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HEAD THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
Danny Scheraga Subhead retires after three decades
DANNY SCHERAGA, executive director of the Polo Training Foundation, recently announced his retirement. Scheraga as been with the PTF for 34 years. He was replaced by Jennifer McLeavy at the PTF board meeting last month.
Scheraga began his career coaching at Cornell, followed by 10 years teaching clinics and running the I/I program for the USPA, a position then funded by the PTF. In 1996, Scheraga was hired as PTF executive director to help the organization become more active in fundraising to enhance the quality and quantity of instruction nationally. “My life has been helping young players evolve as players and hopefully mature into adults, contributing to both polo and society in genDanny Scheraga eral,” Scheraga said. An amalgam of ideas from many sources, including Scheraga, has gone into developing programs to improve instruction. A few examples were an expanded I/I tournament program, more clinics, cosponsoring specific annual clinics and running a polo center at Brushy Creek for 10 years. More recently, an annual college fair was created for college-bound students to meet polo coaches from across the country. Throughout it all, the PTF has stayed fiscally solvent and the endowment has grown. “I could not have accomplished any of this without a great board of directors and an army of volunteers, many of whom were my mentors, that helped keep all the PTF programs running and had a commitment to the future of polo,” explained Scheraga. In the last few years, a National Junior Board was created to accumulate ideas from the PTF’s main constituents—polo youth. “They have been fantastic to work with and come up with some amazing ideas. I am truly touched by their support of and loyalty to the PTF,” said Scheraga. “It has been a thrill to watch young players grow. I have watched some of them as young players become successful in business and in professions from doctors and lawyers to professional players and instructors. I’ve also seen some players I first taught as adults and watched their children learn and now their grandchildren are playing.”
Just this past February, the PTF held the Tackeria President’s Day Cup for youth 16 and older, and The Avendano Memorial for players 15 and under in Wellington, Florida. The events attracted 85 players, representing a resurgence in participation. Several children of participants from decades ago are now participating in PTF events and some are even helping to run the programs. There has also been a resurgence of participation in PTF events on the West Coast. Additionally, the PTF supports many annual clinics across the country, as well as international exchanges, which, on hold due to Covid-19, will resume soon.
During Scheraga’s tenure, he served nine PTF chairmen, including George Haas, George Alexander Jr., Dan Colhoun Jr., Jesse Upchurch, Karlene Beal Garber, Orrin Ingram, Gene Burk, Ian Angus and Dick “Remo” Reimenschneider, who also retired at the board meeting last month.
“Remo has been wonderful to work with and his tireless efforts helped to refocus the PTF, making it better prepared to meet current and future demands,” said Scheraga. “I wish I had room to mention
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COLLECTING POINTS
Series provided sense of normalcy in difficult year
THE MID-CONTINENT Women’s Polo Series award for high-point individual was recently awarded to Stephanie Massey Colburn. Points were based on the amount of teams in a tournament, team ranking and MVP and Sportsmanship awards. The Mid-Continent Women’s Series spans multiple clubs and states to promote participation in women’s polo at every level. Colburn competed in USPA women’s tournaments at five different clubs in Texas and Oklahoma, winning the U.S. Women’s National Handicap on the Aspen Snowmass team. For earning the most points, Catena’s Bill Kraft presented Colburn with a beautiful Catena Swiss-made watch.
“This past year, 2020, can be summed up curtly as a crazy year. For so many, it has been a year enveloped in hardship, loss, change, isolation and uncertainty. Through this time period, for me, polo and participating in the Mid-Continent ladies series was just a breath of fresh air as it allowed me to maintain some sense of normalcy,” explained Colburn. “Visiting so many different polo clubs (obviously while taking proper precautions), meeting new players, seeing familiar faces on and off the field, and the overall thrill of the game, for those four chukkers the rest of the world and what was going on did not seem to matter. These tournaments allowed me to experience the high we seek from playing coupled with, I hope, lifelong friendships.”
Coming in second place was Morgan McBride, while tied for third places was Samantha Leach, KC Krueger, Lara Semmelmann, Morgan Tennant and Audrey Persano.
Catena’s Bill Kraft and Stephanie Massey Colburn
all the other board members and volunteers that have given their time and energy to help polo. I can only hope they know who they are and realize how much they are appreciated. The organization would not function without them.”
Scheraga hopes to continue to stay involved, if and when he is needed. “Polo has been my life for 51 years and I hope to still contribute to this glorious sport in whatever way I can,” he said.
McLeavy has been with the PTF for 10 years and shares Scheraga’s passion for helping young players grow through polo.
“Jennifer has been an integral part of this wonderful organization for over a decade, and I have the utmost confidence that she will help lead the PTF to new heights in the quest to help young players grow and develop through polo,” Scheraga said. “She has great insight into the innerworkings of the organization and will make the PTF lighter, nimbler and better in the years to come.”
Jennifer McLeavy
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EPIC EXPERIENCE
Kids enjoy horse games on polo ponies
ON JAN. 30, EPIC EQUINE EXPERIENCES/ Epic Polo Club hosted a movie-themed gymkhana for 20 children, aged 7-14. The participants were students of the Epic Riding Academy as well as kids of Sarasota Polo Club members. All of the kids were riding polo ponies, mostly from the Epic polo string.
Participants competed in one of three levels—The Littles, The Middles and The Big Kiddles—playing a variety of fun, sometimes silly, competitions, including polo bending, an egg & spoon race, barrels, a stockings race, a polo goal race, a dollar bill contest and others. A variety of fun prizes were donated by Beall’s Department Stores.
ACKER PHOTOGRAPHY PETER
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INDIAN AWARDS
Players recognized in grand ceremony
THE INDIAN POLO AWARDS were presented at a grand ceremony at the City Palace in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Guests enjoyed a spectacular performance by Bollywood actress Vaani Kapoor. Acclaimed performers Sharat Saxena and Sophie Chaudhay co-hosted the awards presentation.
The awards included Lady Polo Player award to Khundongbam Habe Devi; Traditional Polo Player Award to Taorem Pradeep Kumar Singh; Army Polo Player to Naik Ravindra Mang; Polo Patron Award to Rajinigandha Achievers; Polo Trainer Award to Dfr Illyas Ali (Army category) and Mahmood Khan (civil category); Best Polo Pony Award to Blitz; Best Polo Ground to Jindal Panther Polo and Riding Club; Best Team (low goal) to the Army Services Corps; Contribution to Polo award to the Indian Army; International Polo Player Award to Matthew Philip Perry; Young Polo Player award to HH Sawai Padmanabh Singh; Emerging Lady Polo Player Award to AshBest Playing Pony Blitz ley Parekh; Promising Polo Player Award to Siddhant Sharma; Most Valuable Polo Player Award to 6-goal Simran Singh Shergill; Best Team (high goal) to Rajnigandha Achievers; Lifetime Achievement Award to HH Maharaja Gaj Singh II.
HH Maharaja Gaj Singh II
Ashley Parekh
