Polo around the Globe

A leopard lounges in a fig tree.

Africa

U.S. team plays in Zambian boys’ school tournament

By Ava Rose Hinkson

BRIAN MATTHEWS

Two years ago, after getting back from my first official international junior tour to Jamaica, I started receiving dozens of proposals to play at different clubs around the world. One of my most exciting and exotic opportunities was given to me when I was contacted by the president of the Zambian Polo Association. He invited me to bring an American junior team to play in the Zambian Boys School International Tournament against Kenya and two teams from Zambia in late summer of 2019. Of course, I accepted this invitation without a heartbeat of hesitation.

The tournament is an historic part of Zambia polo that is only hosted by the Zambian Polo Association every few years. We would be going to play with juniors whose grandparents competed in this very event decades ago. With the roots of tradition running deep in the Zambian polo families, everyone on the team

Ava Hinkson reaches out to hook Oliver Snart.

The U.S. team enjoyed the competition and meeting new polo friends.

knew the competition was going to be fierce.

One of the best parts of traveling for polo abroad is meeting the people. This trip was no exception. After landing and getting settled with our Lusaka hosts, the Americans were off to meet the African teams over dinner. The first dinner was a complete success, with a night filled with laughs, some lighthearted but

USA’s Cipi Echezarreta carries the ball while under pressure from an opponent.

Elephants come to drink from the Zambezi River. Ava with Victoria Coventry’s Port Liz, the tournament’s Best Playing Pony.

The Royal Zambezi Lodge offered views of the river and wildlife.

The U.S. team enjoyed a variety of wildlife in their natural habitat, including this pride of lions.

Hippos swim in the river in front of the Zambezi lodge. competitive chatter, and some incredible food. The next day we traveled to the Lumbombo Polo Club in Mazabuka by bus and had the opportunity to see the vast expanse of complete wild and unforgiving terrain that is Africa. By the way, road trip drive-through food in Zambia is a cob of maze that is roasted over an open fire by villagers and it’s delicious.

After finally arriving in Mazabuka, the junior teams had pony trials and each player met their pony master—a person who oversees the mounting of a player and assisting in pony line ups. It was an exciting day of riding between 17 to 20 horses, all absolute machines. These were the kind of horses you remember by name for years to come. I never thought it was possible, but at the end of the day we had too many good horses. When the time came, the sight of the sun setting behind the cane fires was beautiful and was a relief to all of us who had such an exhausting day.

The next day, we awoke to the smell of fresh coffee, crepes, and muesli. After finishing breakfast, our host family gave us a tour of their farm and a glimpse at

the turning gears behind their massive operation. The family’s 17-acre sugarcane plantation was a little oasis in the vast African landscape.

After an informative morning of touring, it was time to head to the polo club for our six-chukker match against the Kenyans. It was our first taste of just how competitive the rest of the tournament would roll out to be. It was a hard-fought, fast-paced game. As the Americans were trying to click as a team and find our

The team prepares to board a flight to Lower Zambezi.

pace, the Kenyans incredibly talented players came out as the winners at the end of the game.

The second day of the tournament, USA faced off against Zambia Team A. From the second the ball hit the ground in the first throw-in, the Zambians didn’t give us an inch to breathe. It was quickly determined to be an open, hit-and-run game, with the defensive players on each team consistently sending the ball 80- 100 yards. Even with the American team having a better feel of their horses and their teammates abilities, the Zambians got a three-goal lead in the last chukker and pulled off the win.

On the day of final tournament, we arrived at the

Ava with her host family, Lilo and Nick Patterson, in Zambia.

field feeling more middle-aged than teenagers. We all had a good laugh as the battered yet determined American team limped past the stands. The last two days of extremely intense games had finally begun to catch up with us, as more than half our team was literally being held together by sports tape and ibuprofen. Our last game was against the talented Zambia Team B. After some good-humored joking with the Zambians and Kenyans as we stretched our sore and aching muscles, we hopped on our ponies to begin the final match.

That evening, in the after-party of our lives, the Zambian parents went the extra mile to ensure that all the juniors would really have the opportunity to bond. This tour gained friendships that will last a lifetime. We could not have asked for a more competitive yet clean tournament. We all walked away having learned to be better horsemen, players, and people thanks to the great players that call the wild continent of Africa home. We had been pushed to our physical and mental limits as athletes and horsemen and we loved every second of it.

After traveling to play polo for two years, I have realized that even though we are playing polo, it is a different game everywhere you go. The techniques and training are so different in Jamaica than in Zambia or Barbados than America.

The animals, scenery, people and experiences were beyond anything any one of us could have imagined. From a small farm town in Central Florida, to playing at a legendary polo club with some of the most passionate junior players I’ve met, I still can’t believe I was blessed enough to travel to such an awe-inspiring place.

Following our unforgettable and exhilarating three

day tournament, the Zambians sent us on a chartered flight for a photographic safari in the Lower Zambezi. The Royal Zambezi was an elegant safari camp that was meant to impress and astound. From the pure African views, to the peaceful river and fishing tours, to the wild and exciting safaris, the experiences at the Royal Zambezi left their fantastic impression on everyone. Nothing shakes your very soul like looking dead into the eyes of an inquisitive male lion who lounges scarcely 10 feet away. Turning to gaze straight up into the snoozing face of a leopard who sprawls out in a branch directly overhead is one of the most imposing and terrifying sights. When fishing leads to reeling in an elusive, air breathing Vundu catfish or netting a fearsome, fang bearing Tigerfish, it is the most triumphant and thrilling moment for any avid angler.

On our flight back to the Lusaka airport on our charter flight, I found myself reflecting back onto the days on the safari in the African bush. We saw everything from tiny wood doves, to some of Africa’s apex predators, to the critically endangered pangolin, unfortunately the most trafficked mammal in the world. I savored the fresh memories of fishing in the great Zambezi, scanning the banks and cliffs for any flicker of movement that might behold some approaching creature. I glanced over to Cipriano Echezarreta who had thoughtfully been looking down upon the multitude of small scattered villages. As we shared a knowing grin, I could tell we thought the same thing—we actually did Africa!

I would like to give my immense thanks to the USPA for the YPO Grant and all they contribute towards youth polo, as well as the Tackeria, Casablanca, and PTF for continuously supporting my endeavors. •

USA’s Ava Hinkson, Cipi Echezarreta, Oliver Wieser and Augie Grotnik