The Polo Report
By Steve Crowder
As Americans in the USA we sometimes fail to see just where we are and what we are doing to our own Polo.
As in other sports such as NASCAR, very few enter. Polo, baseball, soccer, hockey and Indy racing are worldwide
sports and often many of the big events are in America. Polo and Soccer are the two sports that seem to get very little push by our sports federation. Obviously soccer is a million times bigger than Polo even in the U.S., but in many ways similar. Millions of kids play soccer in America, so some would be really good. The young players see there is not much future here for them and drop out early most before middle school. In polo we do not have millions or even thousands … maybe a 100 young players all across the Nation. They know early there is little future for them here in the USA. There is some motion to improve this, but it is not concentrated or sponsored by our own leaders. Why? The Sponsors or Patrons want the best and their window is small. It is approximately 10 years or so before they can compete financially or physically at this level. You cannot really blame them, but this is why we have associations to protect and build from within. And yes it will harm some current patrons and Sponsors, but it has to happen to bring our youth into the mix. I know we do not like to be led by the Motherland (aka UK), but they did it and look what they have … a major participation of home boys in both sports. In the tournaments, 16 of the pros are English and others have Euro passports which was a bit of a downer for some more English Players to get in, but they at least made a step to get it done and it worked. Our Leaders always have some excuses for it’s Members. We will lose teams. It is not the American way.
Well that is true. It is not the American way. Look how well we have done giving billions to Iraq, Iran, Pakistan Africa and on and on. They all really appreciate it! Count the body bags coming home. Just imagine if we cut them off. It would be like a bird feeder cut it off and they really mess up your yard for a day or two. In a day or two they will go away for the next free meal and it is all because it is convenient and easy. It is the same as polo. It is much easier to hire a cousin or friend already well up the ladder than support a local, who has to pay taxes to live in our economy and make their own horses. The Association is giving the young people of the sport some support to learn, but they are not helping at the next level which is get to a job where they can buy horses and rigs. This has to be done to make it work. We must barter, in my opinion, not only in polo but for everything you need . If you need a 1000 barrels of oil buy the same value in Corn or whatever. It seems simple. I know it is not, but being America has gone too far. We are not taking the premium we are taking the laborers and most are illegal, so that is great for what? Building a company is not easy, but it always takes the same thing … quality, quantity and then you have a business. Profit is always a result of cost. Polo is the same for the Pro as there is no chance for a patron to call it a business to make money YET. So really it is what will it cost me?
Is PLAYING POLO PRACTICAL? Who is to say what is practical? Dictionary-((intended to be useful or suitable, not just fashionable or attractive)) so where do you fit in? Obviously if you can afford to play polo you can afford not to. Those of us who make a living in polo need the patrons. Patrons do not need us. This is why polo will always be the way it is. A perfect example of practical is a very smart man from Canada who wanted to learn to play polo one time and became a very good Patron and Player. The first time I talked to him about polo I thought this is not practical. I asked him what kind of horses he liked? He said and this, and it is actually practical I guess … ” I do not like horses they are just a vehicle to do something I think I want to do.” As cold as it seems, however, he became more interested in his horses than probably 90 % of patrons I know. So nobody knows and in POLO nothing is local and for sure not practical at home or globally.
Politics are never far away as it is a human idea and a very weird set. Politics changes from country to country even circuit to circuit with a lot of variables. What level? What area? When? Where? Why? It happens everywhere and everyday. Just recently a team won the U.S. Open for 2 years in a row. Last year they were not raised in handicap and the team they beat was. This year two were raised yet the best player for his handicap was not. It is not one person doing this, but a network working somewhere in our polo system. WHY I would like to know myself?
At the moment the U.K. is home of the best polo and U.S. Open winners Zacara are in the semis as well as Mr. C as in Cambiaso and Dubai. They meet again and one will head to the finals where they will meet either Cortium and Lucas James or El Ramanso and George Hanbury and Pelon Sterling, so should be exciting. The party town as in San Diego Polo got started last week and Santa Barbara, Mashomack, Greenwich and Meadowbrook are all in action as we speak. Houston is down to a week left.
see ya