Team USPA members Kylie Sheehan and Matt Collins with Gillian Johnston
There are times in a young polo player’s life that are life changing. Team USPA training in Wyoming is one of them. Thirteen Team USPA players of various stages of their career have gathered in Sheridan Wyoming to play in all pro games, umpire high goal polo and receive mentoring by professionals who are committed to the future of polo in the United States.
A regime of early rising, as the day begins at 6:30am, and typically includes either umpiring or playing in the 12 goal games at the Flying H Polo Club, or in the all pro games organized by Team USPA Director Kris Bowman and Team USPA Committee member, Jimmy Newman where the Team USPA players are coached daily by high goal professionals like Owen Rinehart, Hector Galindo, Tommy Wayman. Equally as ordinary, is bucking hay bales out of the pasture for their horses or grooming for one another at games and sharing in the cooking and cleaning chores at their house at the Box Cross Ranch.
“We are on the go non-stop”, says Devin Vass, a junior at Texas A&M, who was chosen to train with the team in Sheridan this summer. “We are exposed to so many contacts in the polo world that we would have never had a chance to meet in our normal polo life at home”. Matt Collins, a junior at Bowdin University and member of the Maryland Polo Club, was selected to play with Julio Arellano last week on the Flying H Team. “It was beyond my wildest dreams, says Collins. “To play with the highest rated American Player was such an honor.”
The six week training includes a series of lectures as well as hitting and riding clinics with some top notch horsemen. Polo Hall of Famers, Charles Smith (7)and Tommy Wayman (10) launched the clinic this year focusing on horsemanship and game strategies. The focus on riding and getting tips from these professionals will ensure that our talented players will have all of the skills necessary to achieve their highest handicap. Tink Elordi, a horse trainer from the school of the original horse whisperer, Tommy Dorrance, spends two full days training the players each summer. “The horse has no ego and wants a leader,” says Tink, “But he doesn’t want to be a slave either.” “All of the horses benefit from educating our riders, including the Team USPA donation string”, says Kris Bowman, Director of the Team USPA program.
It is not all about playing and riding though. All Team USPA players are required to obtain an umpire certification. In Wyoming the Flying H polo club and the Big Horn polo club trade the players’ dues for their umpiring prowess. The Team USPA members begin their training with Tom Gose, Umpire LLC Board of Directors and Rules Committee Chairman. This summer we were fortunate to have player/umpire, Shane Rice, to assist with the initial training. “I tried to get these new players to focus on two important things, consistency and safety”, says Rice, “Accidents are fouls too, be fair, but be severe whenever a horse is put in danger by a player”. After the initial umpire procedures lecture, then professional umpire Carlos Galindo spends several days in training with the new umpires. “We are particularly lucky to have 12 goal polo to train these players in all summer”, says Galindo. “Skey Johnston, owner of Flying H, and manager Jimmy Newman, take umpiring seriously and purchased headsets for us to use while out on the field. This takes the training to a whole new level!”
The culmination of the summer ends with the Archie MacCarty Tournament played on August 4th at the Flying H Polo Club’s main field. The Team USPA players will be placed on teams to strut their stuff and show what they have learned over the past six weeks of intensive training. What happens beyond that is up to each player. Some will return home and prepare for the next semester of college while others will continue the pursuit of their professional polo careers. No matter what their destiny, the end result is a much improved polo player who will be a welcome addition to any polo club in the United States.