ELDORADO POLO 2009
Here is a little history about polo. Until the 1930’s Polo was the Sport of Kings. Around this time polo players began to have no one to play with, so they began playing with grooms and trainers. That’s when pros first became part of the Sport of King’s. For the first 100 years of polo everyone rode a horse or walked and the rich had the best horses. They played polo and their sons played polo and that was just how life was. Since that time it has been the rich kids who got cars first. They forgot about riding and they had little desire to ride. This created an opening for other people to play the game. Then the depression hit and that’s when polo became the king of sports. It created a small polo community within the game and that’s the way it is has been since the dirty 30’s. Polo is a game of fun, competition, families, friends and truly a sport of King’s. However, there are a few people in Indio who do want it to become the Sport of King’s again, and with the economy once again being close to a depression era, we are now reversing. The unfortunate thing is when Hitchcock the Whitney’s and Phipps’s switched it, at least they played polo and were active in the polo community. The people making the decisions now do not even play, so it is unclear what their program is and what their agenda is. I believe that they feel the other people in the infrastructure of polo should find a new life outside of polo because they still have money and they don’t seem to care.
With that said, lets have a look at the Desert in 2009. Yes, it is a bit slow and deserted, but the fields are green and the Cantina is clean. Those are the positives, but with the economy being the way it is the club needs some help and it has to come from the club owners. Many of the club owners no longer play polo and they are probably not aware of the disconnect between management and members. Polo is a very expensive sport and hobby, but so are many other sports and hobbies. Jet airplanes are expensive and like all things it becomes supply and demand and now there are lots of jets for sale from Ca. to Tulsa to Boca Raton.
Most people realize the expense involved and Polo is very dependent on rich people, which is why it has been able to continue as a sport. However, the current economic crisis has monetarily affected everyone from the Billionaires down to hourly workers. Most businesses are pulling back, lowering prices and trying to stay upright at the present time. We are seeing this in Palm Beach, Sarasota, Tampa and at the Outback Polo Club, but not in Eldorado. Like the recent report in Backhander where it states we are getting backhanded by the people who run clubs, with the attitude of pay more or leave. That is certainly not what Carlton Beal, Henry Trione and most of the original founders were thinking. The way it is now is like this . . . we did not finish our sale (the club fell out of contract) so lets get it back from the people who play this game starting immediately. Why?
We have new and young people ready to step up and help the club despite the way it is now with very weak economy, but these players/supporters are being gouged to the point that they will not return next season. As of today there are 5 teams playing in the leagues without a Patron. Patron Jenny L. from Cottrell Farms, who is paying the club in excess of 60 or 70 grand to play is now injured and out for January. Julian Mannix who is paying for and supporting 3 teams is also not able to play in January. If they were not nice people and supporters of polo they would have said adios to EDPC. But they support the infrastructure of grooms, trainers, pros, shoers, feed providers and the Cantina.
It’s a tough time right now and it means people are saving their money and trying to enjoy other things just as much. We (the polo community) must try to ensure that players do not leave polo during these critical times. It will be the death of the game that Kings played, not the King of games that we have had.
The club’s land is not going to be worth the mega millions it was in the last few years, so lets make it a nice place to be and resume the camaraderie and fun until the next time its for sale. It has been proven things could be fixed and we should allow someone to use the solutions to build it back up. I cannot understand why so much money, effort and time was spent to try and improve things and then allow people to be chased away. With the attitude and the way things are being run now nobody is going to win. If they want a medal for what they have done fine we will find them one, but take a look in the mirror and you shall see what has been done.
Really.
– Approx. 900 empty stalls
– 10 teams above 4-goal and two of them are from La Quinta Polo Club and one is only in because La Quinta teams are here making it a more competitive league. Two teams are without Patrons (they are on the injured list or have other commitments).
– 20 people in The Cantina on Friday night
Why? Use that mirror.