The Polo Report
by Steve Crowder
Tell me why you would not come to Indio o play polo? We do not have 20-goal polo and not even 1- goal, but we could have if you wanted it. We have it all … inexpensive polo, many amazing fields, large Sunday Polo crowds, tons of sand and so much to do when you are’t playing polo. Come out and try it for one weekend and you will forget about the East Coast. The desert is the place to be in the Winter. It is absolutely a spectacular place for polo. They don’t have rain outs, 2 tournament games a week, one practice and you can work and play. Games can all be from Friday to Sunday with a practice any day but Monday. The fields are fast and patrons love it because you can always hit the ball. We have two polo clubs side-by-side. Together they feature over 20 fields in less than 2 square miles. You do not need a truck if you prefer to just walk to the fields at either side.
EMPIRE POLO look it up. You have never seen a nicer Polo Club. It beautiful. El Dorado, owned by music giant Goldenvoice has great fields as well and a it may be a little less spectacular, but they will take care of you like they want you. Both clubs offer to make the Patron as happy as he can be. It is guaranteed you can play all the polo you want and still do your 9 to 5 if you need to.
Stabling, feed and groom quarters will be a small part of the budget in comparison to the east coast. You could probably fly NetJet with what you save. If you do not believe me, look it up – Empire Polo Club.
Click here to view their tournament schedule. Click here to view their membership fees, etc. soon so you can see and remember you will play two tournament games a week, no worry .
The polo world down south, like all the way in Argentina, it was La Dolfina and Ellerstina headed to another finals. It loks like La Dolfina and Adolfo Cambiaso took to the whip and clobbered Fearless Fred and Algeria. It was Elle and the Pieres thrashing La Aquada. They have a quarters, but baring a miracle we will see a repeat of last 9 or 10 finals. It will be different this time as now we can see Elerstina can win, but I think the Adolfo Cambiaso combo may be out to prove a point. They did win 13 in a row for a reason and they are 40-goals, so we shall see.
Here state side, it has been a great fall season for a few Desert Rats. Jared Sheldon, Jesse Bray and Jason Crowder have all been very successful in Florida. Jason and Jared won the last 2 and Jessee a couple earlier. This is the Grand Champions Polo Club, which has been a big help to U.S. Polo as the Ganzis, Melissa and Marc, have made it possible for many young American Players to thrive in a very weak season. I want to say THANK YOU to them. We could have a West Coast team called the J’s if you want to sponsor it … Jared 4 Jason 6 Jessie 5 Joseph 4 and they will RUN. Let us know we will book it.
POLO in the USA needs help and I know there are ideas out there.Lets hear them! We know IPC maybe gone soon. We know Grand Champions is growing. We know The 26- goal is withering. We know the cost of Polo is becoming ridiculous. WHY? The chance to win takes a monstrous program in today’s world, but our Association could help this with a few simple rules, where it is not just the checkbook. This takes out some very good Patrons, who just do not think it is worth it. The cost can be huge even if you are very RICH .
A simple solution was recently presented by a very good polo player and educated mind named Javier Tanoria. The ideas are simple… cut the cost and stop the bleeding. The cost is ruining the game for new people .
- Restrict horses per game to 4 for four chukars and 6 for 6 chukars. This cuts expenses for pros and patrons NOW. It will improve the game, increase team polo to win or enjoy as there is not a spare every 2 minutes.
- Delete throw ins except game start. If you score you knock in. If you do not they knock in.
- Ball goes over boards or out of bounds … if you hit out other team hits from there.
- There will be some other ideas to add to this I am sure, but his will cut the cost of 15 horses, 3 grooms and so many extras at the games. These changes will cut costs which will cut pros costs immediately. This will be passed on or they get passed over.
- Require 3 Americans on all teams 20 -goal and under and 2 required in all above if it continues to exist.
- Lower US OPEN to 22-Goals with Javier’s ideas included.
We have made some big mistakes lately and our polo has become polo for all but our people. New players have nowhere to go and leave. If it weren’t for female players, we would be down 20% maybe on new people in the game in the USA. Everywhere you go there are not young Americans like the Siebers, Carney, Blakes, Galindos, Olivas, Rinehart,Barry’s and so on. They are all foreign and the young Americans are going another way because they cannot afford to play and stay in the game. They never get the chance.
The USPA program is helping but not the way it should they need to key on Players who cannot get started right because they are not already Polo families and unfortunately it seems to be helping many who do not need it . The worst part is they get them to two goals then dump them. This is where I feel is the worst of it. They have no horses, no money and they probably will not have a job because the USPA does not protect them for the future. Patrons take a player ,who can get it all this from his Dad, uncle or cousin who is here and already with them. True they will be cheaper early, but it will be a short time before they are playing patrons horses and using their equipment and groom and then how cheap are they?
This is just my opinion and we all have one, so lets hear your opinion too!
See ya.