The Polo Report
By Steve Crowder
Jan. 21, ’10
The Mac Brothers Jr. and Mini (Fred and Julian Mannix) are rolling in 2010 as they fly into the Finals of the Joe Barry in Florida.
Just 12 months ago on this weekend, Julian Mannix was at Eldorado Polo Club playing in the finals of the 12-goal and 8-goal. Today, he is on his way to the finals of a 20-goal tournament as the Hawks of Calgary meet Santa Barbara – England-based Zacara. Zacara’s Team is lead by former California polo-star Jeff Hall. Its kind of funny if you think back to 1993. Jeff Hall and Fred Mannix, Jr. were two of the first Pee wee Polo players (there were 8 in total that year) at Eldorado Polo. The Pee Wee/Junior program was started by Joe Barry and others players at Eldorado. Now 17 years later they are meeting on the fields of the International Polo Club in West Palm Beach, Florida for the Joe Barry Memorial. Joe died a couple of years ago of a heart attack and was one of the best American Players as well as one of the most popular players on this planet. It is quite a tribute to see this happen and it must be a magic moment for the Big Mac, aka Mr. Fred Mannix, who led Fish Creek to every tournament finals ever held in Indio at one time or another for two decades. I hope they do well, but I work for Zacara so it will be ok either way I guess.
Polo in the desert will NOT happen this weekend . . . I am told. California is getting rain for the first time in 5 years, but it is all coming at once. It may not seem like a lot if your from Houston, TX, but if you get 4 inches a year for 4 years and get 12 in one week, well it is WET even out here. If you are in California watch football and in Florida GO TO POLO.
See ya
This just goes to prove the point that if you start them young and daddy has a large or small fortune we can produce polo players, but for the rest of us it is just a dream with a lot of stalls to muck.
Do I detect some bitterness?
Regardless of how they got there, they are both good players, very good players.
I don’t for a second believe its solely because their families bought their ability to play the game. All the money in the world won’t make a high goal player.
There have been and will be those who didn’t get the chance to become what they might have, but please don’t down play the talent of both of the afforementioned. Money or no money they’ve got game.
Making it as a high goal player comprises of 3 crucial things.
First is ability and drive to succeed, second is the ability to come up with good horses and understanding how to do that on a dime or a dollar…and it can be done on a dime, I did it. Third is hoping to be in the right place at the right time. Remember success is defined when preparedness meets opportunity. Some have had the opportunity but simply weren’t ready.
Others have been ready but didn’t get the chance.
But again I reiterate money doesn’t equal a highgoal player.
They are all difficult with or without money, but noone gets to 7 or 8 goals simply because they have money.
DAS I hope that you are training as many young players as you can in your home area because without people of your talent and opportunities that you have had, we will not continue to be able to read about the likes of these young and up coming players. We need to continue to bring in young players and give them the knowledge that was available to you when you were young. We are seeing a real drop in young players getting the opportunity to play with higher rated players, thank goodness the USPA is giving these young players the chance this winter to train with pros because without the best giving back, we will not see the talent rise to the level of the young players listed above. Thanks to Joe Barry, Steve Crowder and Art Cameron for encouraging these young players with the pee wee program who now are at the top of their games playing with the best. Graham Bray, Mike Conant and Marcello Caset, Joe Henderson, and Julio Zavaleta also gave much to these young players, but now we have no high goal pro training them in the pee wee polo here in CA. These boys are good and deserve the credit but would they be there without having the luck to have all three things it takes to get there? Call it bitter if you want I call it a reality that it does take money to provide a young person with talent the opportunity to learn from a pro and achieve the higher levels of the game. No one does it on a dime; how much did that dime cost your parents? For those with no money, no chance to play with pros, and no horses how can they become players who play at the highest level?
Due to being one of the best your paving the road for others with talent will only help the next generation to achieve what these two capable young men have achieved.
Pologroom,
No money, no horses and no access indeed equals no high goal pro.
As unfortunate as it is, the desire isn’t enough.
I like you am glad to see the USPA is starting to put some money in the right place as it relates to promoting young players. All that matters is that they are at least trying to run with it in the right direction.
And you are right, more right then I initially gave you credit for…its next to impossible to become a high goal pro in this country without some help. Even then, chances are not with you.
My initial comment was merely NOT to take anything away from the talent of the aforementioned individuals regardless of where they came from. They are good players.
I have known you to be an asset to everyone that reads and posts on this website, and please keep doing so. Its the questions and issues that are raised here and ultimately debated here that help the entire polo community learn more, myself included.