By Alex Webbe
After five years of high-goal competition, the Skeeterville polo team has competed in its final season.
“Skeeterville will not be returning for the high-goal season next year,” said Skee Johnston, the architect and organization behind the Bendabout and Skeeterville teams and father of the late captain of the Skeeterville team, S. K. Johnston, III.
“We’ll (Skeeterville) bring a couple guys out west (Big Horn, Wyoming) this summer, but the high-goal team is done,” he said.
Following the loss of its team captain and leader Skeeter Johnston in a polo accident on April 5, 2007, the Skeeterville team returned to the International Polo Club in Wellington for one last appearance with Skeeter’s nephew Will Johnston taking his place in the lineup
The team amassed a 5-2 record after appearances in semifinals in both tournaments before reloading for the 26-goal competition.
Bringing in another former 10-goaler in Adam Snow, the team managed to stick with its theme of fielding an All-American team in pursuit of America’s most prestigious polo trophies.
Skeeterville had a 1-1 record in the single elimination C. V. Whitney Cup, losing in the semifinals to finalist Las Monjitas, 8-7.
With its teamwork improving, Skeeterville managed to make its way into the finals of the USPA Piaget Gold Cup with a 2-1 record before losing to Las Monjitas by a 12-7 margin.
Skeeterville rebounded from its loss in the Gold Cup by scoring wins over Zacara and Isla Carroll before falling to Pony Express 11-8 in US Open play.
The Skeeterville team got its name from “Skeeter” Johnston’s Wyoming ranch, which he capriciously named Skeeterville. Changing the name of his polo team from Everglades to Skeeterville.
A fierce competitor and an avid polo player, Skeeter Johnston partnered with International Polo Club founder, John Goodman, in establishing the North American Polo League, a professional polo league. With eight teams competing in five different tournaments, the goal was to increase awareness and understanding of this exciting equestrian game by attracting larger numbers of spectators through tournaments and television coverage.
Unfortunately Skeeter died before he could inject his tireless energy into the promotion of the league.
More importantly for many young American players may be the fact that Skeeter was a huge supporter of American polo. For years he took great pride in using top American players to compete with the many imported professionals, with the demise of the Skeeterville team this year there will be some top talent looking for new homes.
Former 10-goaler Owen Rinehart had a wonderful season this year. Now carrying a 7-goal handicap, Rinehart remains one of the best –mounted players in the game. Recently honored for having the best string in high-goal polo last year, his consummate professionalism and seemingly endless supply of top flight mounts (Owen operates his own breeding operation and has been mounting himself for years) that include Best Playing Ponies Cortina, Pip Squeak, Paprica, Jezabelle and Raptor. Rinehart shouldn’t be out of work for long.
Nine-goaler Adam Snow is another former ten-goal player who will be picked up by some savvy sponsor. Bolstered by a string of ponies that are the envy of many, Snow’s string also boasts a number of Best Playing Ponies in Amy, Chloe, Hale Bopp, Indrea, Puba and Spy. Both Rinehart and Snow boast a long list of international competitions. Rinehart played for the US in the Camacho Cup, the Westchester Cup and the Coronation Cup. Snow participated a Westchester Cup in 1992 and is hoping that the US will resurrect international competitions that will allow him to represent the United States again. Junior to Rinehart and Snow, Julio Arellano played on the only US tam to capture the FIP World Championship as well as the last Westchester Cup team. A deadly accurate penalty shooter, the talented 8-goaler also arrives on the field with a string of international caliber horses that include Best Playing Ponies Aladdin, Chocolate, Malia, Baloo and Kilaminjara.
The loss of Skeeterville from the high-goal ranks was followed by Crab Orchard as team captain George Rawlings indicated following the recent Open win that he would probably be playing medium goal polo next year.
If that is the case, it would mean that the struggling North American Polo League will shrink from eight teams to just six for the balance of the 2008-2009 playing calendar, and make the promotion of a professional polo league even more difficult for its members.