However if you do not change Polo you may as well burn the Barn and build a rental unit and try to pay the taxes.
Polo is being killed by big bucks and cost and yes there are a few willing to do it but in reality they should buy a baseball,football or soccer team because today the Patrons hit 5 balls a game in the big Polo, why they really are not a big part of the team without there checkbook they would be in the stands like the rest of us . Why ? It is simple> Money talks during the recession the money men took over and I know as I was involved in one organization that used it . Things were tough for 98 % of all involved with Polo but if you had cash you could load up on best Horses and Players grooms trainers just the way it was and a few who could and wanted to DID and you know who they are. This was when Polo changed for the second time in my life in Polo. There are a lot of People in Polo who can afford the same as those who are BUT they will not be on a team that they are not part of, PERIOD.
The reason Polo was called The King of Sports and the Sport of Kings IS it was only sport Patrons actually participated in unlike owning a Football ,Soccer, Basketball team or even a Racehorse they were involved on the field. THAT IS GONE IN BIG POLO ! PERIOD. Does it have to be NO . WHY? Look at this :
Change the Game, An Argentine Pro has the best idea I have heard and so simple .
A. Ever player has 6 horses and 1 spare if problem for 6 chukker game
1. Nobody can run full out for 7 minutes so what happens
a. he has to pass ball and play team Polo
B. How does this help?
1. 6 to 8 horses all the time vs 16 does what ?
a. Eliminates 1 groom , 1 extra living expense,1/2 feed,shoeing,stabling,stalls,Vet,shavings
1. 1/2 the cost of a pro because now he does not have to carry such a load so Patron pays 1/2 the price all
around and becomes part of the team and enjoys the game immediately, because now he does not hear take
the Man LEAVE IT.
c. We have plenty of Polo Patrons who can afford what the new ones are paying but they want there bang for the buck
and that is being part of a team and playing the game, not hiring 3 pros and watching.
D. USPA needs to understand that the new people in polo are not interested in just being figure heads for the most
part they would like to compete and enjoy the comrade that Polo used to have and they thought they would.
E. Also the USPA must start to help Americans be a part of the game just like Soccer they spend a lot of money but
do not finish it. We have no protection for young Polo Players so they leave the sport because why starve when
you do not have to? They may not like English rules but they have built a pretty good number of High goal
players and well they are bigger than Texas but not much. Much like our US soccer Team there is no where to go
so they leave. We do an amazing job of building Polo productions around the World and help NO Americans . The
Late Sunny Hale is responsible for more than 40 % of new players and many Patrons as they are all Ladies.
Think about it no more Busch’s, Uihlien’s, Orthweins, Walkers,Mannix’s, Texans there are a lot who could play but this is not Polo for them they are players and have no intention of being a Patron spectator. So think about it USPA if we were getting 10 foreign Patrons sponsoring teams here I would say your right but you are not YOU are killing POLO and that is the way I see it .
see ya