As we travel into the 6th month of ’07 on the Gold Coast it has been a very dry year for the grass and Polo. It is common to have little grass with no rain, but then the fields keep growing because we can irrigate them and fertilize them. We can grow fields, but we have not learned how to grow polo player. There is supposed to be a really up economy with the market at all time highs now, but somehow West Coast Polo is like the real estate market. It is just very dead. We know the real estate market will turn around as the population grows, but what about polo? San Diego seems to be growing with lots of players, lots of horses and lots of fun. It is the same in Petaluma, CA. Polo is growing more than ever in England with 22 teams in the Gold Cup. It is easily the most expensive polo in the World, its only 22-goal and it rains there often. Florida has 15 teams in the 26-goal and the weather is always a risk, yet here in California, where there is seldom a canceled or postponed game, very good weather and millions of people and dollars, we have only 4 teams in Santa Barbara’s 20-Goal. There were only 5 teams in Indio, CA for their high goal league this past winter. The truth is we are building more polo fields than we are Patrons in these places. Why?
While you answer that question I will let you know the latest results from San Diego Polo Club. They have had 2 weeks of Pro Pool and it was Lisa Bosstick and Ellen Greenhill smoking through the first weekend and taking the trophy. It was Silent Chris Maloney and Ziggy “Wild Bill Ziering” blowing through the 2nd one. In Santa Barbara it was Nicoma taking the first tournament win. On Sunday it was Long Beach and a hard-riding foursome coming back in the 6th and taking the silver from Los Toros/Klentner in the final chukker. Now its on to the 3rd Tournament as all 4 teams look to play this Friday and Sunday for chances for the # 3 win. There are 6 teams in the pro pool in San Diego and 5 more teams in the Margarita League which is moving very well. Lets hear from the natives of California as to why we have no polo in Santa Barbara this Summer and Indio this last Winter? Is the age destroying these clubs or is it the World is changing and they are NOT?
See ya