By Alex Webbe
http://www.polo101.com 

Imagine a ball hit so hard that it is coming at you at a speed of 110 miles per hour!  The ball is moving so fast you can hardly see it.  Your job is to stay at a gallop, get your horse in line with this flash of white and either pass it ahead to a teammate or carry the ball down the field for an attempt at a goal.

This is polo as played by some of the greatest athletes in the world.  Today the game is played in more than 80 countries and enjoyed by more than 50 million people each year.  In countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Australia and Great Britain, championship matches draw crowds rivaling and many times exceeding those at football and basketball games in the United States.

Polo is a goal game played on horseback and, in its fundamental principles, one of the most ancient of games.  It is thought to be several thousand years old, originating in Persia, and came to the United States via England one hundred and thirty years ago courtesy of James Gordon Bennett, the American publisher and sportsman.  Impressed by the games he had seen at the Hurlingham Club in London, on his return to America, Bennett brought along a supply of polo balls and mallets.  Texas cow ponies were brought to New York, and that winter, 1876, indoors at Dickel’s Riding Academy, several people learned to hit and ride for polo.  The next summer, 1877, they went to Jerome Park Racetrack, north of New York City, and played outdoors.

Arena polo

Outdoors, polo is played between four man teams on a polo field 300 yards long and 160 yards wide.  There are goals at each end line, spaced eight yards apart.  Players carry slender handled mallets and attempt to hit the ball through the goal posts.  Each goal counts one point.  The outdoor ball, of hard white plastic, is a little over 3” in diameter.  The ball is stroked with the side of the head, not the end as in croquet.  The game is played in six chukkers (periods) of seven-and-one-half minutes.

Played under practically the same rules, arena polo differs from outdoor polo in five major respects: three players instead of four; four chukkers instead of six; smaller enclosed field (110 by 50 yards); playing surface of clay, sand and topsoil; leather-covered inflatable ball instead of a wooden ball.

There are rules in a polo game against riders leading their horses into the paths of other players and horses, but collisions are merely one of the game’s hazards.  Both the horse and the rider run the risk of losing their balance, falling to the turf, and sometimes breaking bones.  However, injuries to ponies and riders are few.  The ball, although hard, is too light to inflict much damage; mallets are less stoutly made than appears to be the case, and even a vigorous accidental blow is unlikely to break a bone.  For protection, the players wear helmets and knee guards while the horses’ legs are well wrapped to prevent any injuries.

All players registered with the United States Polo Association are given a handicap by the association.  The handicapping system, in effect a ranking list, is based on a natural estimate of the number of goals a player is worth to his team.  His handicap has nothing to do with his expected scoring in a game.  It is based on horsemanship, team play, knowledge of the game, hitting ability, game sense and quality of horses.  For instance, a handicap of 10-goals, which is the highest ever given, implies a player of the greatest talents and in constant practice.  The lowest handicap possible is -2, and is usually carried by the beginning player.  A high rating is so difficult to attain that 90% of the US players are rated at 2-goals or below.

Although in international competition, thoroughbreds are used, the only criteria for the selection of a polo pony are that it should be both large enough to carry its rider without loss of pace and small enough to be handy.  Because the game is very hard on the ponies, no horse plays two successive chukkers, and at the highest level of play, each player rides at least six horses in the course of a six chukker game-many times using twice that number and changing on the fly in the middle of a period.

Today there are over 200 active polo clubs and approximately 3,600 members registered with the United States Polo Association.  California has the largest population of registered polo players in the country. A significant number of polo players travel to the desert each winter to play polo.

More information about the sport of polo …

About Polo Horses
About Polo Players and Teams
The History of Polo

http://www.tacomapoloclub.com/clinics.htm

I am on the right, riding Oakdale Polo Club mare Jojo. On the left is teammate Fiona McBride-Lumen riding gelding Red.

Some people ride pony club; some ride polo.  I do both.  My name is Katie Webb, and I’m a C-1 rated member of Bear Creek Pony Club, from the Middle California region.  I’m 18 years old and I have been riding horses since I was nine.  My favorite pony club disciplines are mounted games, western, polocrosse, and stadium jumping.  I also ride trail, dressage, bareback, gymkhana, and cross-country.  I have even tried a little vaulting, and I plan to try sidesaddle and cattle sorting in the near future.  However, I have already found my one true love: polo.

15 May 2010, my pony club participated in a polo clinic in Oakdale, CA, put on by the Polo Training Foundation’s Wilbur O’Ferral.  Ever since the clinic, I’ve been hooked.  I joined, and was part of the formation of, the Oakdale Polo Club’s interscholastic team.  I ride in Oakdale (1.5 hours away from my house) at least one day out of every weekend, and I take polo lessons from Stanford polo team alumnus Jeff Heeder about once a week at North Gait Equestrian Center in Walnut Creek, CA.  I most certainly plan on playing intercollegiate polo next year; it is too fun not to.

As I ride both for pony club and for polo, I have noticed that the two disciplines complement each other quite well.  The basic balanced position taught by pony club has kept me in the polo saddle on countless occasions.  My rallying experience has helped me to handle the pressure of equestrian competition, although, I do still need to get used to all the shouting from the stands.  I imagine that will take a while.  Perhaps the most important thing I can apply to polo from pony club is horse management: pony club safety procedures, equine first aid, and checklists are all rather helpful when dealing with multiple – sometimes unfamiliar – horses.

Moreover, polo has helped with my pony club riding.  I have always been a rather timid rider. Perhaps it comes with being a naturally quiet person.  In polo, however, one has to be loud and assertive in order to communicate with the team and to deal with potentially difficult horses.  Since I have started playing polo, I have been able to handle much hotter horses than I would have previously felt comfortable working with.  These high-energy horses, in turn, have taught me to be strong and assertive, to be the “boss mare” (no questions asked), and to become more refined in my aids.

This year was my first time playing in interscholastic regionals, and as part of a really new team, I had no idea what to expect.  When I arrived in Indio for the competition, I fell in love with the palm trees and the simple desert landscape.  The arenas were beautiful.  My team did not play until the third game on the first day, so our assigned work duties were scheduled during the first game.  We only had to bring the fresh strings of horses to the arena, hand-walk horses to cool them down between chukkers, and help with the hosing of horses at the end of the game.  Then, we could watch some of the play.  I used this time to study to learn how to better my game.  It was really interesting to learn how different fouls appear to an observer versus a rider.  I also was a bit surprised to see most riders using some combination of whip and spurs; I had not practiced at all with either.

Then it was time for our game.  As we had to drive nine hours to get to the tournament, it was highly impractical to bring our horses.  So, a special thanks goes out to Poway Polo Club, who supplied horses for us to use.  Our first game was actually against Poway, so the entire game consisted of their horses.  They totally creamed us 13 to 3, but it was way fun though: as our team’s third official game ever, I don’t think we did so bad.

After the game, we helped out some other teams some more, got to know some more people, and then sat down to watch the last game of the day.  I really enjoyed listening to the coaches; they each had their own personal insight on the plays, and I wanted to see how each style worked against the others.  As I was listening to Lakeside coach Billy Sheldon and Santa Barbara coach John Westley shouting encouragement and instructions, I was attempting to absorb every word by osmosis.  Then, it started to rain.  Luckily, the game was able to be completed before it was too wet to ride.  However, there was a deluge that night, so the status of all games the next day (especially the consolation games) became questionable.

Early the next morning, my mom received a text message from our coach, Shauna Rico, summoning us to go to a team meeting.  The arena was flooded.  We arrived at the meeting, and the coaches and officials left to discuss what to do: they knew we wanted to play; it was regionals, after all.  My team waited at the table, looking over photos from the previous day.

Suddenly, Shauna returned: “There is an arena we can use; the footing is still good after the rain.  It just hasn’t been used in a few years.”  Next thing we knew, everybody (players, officials, coaches, and parents) was working in an old polo arena, clearing weeds and garbage and scorpions and praying mantises out and installing makeshift gates.  There was a large puddle (perhaps petit pond) in one end of the middle of the ring; people set to work pumping, sweeping, scooping, even raking water out.  Then Mr. Billy Sheldon made an outstanding sacrifice: he hitched his brand new, seven-day-old gorgeous clean car to two wooden railroad ties wrapped up in wire fencing.  Then, he dragged the arena with it.  The rig worked really well; the mud was drying up.  Even the tractor brought in to relieve the car was not as efficient as the hand-made spreader.

By the afternoon, games had begun.  The footing was a bit slushy, but it was decided that it was safe to ride in.  The ball did get stuck in the mud a few times, but it was a fair price to pay to be able to play, and I heard not one complaint.  We played in the fourth and final match of the day against Santa Barbara’s Polo Team.  I certainly felt tiny playing against the boys; they’re so tall, all they had to do to ride me off was to lean down.  (I’m certainly glad college polo isn’t co-ed!)  Anyway, they were all very nice and that game was so much fun, just like the first one.  Only the last chukker of our game had to be canceled due to darkness.

Sunday, the third day, was championship day.  It was time to decide who was going to nationals: El Dorado, the defending national champion team, or Poway Polo Club.  The main arena was still unusable, so the championship game was in the arena we all prepared.  After an intense and exciting game, Poway took the title.  A new team would go to nationals this year.

I feel honored to have been able to ride such wonderful horses and meet such awesome players and riders at this tournament.  It is a memory that will remain with me forever.  That weekend was such an amazing experience; I can’t wait for college polo next year!

A soft white ball is used in arena polo.

Arena Polo is played with three players per team in an enclosure that measures approximately 100 yards in length and 50 yards in width. Walls are suggested to be no less than 4’ in height.

A regulation game consists of four chukkers/periods of seven and one-half minutes each. Riders change horses at the end of each chukker/period.

The basic rules of the game are similar to those in field polo, and are concerned with the safety of the horses and riders.  Right-of-way, and line of the ball are two phrases that will be explained to you by the announcer.  In the meantime, sit back and enjoy the action.

Arena Polo does not require the large number of horses to play that Outdoor/Grass Polo demands. Many players use two horses, alternating horses each chukka/period. The Arena Polo ball is similar to a mini soccer ball, larger than the small hard plastic ball used outdoors.

While the larger size gives the new player confidence in learning to hit the ball, proper technique is necessary because the arena game is played on a dirt surface with the ball bouncing on the uneven surface and off the arena wall.

Arena Polo can be played either indoors or outdoors, days or nights under lights and weather permitting, all year around. Many clubs only play Arena Polo due to the high cost of maintaining grass fields and the smaller field size required. Arena Polo Clubs usually have a school/student program with horses for rent to student players learning the proper way to play the game, the rules of play and proper riding techniques.

Arena Polo is extremely exciting, with many changes in direction, fast action and a great spectator sport. Arena Polo can be an excellent introduction to polo and many of the players start in the Arena. With a qualified instructor, a new player can quickly learn proper hitting techniques and improve riding skills. With the constant change of direction of play in the arena, the player learns to recognize and properly enter the line and right of way, change from offense to defense and the need for team play. By playing in a confined arena, players feel more secure and with the ball rebounding off the arena walls, a player has more opportunities to hit the ball. Horses, while moving with quick bursts of speed, are more under control. Players are taught proper team play, how to hit a pass to teammates, and to learn to anticipate opponent’s plays and strategies.

The arena at Empire Polo Club.

Indoor Training Arena

Tom Goodspeed has just announced the launch of    http://www.polotom.com and the “Grand Opening “of his private polo training center, Polo University (Polo U) in Mukwonago, Wisconsin the summer of 2011. Polo University’s summer location is operating out of High Meadow Farm (HMF). HMF is 33 breathtaking acres just to the west of the city of Milwaukee and has an indoor arena with attached barn, clubhouse, viewing area, small outdoor training field, outdoor ring, 4 miles of riding trails, paddocks, pasture, and hitting cage. The farm is just down the road from the Milwaukee Polo Club, which has 3 full-sized outdoor fields. HMF is just as much a resort/retreat as it is a training center with a gorgeous main house that includes an indoor swimming pool. 12 person hot tub, fitness center, massage room, and incredible guest accommodations including the luxurious “Palermo Suite”.

The Mission Statement:

Our only goal at Polo U is to help U score more of them.

Polo University offers private, group, and team training/coaching for all age groups. Find out all the details on http://www.polotom.com

Tom Goodspeed is well documented as one of this sport’s top instructors and coaches. He has produced the five dvd  “Polo Basics” series which has become the reference manual for the sport of polo. In his own words, “My life long passion overwhelmed me the first time I struggled aboard that rental horse at the age of 11 at Joy Farm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. That was over 4 decades ago and I haven’t managed to come up for air yet..”

Goodspeed breaks the complicated game of polo into comprehensible components and has developed entertaining drills to strengthen player skill levels in just a few sessions.”

Polo U is a life long realized dream of being able to come back “home” and to continue helping others improve their play. Polo U is targeted at all age groups, anyone who wants to take a few days or a few weeks to fully focus on improving their skills package.  HMF offers U your very own private slice of paradise. The farm has a million places to escape the million things on your mind and allow you to fully focus on improving your game with Goodspeed’s proven hands-on approach.

Polo U is Polo Immersion. From the moment you step off the plane, you will eat, drink, sleep, walk, talk, drill, ride, polo. This program is designed to get under the hood and find out what needs fixing and send you back home with the needed tools to do just that. There are no side agendas of selling horses, building membership rosters, or looking for playing jobs. Our only purpose at Polo U is to help U get better.

Visit http://www.polotom.com for a very impressive list of testimonials for further reference.

In addition to training information and a store, the website offers an ever changing “polo tidbit” as well as a “weekly polo tip”. There is an archive of tips by category as well as a syllabus that is a handy tool for anyone involved in teaching polo. The web site is packed with so much wonderful information that it is guaranteed to be bookmarked by players everywhere.

Sunday Polo at Empire Polo Club

Empire Polo Club Offers Sunday Polo
Jan. 9th – March 27th, 2011
Public Welcome

Empire Polo Club features Polo games open to the public every Sunday through March 27th.  Our Sunday games are at 12 & 2 PM.  A complimentary champagne divot stomp, hosted by Korbel California Champagne, is scheduled during halftime of the 2 PM featured match. Food and beverage concessions are on site and available during Sunday Polo.

General Admission: FREE
VIP Seats: $10 per person
Tables available with reservation (VIP rate)
Private Boxes available with reservation (VIP rate)

If you would like to reserve a VIP table or private box, please contact Tony Schieffer for rates and to make a reservation by calling 760-393-7298 or tonyschieffer@empirepolo.com.

For more information about Empire Polo Club please visit http://www.empirepolo.com.

Empire Polo Club
81-800 Ave. 51
Indio, CA 92201
tonyschieffer@empirepolo.com
Tel. 760-393-7298

A group of reporters covering the Duchess of York’s visit to Palm Beach Polo and Country Club earlier this year were passing the time in the press tent discussing the game of polo.  Most had never seen a polo match before and were curious about how it was played.  One of the journalists, who evidently had seen a game or two before, tried to describe it to his colleagues in terms they could easily understand.  “It’s a lot like hockey,” he explained, “except they can’t get the goaltender’s horse to flop down in front of the goal.”

Those of you who’ve tried explaining polo to the uninitiated may appreciate this guide to the origins of some of the sport’s more baffling customs, terminology and peculiarities.

Polo Pony

A horse that is fifty-eight inches or less is considered a pony, regardless of its breeding.  Originally, no horse higher than thirteen hands and two inches (fifty-four inches) was allowed to play in the game of polo.  Today there is no limitation, but naturally the smaller animals, provided they can carry the weight of the rider and are swift, are better.  Arabian blood and Quarter horse blood as well as Western Range horse blood usually produce the desired type.  The polo pony must be courageous, intelligent, sensitive (without being nervous or too high-strung), obedient, highly trained and must love the game.  Polo ponies, after they have had a little schooling, soon learn to follow the ball for themselves.

Why do the players wear white pants?

Like many polo traditions, this one can be traced back to India, where the game was played by nobility and later introduced to British army officers stationed there in the nineteenth century.  Competing in the intense heat, players preferred clothing that was light in weight and color.

We all know that jodhpurs, the tailored riding britches still worn by some players, took their name from the Indian state of Jodhpur, but how many also realize that Brooks Brothers developed the button-down collar specifically for polo players (who wanted to keep their collar tabs from flapping in their faces)?  Polo, it seems, has always been fashionable.

What happened to the horses’ manes and tails?

Free flowing manes and tails are a danger in polo because they can become entangled with players’ mallets or with the reins as the rider tries to control his horse.  Manes, therefore, are shaved and the ponies’ tails are wrapped or braided to prevent the hazard.  Wrapping or braiding long ago supplanted the crueler practice of docking (amputating) the horse’s tail near the base so all that remained was a short stump.

Red boards run along both sides of the field to help keep the ball in play.

What are the little boards that run the length of the field?

By definition, polo fields can be “boarded” or “unboarded,” the former preferred where spectators are in close proximity to the field to keep the ball in play and those chasing it from ending up in someone’s lap.  Standing no more than 11 inches high and made of wood, sideboards are generally painted red or green.  White sideboards were the fashion at early clubs until 1926, when Frank Hitchcock, brother to the famous 10-goaler Tommy Hitchcock, was seriously injured in a freak accident at the Meadow Brook Club in New York.  Unable to spot the ball against the white sideboards, Hitchcock was riding along the boards when he lost his balance, fell and struck his head on the wooden planks.  He was in a coma for weeks but eventually recovered from the accident.  Club officials immediately decreed that white would no longer be the color of choice for polo boards.

Can you use the same horse for an entire game?

No.  Polo ponies run the equivalent of one to two miles during a seven-and-a-half-minute chukker, so they must be rested frequently.  At the high-goal level, players ideally will have a fresh horse every period although many will “double” on their best ponies.  Even at this level, it’s rare but not unheard of for a pony to be played three chukkers in the same game—it happened in the famed International Matches between England and the United States.

What is a score called and why do the teams change directions whenever there is one?

Points scored in polo are called goals, which is much more straightforward than trying to explain why polo teams don’t change field directions by periods or halves like other sports.  One theory is that the practice of changing after every point (sorry, goal) scored originated in the days when many polo fields ran east-west (they’re usually situated north-south now) and neither team wanted to play for extended periods of time with the sun and/or wind in their faces.  It’s a plausible explanation, especially when you consider that in late nineteenth-century periods of play changed every time a goal was scored.  We know the practice dates to at least 1873, when England’s Hurlingham Polo Association drew up its polo rules.

A traditional halftime divot stomp with champagne.

What are all the people doing out on the field at halftime?

It’s customary at polo matches to invite the public onto the field at halftime to tread in the divots kicked up by the horses.  The custom has a practical as well as a public-relations value: the field is repaired for the teams by the time they begin the second half of play.  It’s not clear who was the first enterprising club manager to realize he had an abundant and cheap grounds-keeping crew at his disposal, but old-timers will tell you the job used to be done by hired help.  In the 1920s, for example, laborers at the polo clubs tapped in the divots after every period with a tool resembling an oversized croquet mallet.  Between games, wives of the polo grooms, many of whom were immigrants, could be found on hands and knees cutting dandelions and other weeds from the field.

What do they call the opening play in polo?

In hockey, it’s a face-off, in basketball it’s the tip-in, but in polo it’s known as the throw-in.  The umpire tosses the ball in between the two teams as they line up parallel to one another.  In earlier days, the custom was to place the ball in the middle of the field and have two opposing players charge it from opposite directions.  This practice was eventually discontinued, probably because of incidents like the one that occurred in 1888 at Myopia Polo Club in Massachusetts.  Living up to the club’s name, the riders charged myopically at the ball and collided head-on, knocking one of them out cold.

A lady player riding-off a male player during a tournament.

Why are there no left-handed players?

Lefties were officially banned from polo in the mid-1930s for safety reasons, but the restriction was relaxed after World War II when polo players of any persuasion were a scarce lot.  The USPA reinstated the lefty ban again in 1974 and it’s stuck: there are no more left-handed polo players.  To understand why, consider this:  you’re driving merrily down the road when all of a sudden, coming straight at you, is a crazed Englishman driving on the left side of the road.  The panic you’d feel in that situation is just what a right-handed polo player feels when he and a lefty approach the ball from opposite directions.

Are women allowed to play polo with men?

Since both sexes are rated on the same handicap scale, men and women can and do play together.  The highest rated woman player in the world is rated at 3 goals (America’s Sunny Hale).  Sixty-odd years ago, the U. S. Women’s Polo Association had a 10-goal woman player.

Is the weakest player always the No. 4?

The No.  and 4 positions are considered the best places to put the team’s weaker players, particularly the latter because it’s primarily a defensive role.  The No. 4, or Back position is certainly the least respected.  Among the great No. 4s in polo history is Devereux Milburn, a 10-goaler and one of the game’s best scholars and teachers, but many others who wore the same number were unjustly denied 10-goal status.  A turn-of-the-century player said sarcastically of polo’s most maligned lot: “Everyone wanted to play back in the early years because it was the most spectacular position.  Most of the time the back stood between the goal posts; if he met the ball as it was going through and made a brilliant save, he was good, but if he missed, then it was the other fellow who played well.”

Yes, but if he could only get his horse to flop down and smother the ball. . .

Who invented polo?

The precise origins of the sport are obscure, although we do know that it was played by Persian noblemen as early as 500 B.C.  The Indian army can be credited with introducing polo to the West, and their counterparts, nineteenth-century British cavalry officers, with refining the game into an amateur sport for the British aristocracy.  The father of American polo is James Gordon Bennett, publisher of The New York Herald, who imported the game from England and organized the first polo match on U. S. soil in 1876.

Will polo ever become a nationally televised sport?

The media has shown an interest in polo with major games being broadcast in Argentina and England, but it has yet to catch on in the United States.

Some years ago CBS covered the Americas Polo Championship for several years; cable viewers watched the Polo Masters and ESPN televised three major tournaments from Palm Beach Polo and Country Club.

That being said, there are three problems standing in the way of further progress: the size of the polo field (the equivalent of nine football fields, it’s so big it’s difficult and expensive to film a match), the complexity of the game (especially for first time viewers) and the lack of permanent, identifiable professional teams with which fans can form an allegiance.

Update: Polo America’s Dawn to Dusk Chukker Challenge on November 6, 2010 at Stormbranch Equestrian Club in Aiken, South Carolina set a world record for longest polo game. Fifty plus polo players and over 200 horses played a 32 chukker polo game. Play began at 8:00 AM with temperatures in the low 30′s. Approximately 8 hours after the first ball throw in the game came to an end. The final score was Land Rover Columbia 49 and Grand Champions Polo Club 47.

What was the longest polo game ever played?

It’s believed to be a 12-chukker match between Roslyn and Laddie Sanford’s Hurricanes at the old Meadow Brook club in New York.  Pat Roark broke a 7-7 tie late in the twelfth period of a game that ran twice the length of today’s standard six-chukker match.  The moon came up over the grandstand as the winning goal was scored.

Do polo teams have coaches?

Coaches are rarely used in amateur or professional polo, probably because they’re considered an expensive luxury and duplicate the duties of the team captain, a player-coach who generally plays at the No. 3 position.  These player-coaches manage the team on the field in consultation with their employers, the team “owners,” better known as patrons.  To add further confusion to the situation, patrons, customarily are players as well.  The only ones, watching from the sidelines are the grooms, who probably, could tell their bosses a thing or two about managing the team.  (But you know what they say about too many chiefs).  Only collegiate and scholastic teams consistently employ coaches.

Located at Empire Polo Club, Indio CA
Clinics Saturday & Sunday, January through March 2011
Clinic: Every weekend Jan. – March 2011 (see details below)

Hello All,

Following our very successful 2010 Desert Winter Series, we will once again offer wonderful opportunities to learn, play and enjoy polo in the desert. Players of every skill level are welcome to join us for what we know will be a great polo experience!

Here’s an overview of the Desert Winter Series 2011:
Professionals/Instructors: Led by Erik Wright and ably assisted by Jared Sheldon, a strong team of seasoned professionals will coach, teach and play with you. During the season, you will have the opportunity to meet and play with different pros carefully selected by Erik to maximize the learning aspect of these clinics.

Venue: Empire Polo Club, Indio CA, is one of the most beautiful polo clubs in the country. During the past year, they spent significant money and effort to improve their magnificent facilities. This year, they created designated stabling, a grass polo field and a new classroom just for us!

Program: Our program covers three main aspects of polo: Riding, Hitting & Strategy. Each weekend will focus on one of these topics to provide significant opportunity to learn, improve, develop and practice skill-building exercises and put them into play. Though subject to minor scheduling changes necessary to accommodate the pro’s tournament schedules, generally, the weekend clinics will look like this:

Clinics start at 9:00 a.m. each day.

Saturday’s Program includes three sessions:

1. Chalk Talk in the classroom. Erik will present relevant topics, lead discussions – general and specific – about the sport of and playing polo. Chalk Talks are interactive in format to encourage participants to ask questions, exchange ideas, etc. Weekly topics will reinforce the primary focus of the clinic – be it riding, hitting or strategy.

2. Mounted Skills & Drills on the grass field. Following the Chalk Talk, participants will go to the polo field to mount their pony. Depending on the weekend focus, Skills & Drills will include exercises in that area to improve or develop the skills necessary to advance your level of play.

3. Coaching Chukkers on the grass field. Participants will play two chukkers on the full field. Each team will have a mounted pro to coach them during play. These chukkers will be videotaped for review and commentary on Sunday morning.

Sunday’s Program includes two sessions:

1. Chalk Talk & Video Review of Saturday’s chukkers. Participants will watch Saturday’s chukkers and receive feedback, critique and analysis from Erik.

2. Coaching Chukkers. Participants will play four chukkers, again with a pro coaching each team. Generally, these chukkers are played at a higher level and under simulated tournament conditions. These chukkers will be videotaped for review the following weekend.

Social Events:

Saturday, an evening social event will be organized for our group.

Sunday, after the Coaching Chukkers, our group will gather at Field 1 to watch the high-goal game, enjoy brunch and cocktails.

Fee Structure: The fee for participants purchasing two or more weekend clinics is $1250.00 for each.

The fee for participants purchasing one weekend is $1500.00.

Fees include all pro-fees, coaching/instruction, use of polo ponies, tack, grooming, Chalk Talks, Chalk Talk handouts, videotaping of chukkers plus Empire Polo Club Fees.

Reservations & Pre-payment is Strongly Encouraged: Ideally, we will have six (6) or nine (9) spots available each weekend. Once six (6) players confirm, we will start a wait-list until we have nine (9) players. Two participants may split a spot, if they desire.

I am available to answer any questions you have. Call me at 760-861-9887
I look forward to playing with you at Empire Polo Club!

Erik Wright

2011 Clinic Dates & Primary Focus

January 8 & 9: Riding for Polo
January 15 & 16: Hitting with Power and Accuracy
January 22 & 23: Winning Strategies (Saturday)
Tournament (Sunday)
January 29 & 30: Riding for Polo
February 5 & 6: Hitting with Power and Accuracy
February 12 & 13: Winning Strategies (Saturday)
Tournament (Sunday)
February 19 & 20: NO CLINIC – US Gay Polo Tournament Weekend
February 26 & 27: Riding for Polo
March 5 & 6: NO CLINIC – WCT Tournament Weekend
March 12 & 13: Hitting with Power and Accuracy
March 19 & 20: Winning Strategies (Saturday)
Tournament (Sunday)
March 26 & 27: Riding for Polo

For more information or to sign-up contact

WrightWay Polo
Erik Wright
760-861-9887
email erik@wrighwaypolo.com

http://empirepolo.com/2-for-1-polo-lesson-special/ or call Empire Polo Club's Polo School at Tel. 760-342-7755.

Learn To Play Polo
Empire Polo School offers lesson programs for all levels of play.  We have group and private lesson formats for adults and junior riders.  From the beginner to the more advanced student, the Empire Polo Club offers a variety of classes and clinics to accommodate all skill levels. Our Polo School has a string of seasoned polo ponies and experienced instructors who can teach you the basics of the game. A brief overview of our multiple polo programs follows.

Arena Program
Adult students begin with lessons in the arena. They are taught how to hold and swing the while being taught game strategy and rules.  Scrimmages are incorporated into the lessons so students can practice their skills while learning how to play polo. Professional Polo Player, Domingo Questel, and other instructors are teaching in the arena lesson programs.

The Coaching League
Once you have learned the fundamentals of the game you can move up to the Coaching League where two instructors teach you how to play polo on the grass.  This league is very popular and is an excellent program for players who want to get started on the grass.  For more advanced students, Empire Polo Club offers weekend clinics and private lessons.

WrightWay Polo Weekend Clinics (2-days)
Erik Wright is a USPA Nationally Accredited Polo Instructor and owner of WrightWay Polo, a USPA Regional Polo Training Center. WWP’s program is based on the founding principals that great polo consists of understanding how to ride, hit and strategically play the game.  Students, from beginner to more experienced players, shall learn how to correctly incorporate these three skills into their game.  Students will benefit from Erik Wright’s sophisticated coaching methods, all delivered in a positive and fun way.   The programs include mounted and un-mounted sessions, chalk talks, hitting technique classes, special events, video reviews, grass play and tournaments designed especially for them.  The end result is each player leaves the program a better player than when they started it.

The weekend clinics cost $1500 per clinic with a discounted rate of $1250 per clinic for students who buy 2 or more weekend clinics.

Junior Program
The Junior Polo Program is designed to offer young riders the opportunity to develop their polo skills.  Pee Wee riders begin with lessons on a lead line while learning the basics of riding.  They learn to hold a mallet and to hit a ball.   Junior level riders are able to participate in classes that build on their riding and polo skills. Polo game rules are incorporated into the lessons as they learn how to play the game.

Lesson Schedule
Group lessons Tuesday and Saturday 3:30 PM
Arena Chukkers Tuesday and Saturday 5:00 PM
Wrightway Polo Clinics Every weekend (Jan. 8th – March 27th)
(No clinic the weekend of Feb. 13th & 14th, 2011)

Lesson Special: First time students get a 2 for 1 arena polo lesson special at Empire Polo Club. Bring a friend and split the cost or buy two lessons for the price of 1.  Click here to sign up for the 2 for 1 special.

If you would like to learn to play polo or to sign-up for one of our lessons or clinics, please contact Vicky Owens at 760-342-7755 or email:  vickyowens@empirepolo.com.

The main Sunday Polo field at Empire Polo Club.

Empire Polo Club is celebrating its Grand Re-Opening this winter as a premier polo destination for winter polo.  Empire’s pre-season tournament series kicks off with a two-day “Open House” Polo Tournament.  Players and teams are invited to play for FREE.  Empire Polo Club is hosting this tournament to welcome players, social members and spectators to the club. It is also an opportunity for players to test drive the newly renovated fields, tour the improvements (including the new fields) and to participate in a fun weekend of polo.

The Open House Tournament begins on Saturday, Nov. 13th with the finals scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 14th.  The Open House Tournament will be set-up in two brackets: 1-Goal and 4-Goal.

On Sunday, Nov. 14th on the Rose Garden Field we will feature two finals games.  The first game is scheduled for 12:00 PM and the second game for 2:00 PM.  Spectators are invited to attend the games and to participate in a traditional day of “Sunday Polo.”  General admission is free and everyone is welcome to join in the fun. Spectators are welcome to tailgate along the sidelines.

Nov. 14th, 2010 Sunday Polo
11:30 AM Introduction to Polo Demonstration
12:00 PM First Game
1:00 PM Golf Cart Polo Match
2:00 PM Featured Game with half-time divot stomp

If you are interested in learning more about polo and the Social Membership opportunities at Empire Polo Club, come a little early and watch our polo demonstration.  We will have staff available to help explain the game of polo, to show you our Sunday Polo facilities and to provide you with information about the benefits of our Social Membership Program, which includes access to the VIP seating areas during Sunday Polo games, invitations to our Members social events and 10% discount on food at the Tack Room Tavern.  Or if you are ready to sign-up for a Social Membership now, please contact Tony Schieffer for details.  Tel. 760-393-7298 or email tonyschieffer@empirepolo.com.

Polo Players and Teams please contact Vicky Owens to sign-up for the Open House Polo Tournament. There are no entry fees.  This tournament is free for all participants.  Vicky Owens, Tel. 760-342-7755 or email vickyowens@empirepolo.com.

We also have a special presentation organized for the Media.  If you represent a local media company or publication and if you would like to participate in our Media Day activities, please contact Tony Schieffer for details.  Tel. 760-393-7298 or email tonyschieffer@empirepolo.com.

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