Veni, Vidi, Vici- Polo at Estancia Los Potreros!
Horse riding alone is a daunting experience for some. Add a 52″ mallet, ball, open field and a set of rules to adhere to and one would think you have the definition of chaos. Not so. 
For a group of first timers we managed to shift the ball around the field while in motion (slow, yes but still in motion) and even score a couple goals.
Estancia los Potreros offers specific polo weeks for those a little more serious but for our group we were happy with the couple hours of tuition and practice followed by a social relaxed game. I felt like my horse was playing with me and the other guests agreed. These trustworthy horses would slow down when we were approaching the ball and even sidestep to let us “have a go”. I bet they were having a good chuckle at our expense after we untacked them.
Estancia Los Potreros has a fantastic string of amazingly patient horses to teach the beginner the game of Country Polo as well as offering seasoned horses for those with more experience. Proving its proficiency in this field the estancia was recently featured in the worlds leading polo magazine- Polo Times. Thanks goodness these photographers weren’t taking shots while I was visiting the estancia!
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:43 am
Polo, looks like a blast. I wonder why those of us that love to ride here in the states, don’t take more interest in the sport?
January 23rd, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Yes it was a blast.
I believe the United States has really made a drive into the world of Polo in the last 30 years. Although Polo has been played in the US since 1876, interest seemed to skyrocket after the 1989 Federation of International Polo World Championship in West Berlin, Germany. The US team rode away in victory after competing against eight teams from over the world.
I think Polo still has that “upper class” or “snobby” stigma so new players may be turned off by this. As far as the cost of the game- well I would classify it as pricey- I mean how many average riders have 3 or 4 trained polo ponies standing outside along with a truck and trailer to take them to the games. The first step of finding, training and conditioning a suitable horse takes time and money. Not to mention the gas costs, registration fees, tack, feed, uniforms….and the list goes on. The US Polo Association, http://www.us-polo.org/index.htm has a different opinion on this but they would, wouldn’t they! The website is very informative though and I would suggest checking it out for clubs in your area.
Don’t get me wrong I would love to participate in a local competition. I think Los Potreros had the right idea with Country Polo- perhaps I could call my home version in Wyoming, “Cowboy Polo”. Make the most of what is available to you and just have fun with it!