10.23.09
Polo Newbie
Polo is not one of the 8 disciplines at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian 2010 Games but today I went from being a spectator to giving it a try and I must say I am hooked. I have always said I wanted to try every equestrian opportunity there was before I die, call it my horse bucket list, and I am well on my way.
I had the luck to win a pair of introductory lessons at the 2nd Annual John Henry Adoption Fair this past summer but just got my first chance to go out today. In Central Kentucky we have the great luck of being able to take lessons from Jorge Vasquez who is the Captain of the Lexington Polo Club. He is a highly rated polo player and after meeting him today a wonderful teacher.
My lesson today was an indoor lesson, probably as much to do with my newbie status, as the fact it was a rainy day for an October day in Kentucky. That was probably lucky for me because the indoor Polo ball is about twice the size of the outdoor version and is also an inflated ball as opposed to a hard ball. By the end of the lesson I was still a newbie but I was managing to swing the malet and make contact with the ball with good effect and my wife figures on the Polo rating scale I would rate a minus 2 Goals. She also had a chance to get up on the horse and give it a try and was hooked like me by the time Jorge had shown her the basics.
I am going to get back out within a month to use my other introductory lesson with the plan to video that for everyone to see. I suspect though with all I have going on you are not going to see me playing on the Polo Fields at the Kentucky Horse Park for many years, though after today I might just have to put that specific goal on my list.
Jorge is based out at Bryan Station Farm on the North East side of Lexington. For more information on lessons, you can go to, Lexington Polo – Learn to Play Polo , the main site for the Lexington Polo club is www.lexingtonpolo.com.
Thomas Demond
Kentucky World Equestrian Games Ovation
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