DRMC Employee of the Year - 380Guide Magazine

y Dena Miller
That ‘ s what I ‘ m frequently asked when I mention that I ‘ ll be at
the polo match this weekend. So, Cowboy, I ‘ m going to tell you
about polo in Texas !
To begin with, you might first be wondering what is polo? Is it a
water sport? There is water polo, but no, Partner, we ‘ re talking about
the kind that requires a horse! And the ability to hit a small white ball
with a bamboo stick (called a mallet) through two goal posts while
traveling about 40 mph, while staying on that horse!
A little history: Polo was first played in ancient Persia some 2,600
years ago. The word “polo” is derived from the Tibetan word for ball,
“pulu”.The sport was first introduced to our country in 1876 by American
publisher James Gordon Bennett, owner of the New York Herald and
an avid sportsman. He organized the first polo match in the United
States at Dickel ‘ s Riding Academy at 39th Street and Fifth Avenue.In
the spring of 1876, a group of polo players established the first formal
American polo club, the Westchester Polo Club,
at the Jerome Park race track in New York .
in the 1930 ‘ s, when polo was
a sport of the rich, a Texan named Cecil
Smith began a career that made him
perhaps the greatest player in the history
of a game more than 2,000 years old.
At age 20 he went to work for a
horse trainer in Austin who
also trained polo ponies.
Cecil fashioned a polo
mallet out of a broom stick
and practiced using rocks
and tin cans. On trips to
California to sell polo ponies
(which are really horses),
Smith started playing polo
there with such celebrities as
Will Rogers, Darryl Zanuck,
Walt Disney and Reginald
Denny. Cecil was one of the
first 6 players indicted to
the Polo Museum and
Chukker Period or quarter
Goal when the ball goes across the
line between two goal posts
Handicap Registered players
are rated on a scale of -1 to 10, the
higher the rating the better the player
Hook Spoiling a players shot by
putting a mallet in the way of the
striking players mallet
Knock in a free hit from the
back line when ball goes over the line
having not made the goal
Mallet polo stick used to strike the
ball
Near Side left side of horse
They play Polo
in Texas?
Hall of Fame when it opened in 1990.
Famed restaurateur and Olympic equestrian, Norman Brinker,
is credited with bringing polo to North Texas . founding the Willow
Bend Polo & Hunt Club in Plano . Willowbend Polo Club reigned as
the premier Polo club in the south until 1993 when Mr. Brinker had a
terrible accident in West Palm Beach , Florida that put him in a coma
for three weeks and partially paralyzed him for 3 months. Willowbend
Polo Club was sold and developed. The histroical sign still remains at
the entrance of million dollar homes.He was inducted into the Polo Hall
of Fame in 1999, having captured the two biggest prizes of American
polo, the USPA Gold Cup and the U.S. Open in 1976. He was former
chairman of the United States Polo Association. Norman continued to
love and support the sport of polo, often being seen at International polo
club in Wellington , Florida enjoying a US Open or at Dallas premiere
polo event, Polo on the Lawn benefiting The Family Place. He and his
wife Toni were honorary chairs of the illustrious event in 2008.
North Texas still has polo going on in backyards, pastures and
even a city park, but until now there has been no world class polo club
like Willowbend since it ‘ s closing. In 2008 real estate mogul and polo
player Vaughn Miller opened Prestonwood Polo and Country Club in
Oak Point with the intent to bring polo to its rightful status in North
Texas . With wife Dena, whose mission with Ladies Polo Auxiliary,
founded in 2005, is to spread the word that polo is played in Texas
and is accessible to anyone ,brings polo matches and events every
Saturday during polo season and is open to the public at only $10 a car
(excepting special charity events).Enjoy elevated grandstand seating
with the sun to your back and a view of gorgeous trees and lakes while
taking in the thoroughbred action and sideline socializing. Taligating
and picknicking on the lawn are also acceptable, BYOB and enjoy a
traditional champagne divot stomp compliments of Freixenet. Special
events are hosted in the 20 ‘ x80 ‘ party pavilion and is available to host
any corporate, family or charity function. All of this will always be
available to the public and coming in the near future is the 3rd addition
to Prestonwood Country Club- a clubhouse, pool and tennis courts with
stabling, riding trails and homesites will be offered around polo fields.
It will truly be a magnificent and unique community! And right here in
Texas , who knew?
Know before you go, Polo terminology:
Off Side right hand side of horse
Out of Bounds ball goes over
sidelines
Penalties Identified using
numbers 1 to 6
1 An automatic goal is given
2 Free hit from 30 yards to
undefended goal
3 Free hit from 40, undefended
4 Free hit from 60, defended
5 Free hit from point of
infraction or midfield
6 Safety, when defending
player hits ball across his own
backline other team is awarded free
hit 60 yards from backline with ball
placed same distance from sideline as
it went out
Positions
1-most forward offensive player
2-just as offensive, playes deeper
3-pivot player between ofense and
defense, tries to turn all plays to
offense
4-Back, defensive player who protects
goal
Ride Off Two riders make contact
and attempt to push each other off the
line of the ball
Umpire Two mounted referees
Third Man When two umpires
don ‘ t agree, they ask third man
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