Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Hugh Evans (PCW Editor) on December 19, 2007 at 7:33

Hi Jerome. I must say I wish I had been on the ponies since I was a child - my horsemanship is not the best. I am not aware of anything like the 'Paddock Polo' in Australia but I think it is a great idea. I am told that kids are born with a polo mallet in their hands in Argentina! How many Paddock Polo clubs are there in France that you are aware of?

Permalink Reply by G Bezak on March 22, 2008 at 20:31

Jerome,

In Canada we introduce most beginners of all ages, adults/children, to paddock polo which is generally played on a smaller field ie. 100 x 200 ... dimensions can be varied and 3 players aside (usually a more advanced player that will coach the other two on their team) .. George ...

Permalink Reply by Dr. Inge Schwenger on April 21, 2008 at 9:28

Dear Jerome, thank you for this absolutely important question- there will be no polo in the future if we are not able to bring up the new generation!
Sure children are the players of tomorrow and they will be much better than the players of today - which is a normal development of a lot of sports worldwide.
Main point of this is, that we work together, make this lovely international sport open for kids and young players and most important talents, far away of the patron-status.
Would be great, if you could visit us in Berlin in August.

Permalink Reply by claudia hodari on April 24, 2008 at 15:55

YES - the future of polo lies in today's kids, polo heros, International OPEN competition, the Olympic Games as a goal and the fastest growing segment of new players - girls.

Show off - publicize - today's polo heroes! Adolfito and the rest of the world's 9's and 10's, are unknown even to Argentines and to most of the worlds young riders. Heroes inspire the young..

I agree give a young barrel racer, cowgirl, cowboy, roper, show fanatic, hunter, jumper, dressage or three day eventer a mallet, a TV hero or heroes, and the attainable dream of becoming one of the world's best polo players.

This is the only contact sport in history where women are obliged to compete on equal terms with men. Give a full 50 % of all new polo players worldwide since 2004, women, room to grow their own heroes. Claire, Nina, Sunny, Lesley should be inspirations as the "creme of the crop" in a sport played by women for over 2,500 years. Parity in women's polo exists across international boundaries, much more so than in men's open polo today. Let's take advantage by publicizing more international OPEN women's, and OPEN men's polo competitions
.
The Olympic Games are a final goal, International Open Polo competition creates worldwide publicity and helps grow National and Regional polo pride. This will lead individual countries to "grow" their own best talent from a young age in order to better compete in their region and internationally in the future. Money, time and effort will be invested by each countries polo associations towards it's talented young boys and girls. The "creme" will continue to be encouraged past the college age. Women will be inspired to attain and pass the 3 or 4 goal level. Men players will be invested in past the medium 5 or 6 goal level. The easy patron "out" of hiring foreign polo professionals to play will not fly for national teams., A Nation's Polo Associations future sight should be on it's OPEN National, Regional, International, and even Olympic, Men and Women's Polo, Competitions