Polo, That High Society Sport, Aims for Mass Appeal

By Tim Wendel        Excerpts from The New York Times, April 6, 2006

“We’ve worked hard on making ourselves more open to newcomers,“ said Ed Armstrong, director of the United States Polo Association.  “Certainly a lot of rich people play our sport, but you don’t have to be rich to give it a try.”

That’s because some clubs, like the Newport Polo Club, have made it more affordable for adventurous newcomers to satisfy their curiosity.  “It’s all about spreading the word.  If you can get them out there, where they are comfortable in a game, most of them become hooked.”

The Newport Polo Club’s training program was developed fourteen years ago by Dan Keating, founder of the Newport Polo Club and Newport International Polo Series.  

“I was looking for a new experience in my riding career, and started to learn polo just to explore its social aspects.” admits Jacki Shore, member of the original women’s student polo league and now player in the Newport International Polo Series.  Jacki’s experience has shaped her into Newport’s leading polo instructor.

“After a long, long winter, we are having a great season for training players,” explains Shore.  “I think all the students in our training program are benefiting from it on a number of different levels.  For some people, it is great exercise, for some it is the enjoyment of riding horses, for some it is the thrill of competition, for some it is a confidence builder, and for everyone it is great fun and camaraderie.”

The Newport Polo Club’s students have won athletic college scholarships and have gone on to compete in such prestigious events as the East Coast Open, the Newport International Polo Series at home and abroad, the Palm Beach high-goal polo season in Florida, the Interscholastic Polo Championships and Intercollegiate Polo Championships, and participate on US Military Polo teams world-wide.  For lesson information, call 401-847-7090.