Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Wednesday 14 March 2018
Tourists turn polo players for a day in Argentina

By LUIS ANDRES HENAO “Though (adding) riding
Associated Press a horse to the equation
CAPILLA DEL SENOR, Ar- makes it a little bit different,
gentina (AP) — Riding a more fun.”
polo horse on Argentina’s The sport is sometimes re-
Pampas grasslands, Martin ferred to as field hockey
Folan swings a mallet in a on horseback. But Nacho
wide arc and hits the ball Figueras, the Argentine
with a loud clink, slotting polo star, says it’s more
it between two posts to like playing golf during an
cheers of “Goal!” earthquake.
Not bad for his first time on During the lesson, Buton
a horse. explained that a game
Polo has traditionally been usually consists of six 7-min-
an exclusive, glamorous ute periods called chuk-
sport reserved for the rich kas. The tourists took turns
elite. But in Argentina, ringing a bell signaling the
home to the world’s top end of a chukka while they
polo players, tourists can watched club players bat-
ride horses, learn from the tle it out at a breathtaking
pros how to hit the high- pace in a practice game.
impact plastic ball and “It’s very strange because
even play a match on a I always thought that polo
real field for less than $200 In this Feb. 27, 2018 photo, Stephane Buton, a polo instructor from France, foreground, takes a was for the very rich, the
a day. photo of tourists at La Carona club, Capilla del Senor, Buenos Aires province, Argentina. aristocrats,” said Alina Gor-
‘It was my first time on a Associated Press lino from St. Petersburg,
horse and they’re quite Russia. “I thought even
intimidating honestly for to come to Argentina, it
a man standing on the would be impossible to see
ground. But it was fabulous polo because you’d have
to be trotting around,” Fo- to be a member of a club.
lan said as he gripped the So for me, it’s very pleasant
reins atop his horse. to be able to see it, and
“I never thought I would it’s another pleasure to be
have done this at the be- able to play.”
ginning of the day,” the During lunch, Jabib, the
Londoner added. club owner, joked that his
Polo is believed to be one club is so informal that while
of the oldest team sports, British polo clubs might own
dating as far back as 600 pedigreed Russell terriers,
B.C. in Persia. It then spread he takes pride in a pack of
throughout Asia and later friendly mutts who wait be-
reached Britain through neath the table for tourists
India. But Argentina, with to throw them a bone.
its wide plains and its rich “If you want to learn polo,
culture of horseback riding you have to come to Ar-
among the Argentine cow- In this Feb. 27, 2018 photo, Martin Folan of London hits the ball during a polo practice at La Carona gentina. It’s much more
boys known as gauchos, club, Capilla del Senor, Buenos Aires province, Argentina. accessible, it’s much more
has gone on to dominate Associated Press grass-roots polo,” said
professional polo globally. dral of world polo. traditional Argentine bar- how to hit the ball with the James Margetson, 22, from
“Polo is played in the coun- The tourist-oriented Argen- beque. mallet. Nearby, a group London, who came to the
tryside a lot and in a much tina Polo Day is based at Other clubs offer similar of ponies neighed and club on a six-month intern-
more informal way,” said La Carona Club about an polo day services, but for splashed in a pond, cool- ship. He helps take care
Juan Pablo Alessandrini, hour’s drive north of the the most part, the “sport ing off after a game. of horses in exchange for
spokesman for Argentina’s country’s capital. Its found- of kings” is often played by polo lessons.
Polo Association. “Kids start er, Ruben Jabib, said the the super-wealthy at up- “Is this different for the Eng- “The problem with polo in
riding horses at a very early idea came to him when scale villas and resorts. lish because they drive England is that it can be
age and they get to know he owned a restaurant just their horses on the left,” very niche. It can be very
polo. That’s a huge advan- blocks from the Palermo “What we did was to make Jon MacLeod, 74, from Se- hard to get into the right
tage over other countries.” polo grounds in Buenos polo informal,” Jabib said. attle, Washington, joked, clubs, and it’s very expen-
There are about 3,000 reg- Aires and he would often “Before this, people need- causing the group to break sive,” he said. “In Argenti-
istered polo players na- meet tourists interested in ed a groom, a horse and into laughter. na, you can be a cowboy,
tionwide, and many more the sport. stables. Here, I provide His brother-in law, Jed with four, five horses and
informal ones. The Argen- He used two outdoor fields them with everything — Hulsey, 62, from Newport rock up and play a polo
tine Polo Open Champi- and built an indoor field helmets, boots, horses — Beach, California, swung game.”
onship held annually in the so tourists with no previous and they’re ready to play.” the mallet like a pendulum After lunch, the group put
Palermo neighborhood of experience can play year- On a recent day, French with a whoosh. on knee pads and head
Buenos Aires usually sells round under all weather polo instructor Stephane “I play golf and I play ten- protection and got ready
out the 14,000 seats at the conditions. The polo day Buton was teaching a nis and I like to swing rack- to saddle a horse.
stadium that is revered by package also includes group from Britain, Russia, ets. I think this is kind of simi- The game is slow at first but
many players as the cathe- transportation, wine and a Iceland and United States lar in a way,” Hulsey said. it picks up speed.q