Asides

Catching up:  Florida polo has gone high-tech!  Someone has launched the spareholder.com App for Smartphones, which will begin its testing during the winter high-goal season in Florida!  Users will be able to scroll through a list of people available for game help, and contact them directly to enlist them to meet at the field.

60 Minutes just finished filming at Owen Rinehart’s Insiya farm in Aiken, SC for a special on polo.  No word yet on when the episode will run, but good exposure for the sport!

US polo is going international, as both our FIP team and Team USPA members played in Argentina and China, respectively.  (Read about it in our new column, Kris’ Korner)  Our Under 18 team competed in China this month (you can catch up with one of our team members, Russell Stimmel, in this issue).  Our youngsters came home with the win, while unfortunately we didn’t fare quite as well down south…

Ram Rodeo representative Todd Overfield took a break from his rodeo escapades to try a little polo during a brief stay in Houston with polo pro Shane Rice…….who says cowboys and polo don’t mix???  Might want to ask Bradley Biddle about that also….

In the Most Eligible Bachelor Dallas finale on Bravo, the polo segment is something of a hoot.  We understand that Bachelor Drew didn’t really take to the sport, and perhaps some better underwear might’ve helped the whole experience for him… and perhaps a pair of boots?

Oooohhh nooo!  Barry Stout tells us that Aspen has denied a special event permit for his annual winter polo tournament, based on concerns about degradation of local parks.  The World Snow Polo Championship has held its event in December at Wagner Park or Rio Grande Park for the last 11 years, but concerns about snow compaction for the event and the subsequent damage to the turf means that, according to the special events committee, snow polo organizers may not use the parks this year.

Bumps and bruises:  Umpire Bradley Biddle took a spill in Houston Texas off an ERG horse just trying to get on his mount!  This came after a previous day’s calamity in which the horse he was umpiring on decided to freeze on the field, forcing Bradley to dismount during a chukker.  He needs someone’s magic touch!

Before finally making it to Houston to start the rest of the fall season, Jared Sheldon’s month in San Diego resulted in two falls in the same game during the Spreckles Cup tournament…..his first week back after putting a plate in for a broken collarbone!  Someone needs to practice staying ON his horse!

Club News: Wellie worlders, take note:  You too, in Citrus and other Florida clubs!

There’s going to be a Manure Management Summit courtesy of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) on Tuesday, December 13th, 2011, from 10:00 am to 2:45 pm, conveniently located at the Ocala Breeder Sales, Inc., Inter-Wagering facility (just south of the sales pavilion), at 1701 SW 60th Avenue, Ocala, 34474.  There you may get answers to state legislation, local ordinances and Florida’s new equine BMP Manual.  Hear about a local farm’s first-hand encounter with having a manure pile, how state agencies got involved with its removal and the steps the farm took to clean up the pile to gain resolution.  Find out how to get help eliminating your manure pile and implementing BMPs on your farm.This summit is FREE to all attendees, including a FREE lunch, but space is limited.  Register online at: http://manuremanagementsummit-eorg.eventbrite.com/, or call the Extension Office at (352) 671-8400.

Debbie Bauman’s newsletter Divots & Bits is now a reality.  She’s been working on promoting polo on the social level for the, ahem, more mature player.  “There seems to be polo players who still want to play but not at a rock n’ roll level,” Debbie says, “so now Millwood Polo is the place to be. I must admit that I do love the social, club polo.  Recently we just had 6 players on the field age 80 through 60.  We had a blast!”

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