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FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE SIDELINES JULY 2011 65

heart but a firm hand in a sport dominated by men. She was well respected and was always poised, even under pressure. Currently, I am being mentored by Charles Smith. Each project I work on with him I am amazed at his breadth of knowledge and keen insights on all aspects of polo. He has an innate ability to inspire people to reach their fullest potential. He is well respected by high goal professionals and patrons alike, which is a rare thing in our sport. Without his support, the Team USPA program would not be where it is today. I have a lot left to learn from this Hall of Fame winner!

Sidelines: What was the most memorable moment within the last two years of the Team USPA program?

KB: My most memorable moment was when I invited all of the American High goal mentors to IPC to introduce them to the Team USPA concept. I had no idea if they would embrace the idea. I had a vision of what I thought the program should be, but I knew there would be no Team USPA program if our American Pros did not believe in its importance. After Charles Smith and I gave our introduction, I remember holding my breath and looking around the table and thinking, ”What in the world will we do if they don’t believe in this project!?” Originally, I had taken the concept to Danny Scheraga while I was working with PTF and he and I met with Stevie Orthwein and Nick Barry to try and develop the idea further. They had some good ideas but we still needed more funding so it really didn’t go anywhere. My next attempt to get interest in the idea was a meeting with Charles Smith, who I felt really believed in the idea and had the experience with the North American Polo League as well as high-goal playing experience to give me the right insights and encouragement. Shortly after that I began working for USPA and Peter Rizzo gave me complete support and guidance and the Team USPA program was born!