82 SIDELINES OCTOBER 2011
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
P
O
L
O
By Danika Rice
In a slight deviation from the
glitz and glamour of the outdoor
game, polo can also be spraying
dirt and quick horses, if you’re
playing the “arena version.” In
the Boggess household, polo is
nothing short of a family affair,
with dirt and horses part of the
appeal. Dad Scott, brother Tyler
and daughter Hollie all keep
mom Jennifer actively working
each weekend to cheer, coach,
take photos and coordinate
horses and schedules as all
three of them play in various
arena tournaments in Southern
California. Sounds just like any
other soccer mom’s weekend
schedule right? Well Jennifer’s
schedule is now changing a bit,
as daughter Hollie moves from
the Interscholastic Polo program,
which garnered her the 2010
Western Region title, to the
Intercollegiate Polo Program at
Texas A&M University. Sidelines
caught up with Hollie as she
begins her transition from family
to college polo, and the goals
she’s set for herself both in and
out of the polo arena.
Sidelines:
What is the most memorable polo game
you’ve ever played?
HB:
Last year’s Western Region Interscholastic Finals
was the most memorable game I can think of. It was my
senior year in high school, and although I had played
in the Regional tournament before, each of the three
years prior we were unable to win the finals. Our whole
team really wanted the win. The arena was muddy,
and presented some serious obstacles for us, but our
coach Billy Sheldon got us through it, and we came out
on top. Everyone played amazingly, and we all worked
together to make it happen. It was the best combination
of victory and teamwork.
Sidelines:
Interscholastic Polo allows you the chance
to ride many different horses within it’s draw format.
Who is your favorite horse to play, and why?
HB:
My favorite horse to play is a mare named Osa.
She’s everything you could ever ask for in a horse.
She’s fast, handy, polite on the ground, and has more
heart than any horse I’ve ever ridden. She gives you
everything she’s got in every game she plays, and
never quits. She’s so special to me, and I’m so excited
to have her with me as I begin my polo career at Texas
A&M.
Sidelines:
For those who are used to only the outdoor
version of polo, what makes arena polo so much fun to
play?
HB:
Arena polo is fun because it’s quick. It’s a smaller space
than the grass field, and has more line changes because you
have to factor in the boards or walls of the arena. You have
to be knowledgeable of how the line changes your play, a
quick thinker, and be able to make adjustments rationally and
strategically. You have to constantly be moving, constantly
thinking. It’s such a rush.
Sidelines:
What are you most excited about as you begin
your intercollegiate polo career?
HB:
Well, in my four years in Interscholastic Polo, I always
played with the guys because the program allows co-ed
teams. Especially at the National tournament, I was always
outnumbered. I’m excited to get a chance to play in an all-
women’s division. I think it will change the strategies I’ve
known, and the way I’m used to the game playing, and I’m
looking forward to tackling that challenge.
Sidelines:
What are your biggest goals, both on and off the
polo field?
HB:
Well, of course I would love to win a National
Intercollegiate Championship with Texas A&M. But more than
that, I want to continue playing polo for as much of my life as
possible, and to become the best player I can be. Outside of
the polo world, I am working to attain a BA in English as well
as a BS in Psychology at Texas A&M, before attending a good
law school. I would love to be a prosecutor one day.
Hollie
Photo courtesy of Poway Arena Polo Team
Five Questions for Hollie Boggess