92 SIDELINES MAY 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
and eventually put it in the high goal. This, by the way, is a skill
that pays the equivalent of what a lettuce picker makes. There
is a horse in the Hall of Fame I trained, but trainers aren’t usually
recognized. I knew it and the horse knew it, so I guess that’s
enough for me. I have always been kind of like the Forrest Gump
of Polo, and, like the book and not the movie, Forrest ends up
penniless but happy. I keep falling into cool things through no
means of my own. I hang around some pretty cool people and
in the past some ideas have surfaced like the Hubcap Open, the
two movies we made and the Xtreme rodeo and the Full Moon
polo school. In each instance these people I hang out with took
the idea to another level and put their time and effort. The All Full
Moon Team was like that. It’s mainly the experiences with the
people you work with are what you appreciate the most. I met the
Evans family through polo. Herbie Pennell was like my second
father and I have had a lot of laughs with Rick Sears and Henry
Cato. I changed the way I rode horses through Memo Gracida.
Skey Johnston gave me the means to expand my writing and
made an author out of me.
Sidelines:
If you could change one thing about polo as an
industry and as a sport, what would it be?
SM:
If I was going to change anything in polo I guess it would
be to reintroduce a World Cup after the US Open in Florida. We
would have to tone it down to ft the different nation’s handicaps.
The way things are going, it would have to be around 28 goals.
The big beef is that no one can compete against the Argentines.
Well, that shouldn’t matter. I believe Mexico, England and the US
would beneft from a game like this. A few years ago they got all
the Americans together to discuss this and it fell apart worse than
the Paris Peace Talks. Everybody had petty stipulations. So-in-so
won’t play unless so-in-so is on or off the team. Only Adam Snow
showed up and said, “I’ll play with anybody anytime, anywhere.”
You can’t have an upset unless you play the game. I would also
let the umpires rate all the players in low goal clubs. They are
probably the only ones who understand and watch all the games.
Gotta Go
Sam Morton
continued from page 90
Needy Nags
Best Luck is a 15.3H, 4 year old
thoroughbred gelding by Elusive Quality
out of an AP Indy mare. He was retired
because he was too slow for racing. Best
Luck has been turned out and socialized
and he is ready to start his new career.
He is very green to steer; but he was
very well behaved on his initial test ride.
He was not worried about fapping tarps,
windy conditions, or rapidly dropping
temperatures. Best Luck is located in KY;
but can travel to the right forever home.
His adoption fee is $250 to an approved
applicant. For more information on Best
Luck or any of our other horses email
info@secondstride.org or visit our website
at www.secondstride.org.
Sidelines is now available at
Chapters/Indigo Bookstores in
Canada
her super talented small tour horse
Lord de Nicole
following a
severe colic attack. The bay Holsteiner gelding was euthanized
after breaking his leg in the equine clinic in an attempt to stand
up in the recovery room. The fracture was too complicated and it
was decided to humanely put down the horse. Recently, Rios and
Lord de Nicole were a fxture for Spain on the international Young
Riders circuit. They competed at the 2011 European Young
Riders Championships, 2011 Young Riders World Cup Finals and
won gold at the 2010 Spanish Championships and silver at the
2011 Nationals. Rios was trained by Lucas Elias and Nuria Vila
Perez.
Every equestrian pup deserves to sleep in a PonyPup bed.
Just ask Piaf, who seems to really like her!
Off Centerline
continued from page 72