40 SIDELINES JULY 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
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Polo
By Lauren R. Giannini
Matt Coppola grew up surrounded by polo – what many
consider a dream-come-true childhood. However, this 18-year-old
is aware that life with horses involves dedication, determination
and dealing with extreme highs and lows.
In April the Tackeria team of Matt, Lauren Biddle, Juancito Bollini
and Lorenzo Merlotti fought hard for their 4-3 win over Far Niente
at Everglades Polo Club in Wellington, Florida in the Region 4
tournament of the inaugural US Polo Association’s National Youth
Tournament Series. Matt and Juancito were named to the All-
Star team, and Matt’s Prada earned Best Playing Pony. Later that
month, when the Polo Training Foundation held its annual Florida
junior and youth program party in Wellington, Matt received the
Junior Sportsmanship Award.
“It was awesome to win that tournament – I had been playing
in other junior tournaments this year, making the fnals in two, but
couldn’t win – we pulled this one off in my last year of eligibility,”
Matt said. “Earning the PTF sportsmanship award was a real
honor.”
Matt is a good indicator of how the USPA has gone all-out to
encourage kids of all ages, but especially youngsters, to play
polo. Games tend to be fercely contested, and juniors are starting
to make their presence known in higher-goal play. Matt noted,
“There’s a lot of competition from players who are 15, 16, 17 and
18. I think we’re doing a good job of catching up with the great
player families from Argentina and other countries whose kids
start swinging mallets as soon as they can walk, but I would still
like to see more American players in higher goal play.”
Matt recently earned his 3-goal rating, a huge achievement at
18, but his sights are set much higher. “Everybody’s goal is to be
10-goals, right? But I think that earning an 8-goal handicap will
be a big accomplishment,” he said. “I just graduated from high
school and I have no plans to attend college. I’m going to help
my dad with the family business and work with my cousin, Lou
Cuthbertson, who is the manager, and I’m going to pursue the
polo.”
The family business is the Tackeria in Wellington, owned since
Matt Coppola: Finding His Own Voice
1975 by Matt’s father, Tony Coppola, known as the Voice of
Polo, because he announces matches from Florida to Chicago to
Saratoga. Tony doesn’t play much anymore, but enjoys occasional
stick-and-ball; Matt’s mother Jesse, who used to show hunter/
jumpers, helps ride their polo ponies every morning.
Matt credits Augustine and Cacho Merlos for teaching him
horsemanship, how to get the most out of his horses, and about
the importance of having a good attitude. He includes his father,
Tony, as one of his polo mentors, and names Facundo Pieres as
his polo role model. “Facundo’s the most talented, amazing player
and he has really good horses,” Matt said. “When he comes out
on the feld, he has a lot of drive, he puts 110% into playing to win.
He won the Argentine Open and the US Open in April.”
Matt has enjoyed certain advantages, but he hasn’t been exempt
from horse-related character building. On May 3, just over a year
ago, he hit rock bottom when he faced surgical replacement of
his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and the orthopedic specialist
also removed 60% of his MCL (medial collateral ligament). “I was
in so much pain, I can’t even begin to describe how bad it was,”
recalled Matt. “I had an ice machine hooked up to my knee for
10 days and for a while I didn’t know if I would be able to ride, let
alone play polo.”
It took fve months of determination and hard work, including
daily physical therapy in Wellington with Ed Smith (who helped
McLain Ward get back in the saddle six weeks after a compound
fracture). “All that time I was watching my buddies play and I was
dying to be out there,” admitted Matt. “I learned how very blessed
and very lucky I am. I’ve had a lot of help. My dad and mom never
miss a game. They support me so much, and I couldn’t have done
anything in polo without them. I’ve really learned to appreciate all
that my parents have done for me.”
“Most of all I’ve learned to go out and give polo everything I
have, to do what I know and to keep learning,” stated Matt. “I’ve
learned to have a good attitude on the feld and to make the most
of my teammates. I’ve had a great groom for two years: Eduardo
prepares my horses and tack exactly right. Polo combines the
thrill of being on a horse and the excitement of the game. It’s
everything to me.”
Matt Coppola
Photo by Dave Boege - daveboege.smugmug.com/
The Coppola polo dynasty: Jesse, Tony and
Matt with Eduardo Ramallo, head groom
for two years, after a late April 8-goal match
at The Villages Polo Club, Ocala, Florida,
where Lolita earned Best Playing Pony. The
weekend before, Matt earned MVP.