112 SIDELINES AUGUST 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
e
Polo
Jeff Shuler: Hooked On Polo
By Lauren R. Giannini
Jeff Shuler had been riding and eventing for three
years when fate dealt a life-changing hand in terms of
his passion for horses. In August 2010 he attended
a polo match in Aiken where, to his surprise, one of
his friends was playing. Of course, one thing led to
another. Jeff took one polo lesson from Lito Salatino
and got totally hooked. Jeff’s game has come a long
way in a very short of amount of time. He is currently
rated 1 in arena polo, 0 on grass, which is a step up
from the -1 rating for new players.
“I was thrilled to be chosen by USPA for the
Developing Players program.” Jeff said. “The odds
were not with me – 180 kids applied for the team –
and I am ecstatic that I did make it.”
The polo bug that bit Jeff infected him with the long-
term goal to play professionally and, like many of his
chukker-minded contemporaries, he’s smart about
the importance of a safety net. His immediate plans
include earning a degree in business at USC Aiken,
starting this fall.
“I’m lucky that my parents have been very
supportive. They have become horse enthusiasts,”
said Jeff, whose older brother Brad also abandoned
eventing for his new passion, breeding racehorses.
“Our parents have been 100% for both of us, and they
love polo and attend every game possible from practices to actual
matches.”
Jeff credits Lito for getting him into polo and helping him to buy
his first pony. He has five now, keeps them at home and does
all the work himself. Several other Aiken professionals were
instrumental in Jeff’s rapid advancement, polo-wise. Craig Fraser
coached Jeff while he was on the interscholastic team in Aiken.
Billy Rabb helped him to get his other four horses. They both
helped him to refine his skills.
“I’ve worked with Billy the longest,” Jeff said. “He taught me a
great deal about looking professional and acting professional on
and off the field, and especially about the importance of taking
good care of the horses. He brought me up from being a young
rider and took me to where I was selected for Team USPA.”
Other major mentors include several of Aiken’s high goal
players: Owen Rinehart (6 grass, 9 arena), Adam Snow (6 grass,
9 arena) and Julio Arellano (9 grass, 8 arena). “Owen’s changing
the way I’m playing,” Jeff said. “He’s known for telling players to
see the ball the first time and not just tap it, but to use the long
pass. He’s the reason why I’m playing more open and much more
aware of the importance of marking my man, and I’m learning to
hit the ball much longer. Owen has such a quality string of horses
– they really impressed me. I’ve learned to look for a horse with a
good mind and speed, a horse that will take me to where I know I
need to be. The better horses you have, the better you can play.”
One of the most memorable polo experiences for Jeff took place
in spring 2012 when he got the opportunity to play in an eight-goal
tournament in Aiken with fellow Team USPA players Nick Snow
and Will Tankard (both in their 20s and still involved, because
being selected as a developing player requires a long-term
commitment to “give back”), and USPA committee member, Joe
Meyer. Jeff, at 17, was the youngest.
“It went into double over-time, and Nick shot the winning goal,”
Jeff said. “From that match the team went to the finals the next
day, but the sponsor was able to play in that game. So I sat it out
as a spectator, but it was awesome playing in the double-overtime
match.”
Jeff and Team USPA are spending the summer in Sheridan,
Wyoming at the Johnson family’s Flying H Polo Club. He will
continue working with Julio and Owen, who will be on hand for
part of the nearly two-month long “total immersion” polo program.
Hector Galindo, Tommy Wayman and Charles Smith will be three
of the other great polo mentors.
“I’m in awe – it’s amazing playing with these people,” Jeff
admitted. “When you practice with them, you learn so much and
they teach you so much that you can’t learn anywhere else. I’ll
be focused on going to the barn, playing, practicing and working
really hard to become the player I want to be.”
Photos By Elizabeth A. Hedley, USPA National Club Development
Jeff Shuler
Jeff Shuler in action
during Team USPA
practice chukkers
at Everglades Polo
Club, Wellington,
Florida.
