FORHORSEPEOPLE • ABOUTHORSEPEOPLE
SIDELINES JUNE 2014 79
By LaurenR. Giannini
A
fter growing up in Australia, Kerstie Allen took off
to explore the world, literally and figuratively, on
horseback. She has played high goal polo alongside
royalty and some of the best professional players, competed
in rodeo events, and, at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in
Kentucky, played demonstration games as a member of the
USAPoloCrosseWorldCupSquad.
“We won the USA-versus-Australia test match in PoloCrosse
in 2010, and I’ve won best (polo) player in theWCT (Women’s
Championship Tournament), but my biggest achievement so
far has been playing in the 26-goal tournament in Wellington,
Florida,” Kerstie said.
Her first 26-goal experience took place in the semi-finals
match of the Butler Handicap, the subsidiary of the U.S. Polo
Association (USPA)PiagetGoldCuponMarch20.CrabOrchard
team captain and sponsor George Rawlings had been dealing
with a persistent bad knee so Kerstie stepped into the line-up
and stayed in the team through the finals, playing alongside
10-goaler Facundo Pieres, Magoo Laprida (8) and Paco de
Narvaez (8). CrabOrchardwon the 2014Butler Handicap Title.
“It was the greatest honor because I am a 0-goal player,”
Kerstie said. “I’ve never even seen a 26-goal game and to play
in one and win was just a dream come true. I was riding 12
horses I didn’t know at all against top players with really high
handicaps. I played in every match of the Butler Handicap and
wewon every one.”
When it came to the next 26-goal tournament, Kerstie found
herself watching the ultimate high goal polo tournament, the
110th Maserati USOpen. Women have made a lot of progress
inpolo, but there’s still abit of aman’s-worldbias. Polo’sa tough
sport withbumping, ridingoff and racingat speed, andaccidents
can happen to the biggest and the best players and horses.
Kerstie, with her long blonde hair, looks like a girly-girl, but
don’t be fooled by the package, because she takes the concept
of cross training to extremes and thinks way outside of the box.
She enjoys rodeo events and also has a compulsion for the
thrills of snowboarding and wakeboarding. Her grand passion,
truth to tell, is playing polo.
“Polo is physical-mental – you’re in themiddle of seven guys
with mallets, moving at speed on horses, and you don’t get
a second chance if you mess up,” Kerstie said. “Maybe I am
0-goal, but I holdmy own as a player. They usedme against the
other 8- or 9-goal players in thosematches and I heldmy own.
I was hoping to go on to the Open with them, and I was there,
just in case they needed me. I was cheering them on from the
sidelines.”
In a soft Aussie accent, she talks about her dreams and
ambitions.Youcanhear thestrengthofwill behindherwords, the
steely-minded determination and the mind-set that transcends
ordinary common sense about personal limitations. You know
that Kerstiewill figureout away toget where shewants togo. In
fact, she recently signed on to play beach polo for the first time
at the Miami Beach Polo Tournament for team Fontainebleau
Aviation. She’ll then travel to Via Reggio, Italy, to continue
Kerstie and10-goal
player Facundo
Pieres, CrabOrchard
teammates for the
Butler Cup 25-goal
finals championship
Photo byDavidLominska,
Polo, Roping, MountedShooting, Barrel Racing, PoloCrosse:
Is there anythingKerstieAllenCAN’Tdoon ahorse?
