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Monday, October 31 2011 / Published in Weekly Feature

Always Playing With My Family

Writing this may be the hardest and most gratifying thing I ever do. While my heart aches with loss, I am overwhelmed with the compulsion to tell the story of a woman who played a million chukkers of polo in her lifetime, without ever swinging a mallet.

Audrey Klein was my great-grandmother, and perhaps the most amazing cheerleader you ever could have asked for.  In a family of polo players and self proclaimed horse crazy kids and grandkids, she was completely out of her element.  She thought the horses were beautiful, but they made her unbelievably nervous.  Although she’d occasionally ridden in her younger years, as time progressed and the obsession grew within her family, she found her niche not in the saddle, but rather on the fence of the arena, cheering as loud as she could at every gymkhana, polo tournament, horse show and rodeo that her grandchildren and great-grandchildren entered.  Her daughter Carolyn met her future husband Russ Sheldon in Michigan, while he delivered newspapers from his Shetland pony on the cobblestone streets of Port Huron.

A Horse Crazy Family

Audrey always said that should have been the first red flag of what her life had in store.  That seemingly innocent beginning would prove to be the catalyst of a horse crazy family that would root itself in sunny southern California and forge three generations of polo players.  The Sheldon clan has had much success and publicity over the years for polo as a “family affair,” which was graciously embraced by Audrey as the blessing that kept her family so close together.

Audrey with her polo playing family at granddaughter Sherry Sheldon Gibson's wedding

Although Russ had found polo in Michigan through polo Hall of Famer and friend Merle Jenkins, it was when the family, including Audrey and her late husband Bill, moved to California that things really got moving in an irreversible avalanche of horses and polo that would cascade from her son-in-law to her youngest great-grandson.  To anyone who knew her, she was a constant balance of support, from making food for players and spectators during tournaments at the Poway Valley Riders Association, to also acting as a yearly sponsor for the club’s activities without ever riding a horse herself on the property.

Always a Cheerleader

She cheered as loud as her family would allow at any and all games she attended, and with an avid diligence that began when my mother was in high school, she pulled out her “lucky green man” for each game played. Now, to anyone who knew her, the “lucky green man” was a token that was not to be taken lightly.  The pocket sized troll held her streak of luck, and rubbing his head allowed her to share it with everyone important to her, even when she couldn’t physically be there herself.  From USPA Governor-at-Large elections for Russ, to 20 goal tournaments in Florida and California for great-grandsons Shane and Jared, the “little green man” sat faithfully on her nightstand, head rubbed until a phone report later in the day told her how the games had turned out.  She listened with patience as whoever called gave a chukker by chukker highlight reel of all the important events of a game.  Whichever horse played the best for you that day, well that one was her favorite.  When her family won tournaments playing together, that was the best.  When family played against each other, she rooted for both teams.  She was a constant source of support, diplomacy and love in a sport that had no interest to her beyond the fact that it was important to the people most important to her.

A Final Journey

This past winter at 87 years of age, Audrey made the trip to Wellington, Florida to see what all the excitement was about concerning high-goal polo that she had heard so much about.  The weekend she came out, I was playing in the WCT Arena Women’s Tournament at El Sur Polo Club. She and “the little green man” sat alongside the arena in her wheelchair, cheering and coaching between chukkers as she embraced every moment of me playing the sport that seemed to anchor our family.  It was windy, so she put earmuffs on.

Audrey Klein and great-granddaughter Danika Rice at the last polo game she attended, the 2011 WCT Arena Tournament at El Sur Polo Club in Wellington, FL

It was late, so she drank some coke to not feel so tired.  There was nothing to dissuade her from supporting my passion. She told my teammates how proud she was of them; she told my horse Strawberry what a great horse she was for trying so hard for me.  I told her then that I wished she knew what it felt like to me to play this game, and that was when she told me “there’s not a chukker I haven’t played with you.  I listen to everything you tell me, and I imagine it’s me.  I always play with my family”

This past September, we unexpectedly lost my great-grandmother at a hospital in Michigan.  It is difficult to explain the void of not calling to tell her about my games or that Jared will soon be playing in Texas alongside Shane.  I write this not about a great polo player, but rather about the most important of polo supporters.  She is a shining example of the reason why so many of us continue to have our horses, to play again and again in spite of challenges.  She is among the many who selflessly sit on the sidelines as a coach, mentor and friend to our crazy passions.  So to the horse show moms, polo coaches, cheerleaders and selfless sacrificers….THANK YOU will never be enough.

-Danika Rice

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2 Comments to “ Always Playing With My Family”

  1. Lillian Heller says :
    November 10, 2011 at 12:41 am

    Just beautiful. Love is forever.

  2. Tobi says :
    November 11, 2011 at 2:55 pm

    This is a beautiful tribute.

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Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses—in a way, she was born into her career. She grew up in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where her parents ran a farm. Her mother taught, and her father had a jump business and then created one of the first horse show software programs: Ryegate Show Services, Inc.

Riding all her life, Annette spent many years as a groom and loved it, but knew it wasn’t what she wanted to do as a career. After she finished college, Annette’s father recruited her to help process entries at Ryegate. Since her father, Lloyd Longenecker, founded it in 1981, Ryegate has provided show management and office staff for some of the largest shows in the country. Now, Annette has taken over from her father and directed the company as it focuses on managing memberships and rankings for organizations such as the North American League, WIHS Championships and Equitation, Rolex/USEF Computer Ranking and National Medal Series (THIS NCM and Ariat NAM). Ryegate also provides scoring software for use with video walls, and production teams for hunter and jumper shows.

“Besides running Ryegate Show Services and its various organizations, I can be found in the show office, running a scoreboard or judging jumpers at most shows,” Annette said. “I love getting to wear a few different hats at the show.”

When she’s not busy at a show, Annette lives in Annville, Pennsylvania, with her “fur-baby,” Maggie Mae, and enjoys spending time with her many godchildren. Though she doesn’t currently own any horses, Annette rides when she can at Rolling Acres Farm with Patty Foster, Ashley Foster-Worthington and Mary Lisa Leffler.

Read this month unbridled with Annette Longenecker by clicking the link in our bio. Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine! 🦄
📸Photo by Sheryl Sutherby

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A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself The spor A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself 
The sport of eventing is a demanding and mentally challenging discipline that requires a combination of physical and mental fortitude from both the rider and horse. While having a coach can be incredibly beneficial, self-coaching can also play a crucial role in a rider’s success.

I think that given the opportunity, most riders would like to be coached every day. The reality of life in the horse world, however, is that the majority of us need to absorb as much from the lessons we have on a limited basis and then practice those skills at home to improve.

When I am riding, I try to have a plan for the horses each day and focus on what I’m looking to achieve. It’s important to be aware of the steady improvements rather than trying to solve everything all at once. This is especially important when teaching horses new movements or exercises that they might struggle with, and we need to give them time to learn and understand what we are asking for.

I have a couple of quotes that I use regularly when I’m teaching, and these are mottos that I hold myself to in my daily work as well.

The first is, “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.” This is a quote that was said to me many years ago when I was still motor racing and I keep it in the back of my mind each day. It’s easy to get stuck doing the same thing every day with your horse and bad habits are hard to break, from both riders and horses!

This leads me to my next quote, which is, “If what you are doing isn’t working, try something else.” It really is as simple as that! Many riders I see keep asking a horse to do something the same way over and over with an ongoing negative response and they wonder why things don’t get better. In these circumstances, I recommend that the rider change something, even if it’s wrong.

Read the full article by clicking the link in our bio! Don’t forget to keep your eye out for our April subscription!
📸Photo by Alex Banks Photography
The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here and we are so excited to feature three-day eventer Liz Halliday on the cover! Big thanks to photographer Melissa Fuller for the beautiful photo of Liz and Cooley Nutcracker- Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing. Liz and her horses have taken the eventing world by storm - and find out how Liz is at the top of the sport as a female eventer! As the horse world gears up for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event 2023, it's the perfect time to enjoy our eventing issue!! We also feature eventer and woman entrepreneur Frankie Thieriot Stutes, who is not only an eventer, but also runs Athletux and FRANKIE CAMERON handbags and accessories. And don't miss our eventing story on Robert "Bobby" Costello, who will be leading the US Eventing team to the 2024 Paris Olympics- and US Equestrian has named Bobby the eventing technical advisor/chef d'equipe!! Liz, Frankie and Bobby all have GREAT stories - don't miss any of them and don't forget to get your tickets for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event! We are also excited to introduce you to hunter-jumper rider Casey Lorusso Smith, who is not only a talented rider but also a psychotherapist and incorporates horses into her career. If you are up for adventure, then read the story on dressage rider Priscilla Baldwin who certainly doesn't let any grass grow under her feet! We also head to the west coast to catch up with hunter-jumper trainer Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farm, we feature beautiful art by equestrian artist Tammy Tappan, and we get to know Miranda Jones and her family. Miranda is not only an attorney who spends a lot of time in the courthouse, but she's a rider and spends lots of time riding, and is joined by her daughters also! We are excited to feature Stephanie Lightner in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists George Williams, Robert R.L. Jacobs and Margie Sugarman! It's a great issue - and you can read it online, but don't forget to go to the website and order a subscription and get every issue delivered to your mailbox!! Enjoy this issue and enjoy the ride: Link in bio!!
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