Ranks of Poloists Growing as Both Sexes Join Game

The ranks of polo aficionados in Orange County are growing and now number about 200 riders, said part-time instructor Barry Densa of Dana Point.

Densa teaches beginners at Sycamore Polo Club’s new arena, near the San Juan Capistrano Mission.

Despite the image of polo players, Densa said, you don’t have to be a millionaire to play.

“Yes, good polo horses are expensive and cost around $7,000. But for beginner purposes, you can find a basic polo horse for about $1,000 to $1,500,” he said.

To help the thrifty, Sycamore has plans to buy a string of polo ponies to provide its riders, he said.

The rough and tumble competition is enjoyed by all economic levels and both sexes, he said, adding that ages vary from as young as 11, to 76-year-old Pam Storey, a member of the Winston Polo Club in Anaheim.

“But with club-level play, most injuries are to the ego rather than the body,” he said. “It’s like skiing, when you get ahead of yourself it can be a dangerous sport. Especially if you’re aggressive.”

Club play is different from “big time” field competition which can be found at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, considered the nation’s largest for arena polo. The center is part of a polo circuit for serious players which includes about six sites in Southern California.

In arena play, there are only three riders on a side who play during seven-minute periods or chukkers, as they are called, he said.

But camaraderie is high among the horse set, he said.

“It’s an infectious disease. I’ve been playing only two to three years, and I considered it my love and my life,”

And the sport does have its perks.

Champagne bottles are uncorked as part of the victory celebration, and the bubbly is passed among riders.

“But if you fall off your horse, you have to buy a case of beer for the entire team,” Densa said.