Asides-2208
Written by Sidelines Staff Sunday, 04 July 2010 16:35
The chuck wagon was a big hit at the Wells Fargo ranch tour
Photo by Dena Miller
Catching up: Gene Gass is the latest going-out-of-polo contender. While we’re sorry to see him hang up his mallets, we understand that he’s found a new passion (and one that doesn’t eat) in motorcycle street drag racing.A0 Horses, truck trailer, tack, mallets all available for the right offer, he says. “I still need the rush of speed,” Gene says, and “drag racing at close to 200mph seems to give me that!!!”
Hope all is well.
Hawaiian Mike Dailey checked in to report that son Devon was in Aiken for a while working with Owen Rinehart but is currently back in Hawaii for summer polo on the Island.
Mike says that they are seeing a number of new players coming from China to get lessons and improve their play. JW Hall is coaching the polo school, along with Enrique Diaz, and managing the club as well..... Crowds are bigger than ever... 500 to 800 people every Sunday... They have live bands after the games, skydivers and a grand tailgate party afterwards, so clearly polo is alive and well in Hawaii.
If you’re out Colorado way, look for our fearless leader Samantha Charles, on the back of a motorcycle. She flew out for an adventure with a fellow polo player...is this a new budding romance?
Remember the Sidelines Equestrian Triathlon? It’s baa-ck, only this time another discipline is being added, so it’s now a quadrathlon (that sounds sort of like some sort of dinosaur, doesn’t it?) But never fear, no raptors need apply. This year the event will be held at the Jim Brandon Arena in West Palm on Sunday, January 31, 2011. The event will benefit the Equestrian Aid Foundation again and we are presently looking for both teams and for sponsorship. Tickets will go on sale soon. Call Cetty Weiss 561.282.7495, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Believe it or not Stevie Orthwein turned 30 on June 9th. Polo was rained out but 80+ still came to celebrate. He even had his very own ice cream truck on hand. There were at least 30 people that were also at Stevie’s A0first birthday. What a neighborhood! The youngest guest was 6 weeks old and on up to Big Dolph at 921/2!
Bumps and bruises: Freddie Fortugno is recovering from back surgery in Florida with his devoted partner Linda at his side.
Club news: As we reported earlier, Adolfo Cambiaso is going to Santa Barbara for the very fist time to compete in The Pacific Coast Open this summer.
All the West Coasters are thrilled that Jason Crowder, their hometown California pride and joy, is getting the opportunity to play with Adolfo on John Muse’s Luchesse Team along with Andres Weisz. Sounds like they’ll be the team to beat. But, there 8 very strong teams entered: Audi, ERG, Grant’s Farm (defending, Luchesse, Mansour, Piocho Ranch, Valiente and Zacarra. It promises to be a VERY exciting and beautiful summer in Santa Barbara!!!!
According to Marla Connor, Gulfstream Polo Club has hired Equine Turf Management to upgrade their polo fields for the 2011 season. Work has been under way since May. Gulfstream is playing summer polo with 4-6 goal tournaments every three weeks.
Overbrook Farms in Wagener SC will host a summer polo program. Clint Nangle says it’ll be very relaxed. Give Clint a call at 803-564-6152 for details.
There’s a new polo club in Bend Oregon! Brad Fraley, club president has Henri Dutoit dusting off his spurs to head up the new polo school. The facility boasts two polo fields, a stick-and-ball field and a covered arena with stabling! Bend Oregon has long been home to many polo players and finally they have a club of their own to play at. Henri Dutoit lends many years of expertise in management and instruction as he has been involved in a multitude of clubs from Jackson Hole, Millbrook NY, and Saratoga NY. Good luck to them and we will lookA0for great things to come!
A press time Southampton Polo Club had two tournaments underway, a 4 goal with 9 teams, and the 8 goal Independence Cup with 8 teams. In the 4 goal, Certified with 4 amateur players was turning heads – and winning! Michael Borrico, Larry Austin, Alessandro Bazzoni and Chris DelGatto beat their opposition 9-7! Just goes to show, once again, you can have fun on the field with friends. Let’s save the pros for the higher-goal games, and follow Certified’s lead in some good old fashioned strictly amateur play.
We will add that all four guys plan on entering the 20-goal with their own teams.
The Bear Creek Pony Club got a dynamic and hands?on introduction to polo at a recent clinic hosted by the Polo Training Foundation in Oakdale, CA. Wilbur O’Ferrall and staff went all out to put on a fun and informative clinic for the kids. The Polo Training Foundation provided the polo ponies, and clinic staff carefully selected appropriate mounts for each rider. To schedule a clinic, either in Oakdale, or at a facility close to your own area, contact Wibur O’Ferrall, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Discover Denton has a ranch tour quarterly and is underwritten by Wells Fargo Advisors. They tour four or five ranches in North Texas Horse Country, and once again, Prestonwood Polo was a high point of the tour. Guests enjoyed an authentic chuck wagon at the ranch and were grateful for Prestonwood’s tables and covered pavilion, as they usually eat sitting on hay bales with their plates in their lap. Needless to say, it was a big hit.
One year after a serious motorcycle accident nearly took his life, Claudio Manfrin is back in the saddle, riding horses again in Brazil. Check out PoloZONE.com for a video clip.
