68 SIDELINES APRIL 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
said John. “Tim Gannon has sponsored or given away millions
of dollars to charity. What’s even nicer is that Tim’s son Chris is
following in his dad’s footsteps. He organizes the Charity Polo
Classic to raise funds for three Tampa charities Tim has been
involved with, and I’ll be playing in it again this year.”
When John recalled last year’s Windsor Charity Polo Cup
that he co-chairs at Vero Beach, he started dropping names:
“We had Memo Gracida, Hall of Fame 10-goaler, Mike Azzaro,
another great 10-goaler – he was just inducted into the Hall of
Fame, Lucas Monteverde – 9-goaler and always in the Argentine
Open, Salvatore Ferragamo, Nick Manifold, Tommy Biddle, Julian
Daniels. I scored three goals. We had a phenomenal 20-goal
game for three charities.”
In June, John will again lend his celebrity by playing in the Van
Metre Polo Cup at Great Meadow, The Plains, Virginia, to raise
funds for Capital Caring. “They broke ground for the Van Metre
hospice which ought to open this summer,” said John. “Tim and I
have played in many benefts together for charity – he really sets
the bar high for other players and padrones. Tim is always there.
He never says no. He brings the food.”
At the Van Metre Polo Cup John and Tim will be joined by
Nacho Figueras, the face of Black Watch and Ralph Lauren Polo,
and Salvatore Ferragamo, president of Il Borrio (vineyard and
luxury hotel in Italy) and scion of the Ferragamo fashion empire
that started with shoes and expanded into clothing.
“It’s great to be at Great Meadow on a lovely day for the Van
Metre Cup,” John said. “I’ve played in lots of charity games with
Nacho – he’s such a gracious guy – last year he few in from
Singapore. Salvatore came over from Italy, Tim came from New
York – we gather from all over to play for a great organization,
Capital Caring. Polo is a good way to create awareness about
charities. I believe you have to give back.”
Continued on page 70
John Walsh, host of America’s Most Wanted, and Nacho Figueras, supermodel for Ralph Lauren Polo, high-fve spectators at the
conclusion of the Van Metre Polo Cup to raise funds for Capital Caring.
Hayden Walsh, like his father, has a passion for polo and plans
to play in college. His older siblings are Callahan, who runs their
father’s production studio in Washington, D.C., and Meghan, who
gave John and Revé their frst grandchild last fall.