CINCINNATI (FOX19) – Since 1913, the Cincinnati Polo Club has been providing unique, family-centered sporting events and giving horses a new lease on life.
Many of the horses at the club are repurposed racehorses.
Cincinnati Polo Club member Keith Potter says the horses at the club must be trained for the sport before getting on the field.
“They come off the track at three, four, five years old and we take them off the track, teach them how to stop, run the other way, and how to play polo,” Potter explains.
Potter says if the horse does not like what the game of polo requires, they will not play them.
“You’ve seen horses run in a field, loose, that’s what they do,” says Potter. “They run, stop, turn, go, and that’s what we do out here, and if a horse doesn’t like that, we don’t play them. We spend a lot of time and money teaching them and playing, and if they’re not willing to bump, or stop, or turn, you’re in a disadvantage because a horse is 80 percent of the game.”
When you watch the game, it seems these horses enjoy it as much as the players.
“It’s adrenaline, it’s fun, it’s fast, it’s dangerous, it’s exciting, and the horses love it,” says Potter.
It is fun for not only horses and players, but for the spectators as well.
The matches are open to the public and it is a great way to get together with friends. Some bring tents and set up elaborate spreads of food and drink, while others sit on the tailgate and enjoy a beer.
If you are interested in learning more about the game of polo, the Cincinnati Polo Club plays at Chatsworth Field on the first and third Saturdays of the month up until October.
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