Tareq and Michaele Salahi invited me to
play on the British Polo team while we
were at a Journey concert in Nottingham,
England in February. They were promoting
the Americas cup of Polo there. I had gone
to visit my mother and was on my way to
see a friend in Spain. Playing in the game
seemed like the obvious thing to do, especially
as I now live just outside
Warrenton, Virginia.
I was born in Stratford
upon Avon, England and
started playing polo after
going to an event similar to
the America’s Cup of Polo in
1995. After seeing the game
I took polo lessons and was
immediately hooked. Polo
has since taken over my life.
I now play in the summer
in the Virginia area and
spend my winter holidays
in places such as Argentina,
Chile, Dubai, Jamaica, Spain, |
Uruguay, Columbia and Florida playing in
tournaments. I am on the board of both Great
Meadow Polo club and former Redskin George
Starke’s Excel, a Washington based charity;
and a social committee member of the British
American Business Association.
The whole week of the America’s Cup of
Polo was a whirl for me. It started with HM
Queen Elizabeth’s Garden party, then cocktail
evenings with sponsors such as Ritz-Carlton
and Cartier. A Multiple Sclerosis Society Gala at
Morven Park, plus doing interviews with several
TV stations local newspapers and magazines. But
the best part of it is the people I have met on the
journey. It seemed like everyone knew about the
polo match at Morvern Park – and if they didn’t,
they wanted a ticket. What a terrifi c day thanks to
all the sponsors and supporters. What a game polo
is and we won! Then, it was time to put my hat
on and drink Champagne on the sidelines. |