Dec. 30, '02: HIGH-GOAL CHAMPS IN CALIFORNIA 2002

Eldorado Jan.league ...........................Fish Creek
Sunshine league Boca Raton, Fl. ........Fish Creek
Eldorado Feb.league ........................ Fish Creek
The Barbara Sinatra Skins...................Fish Creek
Robert Skeene (Santa Barbara).........Grants Farm
America Cup " " ....................... Grants Farm
Pacfic Coast Open ............................ Windsor Capital
Rancho Valencia Cup San Diego..........Los Banditos
Spreckels Cup ....................................Madison Square

The Big Winners of it all

Julio Zavaleta ........ + 3
Fred Mannix Sr .......+ 3
Abby Riggs ............ + 2
Matt Ladin ..............+ 2
Andy Busch ............+ 2
Hector Galindo........+ 2
Kris Kampsen..........+ 2
Agustin Zavaleta ....+ 2

Out of all these tournaments and all of the players involved only 8 won 2 or more of the major tournaments. That says a lot about the handicaps. They must be fairly acurate for these players. 3 went up. All played with Fish Creek last winter. There is parity after all.

The big gainers were all in California polo !!!!!

PEE WEE POLO

The program started in 1989, but if we go back 10 years the main group consisted of 10 or 11 and all were short and not rated above - 1. Most of these players were in the 4th grade. Today this is that group.

Laura Linfoot -- College grad. All Star U.S.P.A. college level at Texas A&M.
Kiresten Ludwig - The sexiest polo player alive. College grad. and very solid player from U.V.A.
Dawson Ludwig - 1 goal and done with school. Now on the way. 14-goal Eldorado League champ.
Matt Ladin -- Law student and 3-goals. He has to study. Won Feb./Mar. at Eldorado
Micheal Rhinehart - Quit polo and probably a CEO now.
Daniel Roenisch - 6 goals and still growing.
Jeff Hall - 7 goals the oldest and highest thus far.
Finals U.S. open Finals of Camara Arg.
Manny Questal - gone for 8 yrs. He's back & bigger.
Jason Crowder - 4 goals won Spreckels Cup and lost finals W.P.B. 22-goal.
Fredrick Mannix -6 goals. He is the highest rated amateur in the world and the youngest of them all.
Matt Gonzalez - 5 goals. The noisiest and busiest, but
still moving.
Artie Cameron - 3 goals and a ton of talent. He is too busy to spend time at the barn.

There were others, but not everyday kids. These polo kids show the system works and it works well. There are a whole bunch behind them. If this group of 10 kids who have pursued polo fully can do this well, just think what we could do if we were better organized and had more support from the polo association. Why can't we help more? We raise money and we help foreigners, but send a North American kid to a 10-goal school or Argentina? Come on, we've got to help everybody else that's the way it is.

Bring your kids and play p o l o.
--Steve Crowder

Dec. 26, '02: Are You Ready?

2003 IS SO NEAR. It's time to play polo in the 3rd year of this century. There are 10-22 goal teams in Palm Beach, none at Palm Beach Country Club, but ten at the new place and 5 in Boca Raton. In the desert at Eldorado Polo Club there are, with not much time to enter, 10 teams in the 8-goal, 7 teams in the 4-goal and 5 in the 14-goal for January. There will be plenty of action in the polo world. So where are you sitting, on your hands or in the action? If you are lost call us. You have a very small chance, but just maybe we can make you a thrill seeker in the January League at Eldorado. The fields should be awesome as George and his boys have spent some quality time on them and it shows. Now we just need mother nature to be nice . . .no freezes no rain except Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday. We should have one hell of a year with people coming from 29 states and 6 countries. We will have definitely have fun.

See ya with a team.

P.S. - We have polo players for sale, but very little time.

0 goalers 3
1 " 4
2 " 3
3 " 4
4 " 5
5 " 2
6 " 3
7 " 2
8 : 1
9 " 0
10 " 0

Dec. 21, '02: Turn Out The Lights. It's no longer 1 more time. It is history! 2002 is gone and we look for the New Year, which is just around the corner. Lets roll a brief look back on 2002 which is simple since the ink is not yet dry. Some simple facts of the last 345 days, with 10 left to go.

When Big Mac Fred Mannix Sr. & MACHO MAN Julio Zavaleta play together (Fish Creek Team) they always win. The last time they lost a tournament in Eldorado was in 2000, 24 months ago.

FREDRICK MANNIX Jr. became the highest-rated amateur in the world and he is not 18 yet. Do not tell Beverly. Daniel Roenisch, Fredrick Mannix, Jr. and Jason Crowder all played in Florida, 22 goal. Jeff Hall became the highest-rated Pee Wee polo player in the world from El Dorado at 7 goals.

Lisa Bosstick won the Spreckels Cup being the first woman to do it all. Erick Friden became handicap chairman of the P.C. circuit.

The polo fields in Santa Barbara and El Dorado were in the worst condition since 1991. J.P. became the first dribbler to hit the ball in 2 years. Windsor Capital won the Pacfic Coast Open.

Susan Stovall got John to clean his car a Lexus or a Focus I forget. Abby Riggs won 5 of the 10 best tournaments in California. We lost the real horse whisperer "JAMES RICE." But you know what, we Enter the best year of our POLO LIVES in 2003. San Diego will become a destination polo club and Santa Barbara will recover and El Dorado will be the place to rock and roll. Cerro Pampa will become a polo paradise.

POLO WILL S U V I V E AND SO WILL W E.

SEE YA

Dec. 19, '02: The End - 2 0 0 2 is nearly dead and gone. Last week was the end of the Argentine Open and the World Gym. It was also the end of the Palomino's winning streak since the start of Spreckel's Cup Sept. 18th. His long list of wins ended on Dec. 15 in O.T. It is the end of a pretty good year for California polo, based on the economy situation. We had a very good Skins Tournament in Eldorado and a normal Governor's Cup. Santa Barbara was slow as was San Diego early in their season's, but the Rancho Valencia and Spreckel's Cups were awesome. The Fall polo in Indio has been magnificent with a great turn out from everywhere. So maybe it's the beginning of a new good year, not just the end of a year.

It is, however, the end of the year for your U.S.P.A. dues, so pay them as they are pretty cheap in comparison to everything else in polo. Did you know that in 1890 the dues were $50.00. Today, 113 years later, they are $200.00. A 100 pounds of oats was 6 cents, a shoeing 50 cents, a groom was happy to live and a player was rich and paid his own way and a pro was in the far future. It is no wonder the organization of polo is so behind. No one ever has paid to organize and build a future. It's like a volunteer fire department. If you want to help you can and that is why we are not only one of the oldest sports in the U.S.A., but the oddest one as well. We go down when others grow. Bbaseball, basketball, hockey, basketball, volleyball, etc., have came after polo and went miles farther than polo. If we paid good (higher) dues maybe we would have the people needed to make it a sport paid for by the public instead of for the public. We would have stadiums, fans of 20,000 as they did in 1920 and it would cost patrons much less and there would be more of them. We might even be able to afford good insurance and a retirement fund. Polo could be a real sport for the sponsors to buy time for. Someone reading this just might have an answer lets hear it.

We are creeping to an end I do not like, the end of g o o d "p o l o"
and the only reason is cost. Lets fix it.

The end is not near, we should not fear, just get off our dear old butts and fix it.

See ya one more week in 02. -- Steve Crowder

Dec. 16th, '02: Desert Storm - Well the champs are leaving Vegas and down south in Argentina, the Merlos Brothers are wearing their first world title. In Indio it was Trump time as they had a big win with an overtime goal in the 3rd or 4 minute. It was a kids battle as the Palomino (Jason Crowder) and new kid on the block Juan Martin Zavaleta (JMZ) shot it out. JMZ put the last one through as Cassidy West missed too many goal shots (like 6). The French Connection (Caroline Anier) and JMZ with Rhi Hosea and Randy Russel banging back up to them. The Trump 29 team is now the World Gym Champions 2002. It was a great tournament and we all should thank Mike Uretz for his sponsorship of this big and exciting event. The crowds in Las Vegas and Buenos Aires were probably bigger, but the try was the same. There is one more week of wild weekends and it starts next Saturday. Your last chance in 2002, so enter up n o w !

See ya. --Steve Crowder

Dec. 15th, '02: Desert News - We'll start down south as they are 5 hours ahead of us. The big boys are going at it at 5 p.m. The question is . . .can the Merlos Boys win the Open? They have a very good chance today, so we will see. Pee Wee Head Of The Class Mr. Jeff Hall is turning up the heat down South and is in the Camaro Cup Finals. He is 7 goals here or there. Many times Big stick Mariano Gonzalez is in the finals of the Provencia Cup on Sunday. In the Desert it's the Palomino (Jason Crowder) and Mighty Mike Matz trying to put Cassidy West through to the World Gym Cup Finals. They play Leather CPR next. The Galindo Kids hit the field agai0ist another Kid named Zavaleta (Juan Martin Zavaleta). He is a 16 yr. old reflection of J U L I O and has that same smile, which is trouble for someone. He is with the French Connection (Caroline Anier) as they look for the finals. IN LAS VEGAS there will be 8 people wearing those big gold buckles tomorrow night and just like Buenos Aires and Indio, they will all say WORLD CHAMPIONS and they will be. See ya at the finals

--Steve Crowder

Dec. 14th, '02: World Class Stomping - Well it was stomping time for a few today in Las Vegas. A bull rider scored 95 and in Buenos Aires it was Cambiaso scoring 16 goals, during the best polo in the world. The Merlos brothers won their first Open. In Indio it was stomping time as the French Connection (Caroline Anier) and Young Juan Martin Zavaleta put a whooping on G&L, which is not nice as they beat them by 7 goals. In the other bracket the Palomino (Jason Crowder) did a tap dance on Leather CPR as he scored 8 goals. They are headed to the finals in the World Gym on Sunday Mighty Mike Matz took Cassidy's place and did his job and shut Leather CPR.

So you just need to know where you're going. I never did, but I will be at the finals. --Steve Crowder.

Dec. 12. '02: Explosions This Weekend. Where horses meet humans this weekend from Las Vegas to Buenos Aires and in the middle of it all is Indio,Ca. It is the World Championships of the rodeo in Las Vegas. In Buenos Aires it is the Polo World Championships and in Indio,Ca its the Word Gyms Championships. Wherever it is, it is man against beast or man and beast. Who is really the beast? Is it the horse or the rider? Well in Las Vegas its probably the horse. In B.A. maybe 1/2 and 1/2 and in Indio its the rider. Why? Well in Las Vegas if the horse isn't bucking he is carrying the man to his fortune. In B.A. it is the best of 2 worlds for the best horses and 6 of the best players in the world come to meet for 56 minutes of mano a mano and four men will wear the world title for the next 12 months as they will in Las Vegas and Indio. You will find the muscle men riding horses. So, if you're stuck in the snow . . . sorry. It is nice in all 3 of these places and it will be hot this weekend. If they are not exploding from the chutes they will be exploding down the field. So be there for the fireworks or sit by the fire and watch it all on T.V. The World Gym will be on later. Remember sexy Kristy Waters, a 1-goal cyclone when she was here? Well she has her own Cyclone now. Kristy is married to Mike Outhier, who is winning some big $ in Las Vegas in the saddle bronc riding so he can support her polo. See ya. --Steve Crowder.

Crowder Polo Report Archives 2002

Nov. '02|Oct. '02 | Sept. '02 | Aug. '02 |
July '02 | June '02 | May '02 |April '02 |
March '02 | Feb. '02 | Jan. '02

Dec. 10, '02: $$$$ There Were Fur For The Dollars

It takes 4 to win and it was a job for all 4 as they did it in the ladies way in the 2002 Debii Dollar Tournament. In Bracket A it was the Kathy Bachelor show as she did it her way and it was the right way. She led her team to a big one and they shut the door on the Cowgirls and the Buckskin Babes took home the main sliver. The riding reporter, Diane Hensley, held it together and put in a couple of big ones for the Buckskin Babes.

In Bracket B it was a showdown as Dell'Aqua beat the Caroldean's Body & Sole without her sexy body out there. She is recovering from a hospital stay and they needed her gorgeous-- out there. They fell twice to Dell'Aqua and California Polo with their own sexy lady Miss Jessica Bailey. She came up a little short to Gypsum enterprises with the French Connection (Caroline Anier), but went home with the consol trophy. Then in the big one it was a nail biter as Kate Weber from Deer Creek showed it all and was 1 jump ahead of the Gypsum team. She took the Flashy Jersey's of Dell'Aqua to the winners circle and put them on the winners pedestal. They were just a little better on that day than Sexy Shannon and the French Connection. It was a very good game and both teams would whip 90% of the boys in the World Gym tournament.

The French Connection (Caroline Anier), is doing very well in the World Gym Tournament. She is undefeated with a new boy on the block, Mr. Juan Martin Zavaleta, a 16 year old wonder boy who is showing that Zavaleta style "winning" just like Macho Man (Julio Zavaleta). They put a whipping on the tournament sponsor on Saturday, World Gym, and came back on Sunday to make a long day for Mycom as Trump 29 is not being tromped on this week. It was a busy days for the boys in World Gym as produced by Mike Uretz, who has a son named Wiley in the saddle, who is about 13 years old. Cassidy West, G & L and San Diablo are all on the road to a showdown. Cassidy West got by White Oak and JHHE and is looking for next Saturday. G & L went past Mycom and World Gym over the weekend and San Diablo still has a shot at the title. When all the numbers are added up we will let you know who is and who isn't in the silver run next Saturday afternoon. Be there

We would like to say it was great hving Ms. Theresa over from Arizona and having Shannon here and seeing Jessica back on a horse in Eldorado, it was GREAT! Best of all we got to see the Walking Doll Miss. Dorie Forestman and as usual she looks good and seems happy. It was so cool to see that lady.

See ya at the GYM. -- Steve Crowder

Dec. 10th, '02: As The Sun Sets On 2002

Well it started where it left off in 2001. In Jan., Feb., and March FISH CREEK was king. Macho Man (Julio Zavaleta) kept the trophy room full. Julio and The Big Mac (Fred Mannix) won them all as they did in the 2001 season. The Governor's Cup was just another page in the Dayelle and Bob Bradley's book of wins. It was Grant's Farm who ruled Santa Barbara when Windsor Capital wasn't. Grant's Farm did a slam dunk on the 12-goal tournaments and the Pacific Coast Open. It was super sexy Lisa Bosstick winning the big one (Spreckels Cup) in San Diego and sharing most of the other tournament wins with sweet Suzanne Figi. These two ladies were in victory lane all summer long.

It was also a year of sadness. The polo world lost some of it's most celebrated people . . . Big Gee and James Rice went upstairs. Dorie Forestman was seriously injured in a horse-related accident as was Justin Pimsner. Just last week it was Big Jim Hunter taking a hard fall.

It was also a hard year on our 4 legged teammates. Our equine polo stars had a bad year as well. Artie Cameron lost his star partner. Jason Crowder lost Roscoe and Francisco Lanusse lost Victory. I know there were more, so let us know and we will print it, because without them why and how are we here?

Well the circuit lost Seth Herndon to retirement and Big Mac Jason hung up his spurs and Geri Dardi and Tracy Lewis took up golf. It's been a dry year, but few fires. Hell, it's a great way to start 2 0 0 3 and build a fire under your team, so lets roll. See ya at polo soon. -- Steve Crowder

Dec. 6, '02: Women In Polo, They Are Here To Stay!

We have a lot of ladies in polo and they are making their mark. Sue Sally Hale started it and we've never looked back. Her daughter Sunny was the first woman to win the U.S. OPEN and was the highest-rated female polo player in the world for several years. The last thing in the world was to have someone say "Don't worry it's just a girl, because no one even worried about it. She was and still is a polo player.

Eldorado is the breeding grounds for tomorrow. At Eldorado there are about 30 women competing for the Debii Dollar Tournament. Debii Dollar was a lady in boots or bells. She knew it was a boys sport and it was mano vs. mano, take no prisoners attitude. That's the way it is in the Debii $$ you have 32 women on a roll from CEO's to cowgirls and there will be no quarters given as they pull on their boots and let the big horses roll. Women have become major players in polo. Miss. JOHNSON WON THE U.S. Open. Miss Riggs won 2 of 3 of the biggest tournaments in California. So you should come and see them play. You will see real polo with an edge. They are prettier than the guys and built a whole lot better. It all starts at 10 a.m. Sat. morning we will be there.

See ya. - Steve Crowder

Dec. 5th, '02: Injury Report & World Gym Update

James Hunter is looking for his horses and doing better as he is out of intensive care and in the hands of some very nice nurses as ''usual." Dorie Forestman is as beautiful as ever. She is flying as usual even though in a chair and doing as expected by all, better than anyone else in her case.

Justin Pimsner is supposed to be doing well, but no updated reports. At last report he was healing well. Give them a call. Polo is a small world and we have all been there!

On the other front, the World Gym starts Saturday and looks to be a full house. We have a few new people in town from Germany and Malaysia. We already have an Englishman, a few Argies and a couple of Mexicans and if you enter soon maybe a few North Americans.

Its world class and its not a weight lifters class, just
polo. Even though Fish Creek got out-horsed last Sunday. The Canadians will play again as Mr. Pettigrew went back to work in the frozen tundra. Come see us and do not bring your sweats just your whites. It's World Gym at the Eldorado Polo Club.

See ya. --Steve Crowder

Dec. 1, '02: Demolition

Sunday was a gorgeous day weather wise, but it was a bad day for TRUMP and Fish Creek 2. They ran into a Palomino (Jason Crowder) on a wild ride and it was Mercari putting a royal butt whipping on them both. Lee Pettigrew
took off a couple of weeks from cold Calgary to do a little deal making (that's what Mercari means "the deal"). Ask Trump or Fish Creek if it was a bad deal for them as Lee & the Rocking Doc (Mike Manno) made it fly. Mercari did a trounce on Trump and picked up where they left off after a break and did some fly fishing on Fish Creek.

It was Cassidy West putting the crunch on Magellan and Artie Cameron in the consolation finals. MR JIM HUNTER, one of the best men in polo, was seriously hurt in a wreck in the morning match at 10:30. We hear he is doing better today, but still in intensive care at desert hospital. Hopefully he will be out of the hospital and in a meeting room tomorrow. If you want to meet some beautiful women go see him. There will be plenty there as I have never seen him without one. GOOD LUCK JAMES AND HOPE YOU HAVE A SPEEDY RECOVERY.

The World Gym starts Saturday. See you there.

Dec. 1 '02 Part 3: The Patron

It's simple. Think like this . . . do we exist?

polo clubs
polo grooms
polo players
polo managers
polo umpires
field managers
field workers

The answer is as easy as it is "NO." Without the patron, we are not needed. As we all have said this and that about so many patrons, it's all good if we think about it. We need them and they do not need us. It's like it is if they can afford to play polo they sure can afford not to. What do we need? We need them. There are good and great and some we do not want, but that is just the way it is. At one time long ago there were patrons who were happy to pay to play as the best seat in the house, but that was yesterday and yesterday is gone. In the new world 90 % of the new patrons are from 25 to 50 and are very successful people. They are bosses, CEO's or a major player in their world and they play polo because they want to. They want to have fun and they want to "play polo" not just watch polo. They are a force in the team and if you disagree, go home and find a job now, so you do not waste your time because you are wasting it. Patrons are usually tough and often athletic people who love excitement, danger and speed. They want to have fun. For the patron, polo is a hobby and that's the way it is. You have super patrons who want to win at all costs. You have good patrons who want to win the old fashion way "work for it." There are some other patrons who want to beat their peers and do it on a string with out spending much. You know who usually wins in that case, but they are all part of polo and that's the way it is!

So we as polo people need to make them want us as we need them. We need to make it fun for them, no matter what your thoughts are. Polo is a sport of kings and the patrons are our "KINGS" and often our Queens. Do not forget it
and you will have a wonderful life in polo.

See you at polo.