Canada's oldest running club of its kind is fostering a stream of newcomers.
Canada's oldest running club of its kind is fostering a stream of newcomers.
The Calgary Polo Club in DeWinton's wide range of offerings extend from elite international competitions to incremental instruction of individuals who've never been on a horse at the facility's burgeoning riding academy.
“That's one of the most difficult things we face is all those misconceptions surrounding the sport,” said Okotokian Kyle Fargey, instructor of the Calgary Polo Club's academy. “That it's elitist, you need to be blue blood, it's prohibitively expensive and it's not necessarily welcoming to new people that come out.
“Polo has been in the Calgary area since 1890, but if you were to do a poll of people in the area the vast majority wouldn't know that we're here. Let alone that might be an option for them to come out.”
Polo student James Scott drew inspiration from watching royalty take in the sport, boldly stating “I could do that.”
Armed with virtually no experience on a horse, Scott signed up for lessons and quickly found a passion for the game with deep roots in the southern Alberta ranching community.
“You've got the vision of polo from watching it on TV with the prince and you're thinking maybe people aren't going to accept you, you're not going to fit in,” Scott said. “It's the exact opposite. It is the mostly friendly environment I think I've ever been involved in.”
Fargey had a more direct line into the sport.
Growing up in Manitoba his father got involved in polo and cultivated a small club like setting in the backyard.
Enter the Calgary Polo Club. Fargey was brought on board over a decade ago at a time it was looking to add members through a new stream.
“I really enjoy sharing the sport and it was sort of a juncture where the club was looking to grow membership,” he said. “We needed the new bodies and it was something of interest to me. As it has grown over the years a lot of people coming through the academy that are now members are some of my best friends given the amount of time I spend up there.”
The academy now boasts 10 school horses used strictly for lessons which run six days a week. Fargey estimates this summer will see close to 200 students undergo varying degrees of instruction.
“It's a process. I tell people that because it can be a bit daunting,” Fargey said. “Surprisingly a lot of people we get out really have little to no riding background. Even those that do whether that's from hunter jumper, western, polo is such a different discipline that the riding style is unique to that sport.”
The foundation is built around getting students comfortable with the horse along with learning the basic mechanics of riding while also working in the nuts and bolts of the sport.
What sounds incredibly difficult is made quite simple.
“Kyle and Megan (Kozminski, an instructor) make you comfortable from day one,” Scott said. “You're nervous, at least I was, never being on a horse before, and they take you through it step by step and have a multitude of courses for every range of ability.
“As you improve they have horses that will improve with you.”
Students are given access to a hitting-cage facility with a wooden horse – polo's version of batting practice – where newcomers get comfortable with hitting and riding simultaneously.
From there the transition is made from wooden to real life horse.
Riders are supplied with helmets, mallets and all equipment to start the learning process.
Everyone advances at their own pace.
“We're super leery about creating an environment that's first and foremost safe and secondly fun and enjoyable,” he said.
“Those 10 school horses we have are absolutely incredible as far as their patience and understanding and ability to transition these people that really are not necessarily with a great background in horse rising.
“I always tell people their default speed is basically a standstill and to get them from a standstill you've got to do a lot of coaxing to get them into a walk and transition into a trot. If people are having visions of watching high goal polo on TV with the horses tearing around and all that action, that's not what they will experience in their first lesson.”
Scott ranks as one of the best success stories out of the academy.
Not only a keen enthusiast of the sport, Scott has purchased his own polo horse and is now advanced enough to play in club league tournaments shoulder to shoulder with professionals including a certain instructor.
“(Kyle) really kept me inspired,” Scott said. “It's definitely a milestone. I almost feel like I could have stepped in last year, but because I kept with the training, stepping in this year I'm definitely not the slowest out there.
“It's about having fun, but (Kyle) whether he was teaching a pro or me, he teaches me and other people the same way, with the same intensity, same professionalism, wanting you to achieve. It's just a great environment out there.”
