Combine hockey and golf, then play it on horseback. That is what polo is like.
That is how Erica Gandomcar sees it. The 25-year-old, 2003 graduate of Colorado State is one of the top female polo players in the country. Her family has managed the Cottonwood Riding Club, home of the Denver Polo Club, for the past 25 years. This weekend, the club showcases The Invitational, a two-day tournament featuring international competition.
Although Gandomcar will focus on coordinating the event, she will compete in a prestigious tourney in Aiken, S.C., and is fresh from a trip to New Zealand, where she won MVP honors playing for the U.S. women’s team.
She said young women are the fastest-growing membership in the U.S. Polo Association.
“I think it has to do something with more and more women becoming business owners,” Gandomcar said. “I think more women are getting into the workplace and getting the money to get into polo.”
Competitive polo is not cheap. Gandomcar said a tournament player may own six to eight horses, each costing at least $6,000. Then there is another $400 a month to maintain each horse. According to Polo Magazine, the average net worth of a competitive polo player is $996,000.
A tournament polo player usually uses a minimum of three horses per match, which has six periods – or chukkers – lasting seven minutes apiece.
“For a player, the hardest thing is the mental part. It’s like chess, but at 35 mph,” Gandomcar said. “You have a split second to make a decision that could change the outcome of the game.”
Injuries are common. Staying on the horse while bending over to strike the ball isn’t easy. Gandomcar has seen her share of concussions and broken legs to other riders, and has seen horses break their legs. “Fortunately, that really doesn’t happen a lot.”
Gandomcar estimates 30 women in the Denver area play polo regularly. While she does not expect the sport to rival others on a national scale in popularity, she believes more people would become hooked on the sport if they saw a match.
“I’d like to see it where people say, ‘Yeah, I’m going to go out and see the Sunday match and tailgate and watch polo,”‘ she said. “That’s my goal: to share my passion.”
2005 Invitational at Denver Polo Club
When: Gates open at 10:30 a.m., today, match begins at noon
Where: Denver Polo Club, 6359 Airport Road, Sedalia
Tickets: $50 for adults; children younger than 15 free with adult admission. Proceeds benefit the Kempe Children’s Foundation and Southeast Denver Rotary Foundation.
More information: 303-864-5300 or www.denverpoloclub.com
Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-820-5454 or adater@denverpost.com.
