Resurgent Polo in San Antonio
Polo is once again being played in San Antonio! After several years of inactivity, the San Antonio Polo Club has been
installed in a handsome 120 acre facility in Bulverde, and played its first tournament on Saturday, 10 November. The
San Antonio Cup was won by Club President Ursula Pari who captained the team comprised of her, Bill Askins, Gal
Shweiki, and Keller Henderson during a spirited afternoon duel on the new field.
The Patron of the Club, prominent land developer G.G. Gale, was on hand to present the magnificent trophy and
received a toast of champagne from all players and fans for his kindness and generosity which made the afternoon
possible.
“Polo is a very addictive sport,” said Ursula Pari, who has played since her college days, as she addressed the crowd at
the tournament. “It combines horses, and speed in a difficult ball game that challenges the players like nothing else that
can be done on horseback.”
San Antonio is the birthplace of American polo. The game was first played by former British Army officers who were
ranching in the Boerne area in 1876 and spread quickly to both San Antonio and the New York area. The Long Island
players discovered that Texas cowponies were ideal for playing polo, being considerably faster and handier than the
plugs that they had back east. So trainloads of ponies went north, dramatically improving the Easterners’ game.
Since this beginning so long ago, San Antonio has produced some of the greatest polo players in the United States, to
include the legendary Cecil Smith, the Barry clan, Ray Harrington, Memo and Carlos Gracida, and the most recent
inductee in the Polo Hall of Fame Mike Azzaro. These experts often dominated the game in the United States from the
1930s through the 1990s, working from their home base in the Alamo City while competing in Chicago, New York,
Florida and California. In the era of the ‘70s and ‘80s San Antonio polo was championed by Steve Gose, who built the
absolutely fantastic Retama Polo Center, the biggest polo center in the country with 22 fields, a fine clubhouse, and
stabling for 400 horses on 600 acres in Selma. He hosted the Cup of the Americas where the USA played World
Champion Argentina as well as several U.S.
Open Championships. It was the Mecca for high goal polo during its
twenty year run.
The fields were eventually developed into a housing subdivision, and polo here took a nosedive in the 1990s.
But Ursula Pari, the well-regarded KSAT anchor and veteran player, was determined to keep polo alive here, as it is her
favorite pastime. Working diligently, she has put together a viable club, found it a really nice home in the country and
polo is once again being played with great enthusiasm in the Alamo City; albeit not with the same skill that it was in its
glory days.
Combining with a handful of experienced players who do not relish trekking to Houston or Dallas to play, plus a
growing band of novices and supporters, Ursula has put together a most pleasant club which plays each week at the
new club which is located at 285 Obst Road, Bulverde, adjacent to the Tejas Rodeo grounds.
The club is organized as a charitable 501c (3) corporation and will sponsor various fund raising events for worthy
children’s organizations, Wounded Warriors and the like. The facilities will be available for use by organizers of youth
and charitable groups, and the Club will provide polo as entertainment in conjunction with these activities.
The San Antonio Polo Club is encouraging riders to join the club, take up the sport, bring their friends and learn to play
this game, which is, in the opinion of most players, the best possible thing you can do on horseback!
Lessons are available at the club at $60 a lesson; this includes both a polo pony and the instructor. Lessons by
appointment, and will be available during the week, as well as from 10am on Saturday and Sunday. Doug Brunet, the
Club professional (tel 830 708 6537), is an accomplished player with thirty years of experience and an easy manner
who will teach novices the game. Facilities include a full board barn at $400 a month, a swimming pool, exhibition
arena, a full size field, two practice areas, a lake, a cantina, and a party area; all of which are available for use by Club
members. Annual dues are $150; members must also become members of the United States Polo Association which
has different levels of membership depending on the degree of involvement in the sport. The aim of the San Antonio
Polo Club is to promote the sport of polo, play this demanding and intriguing game, and enjoy our horses.
For further information call the Club at 210-310-9866, or visit the website at www.sanantoniopoloclub.com. You will
be most welcome when you join.
Picture cutlines:
Cover Photo: Bill Askins makes a back shot to his number 1, Gal Shweiki, and turns the play towards the opposing
goal. Photo: Robbin Cresswell
Picture of Ursula:
Ursula Pari, President of the San Antonio Polo Club, makes a goal. Photo: Robbin Cresswell
Trophy Picture:
Club Patron G.G. Gale presents the San Antonio Polo Cup to Ursula Pari, Captain of the veteran San Antonio Team
which decisively beat the young team from Poteet in a thrilling match at the Club grounds in Bulverde. From left to
right: Bill Askins, Ursula Pari, G.G. Gale, Gal Shweiki, and Keller Henderson. Photo: Molly Brunet