Polo breaks ice today

MANILA, Philippines — The Southeast Asian (SEA) Games will officially start with the opening ceremony at the Philippine Arena on Nov. 30 but today, action begins as polo kicks off the competition with two matches in the 4-6 high goal division at the Inigo Zobel facility in Calatagan, Batangas. The first match is scheduled at 1 p.m. and the second at 3 p.m. The Zobel field will be used for the other matches in the same division on Tuesday, Thursday and the medal playoffs next Sunday.

The Miguel Romero facility will be the grounds for the 0-2 low goal division starting Dec. 3. Matches will continue on Dec. 4 and 6 until the playoffs for third and first on Dec. 8.

To celebrate the start of hostilities, we are sharing a piece contributed by former polo player and umpire Hernan Mapua, now 70. Mapua is retired and living in a farm in Nasugbu. Polo and the Zobel family will always have a special place in Mapua’s heart. He was a protégé of both Don Jacobo and Don Enrique Zobel and used to play alongside Inigo.

Mapua said he’ll always remember Inigo for saving his son Nicco’s life. “It was in the pool in Hacienda Bigaa, Calatagan when it happened,” he related. “My family was invited to go swimming with Inigo and his kids. While the kids were swimming, I had to go someplace with my wife Gina. I was reluctant to leave the kids. Nicco was about three years old at the time. We were guests of Don Enrique as I was an umpire in the polo games. When we got back, Nicco was pale and crying, happy to see Gina and me. Apparently, Nicco slipped under the water and Inigo noticed he was having some difficulty. Inigo dove into the water and raised him out. Nicco was coughing but was OK. I thanked Inigo profusely for saving Nicco’s life.”

Here are excerpts from Mapua’s piece which he entitled “Hooves of Thunder.”

“The polo ball whooshed by less than an inch from my right ear. It sounded like it was fired from a cannon and it was. Well, almost. That ball was hit by Cano Gracida, a Mexican polo player with an 8-goal handicap. If that ball hit me on the head, I would’ve gone to the hospital to get my brains put back in my head. I learned many things from Cano, the first being to try not to be in between where he was going to send that solid wooden ball and to keep my head down.

“I was all over the field in those early, heady days when I was a teenager. One practice day, a kindly-looking man motioned for me to come to him. He introduced himself as Jacobo Zobel and this marked the beginning of real improvement in my polo. He would come to every practice game and coach me every chukker. Soon, I outgrew the junior league and was asked by Enrique to join the team he was forming.

“The No. 3 was Enrique’s position – the captain’s position. The No. 4 position is like a goalkeeper in football and since I could hit the ball well, Enrique made me play this position – defense. In one game, points were hard fought and missing a penalty shot spelled the difference between winning and losing. We were awarded a penalty. Enrique rode close to me and said, ‘You hit the ball.’ I was surprised but obeyed nervously. I scored. That grin on my face that day was hard to remove as I took all the penalty shots awarded to our team, scored on all of them and we won.

“Once, Enrique wanted me to try out a new horse. It was young but responsive and well-trained, highly spirited with no vices or bad habits, an ideal polo horse. Readily, I agreed to try playing this horse on his first-ever practice game. When the umpire threw the ball onto the field, it was the one movement the horse was never prepared for. He threw his head back just as I was leaning forward to intercept the ball. The last thing I remembered was landing on the field right in front of the grandstand, my nose broken. When I regained consciousness, they told me that my mom fainted.

“In another game, I had just entered a gallop when my horse stumbled. I could hear horses behind me and remembered not wanting to be trampled. In a split second, I decided to let go and embrace the rider guarding me. Vicente ‘Bu’ Warns said to me, ‘Why, Hernan, I didn’t know you cared.’ With no weight on her back, my horse regained her footing and I my seat but by then, Bu and I were laughing so hard. We became fast friends.

“In the excitement of the game, I heard nothing but my heart beating, the sound of thundering hooves and horses breathing hard and heavy, mixed with the sound of my own breathing and the wind rushing by and the voices of both captains barking commands but little else. Everything but the ball seemed to be a blur. If I could play polo forever, I would.”

For those who’ve never watched polo, the SEA Games will provide a platform of introduction. The Sport of Kings is a thrill because it’s non-stop action with men and horses combining in a skillful display of competitive action.