Ride Those Ponies

For most, “Polo” calls to mind a tiny emblem on an overpriced shirt.

But some—like Crocker Snow Jr. ’61, the coach of the newly formed Harvard Polo Club—insist that while polo’s “image is white britches...the reality is dungarees.” Read: no Ralph Lauren.

The Harvard Polo Club has existed sporadically since the mid-1800s. Thanks to Harvard Extension School student and co-captain Michael G. Svestka, this equine extracurricular has come back into fashion, hopefully in conjunction with the embroidered polo’s departure (it really is time to throw out those popped collars, guys). One of Svestka’s first recruits was co-captain Nicholas B. Snow ’09, who conveniently came with his polo-loving father and new coach, Snow the elder.

According to Janice C. Jun ’07, the director of the club, polo is typically Harvardian in the complexity of its rules. “It’s a very intellectual sport,” she says.

An intellectual sport, and an expensive one—members of the club must pay forty dollars per bi-weekly practice at Castleneck Farms in Essex.

Unsurprisingly, what with the intellectual, economic, and equestrian prereqs, the club has remained small, with just five men and four women on each respective team.

But even with such scant numbers, the team is optimistic. Most members headed to Texas over intersession for an intensive four-day training session with Katherine T. “Cissie” Jones, who is renowned in the (admittedly small) American polo scene, and is also Crocker Snow’s fiancé.

The Harvard Polo Club seems to have it all—intellect, romance and expensive training trips. Too bad you have to be brought up riding horses to be able to play.