The Lady Huskies Overcome Many Hurdles to win the 1997 National Intercollegiate Polo Championship title–an excerpt from Dust and Determination: A History of UConn Polo by Helen Scanlon. COMING SOON!

The Lady Huskies were selected as a wild card team in the final four, just like the previous year. 1997 was looking and feeling a lot like 1996, but with some imposing speed bumps: Kim Morgan, the national championship player and animal science major from Springfield, Massachusetts, now a junior, was involved in an automobile accident early in the season, and her recovery time kept her out of the action for an entire month. Then, Meg Dinger’s shoulder injury added another dent to the team’s armor. And, since these things tend to travel in threes, Alicia Wells, also a junior and an experienced national championship player from Sykesville, Maryland, became ill with a nasty bout of the flu a mere three weeks before the national tournament. With plenty of rest and recuperation, Wells, a renewable natural resources major, bounced back like the champion she was and got right back in the saddle for some serious practice time a week before the team was nationals-bound.

The universe was testing the young women from UConn, but every obstacle and attempted derailment fed the fire and made them even stronger.

Dinger and Wells were not at full capacity when they headed to the Brushy Creek Polo Club in Burleson, Texas for the 1997 National Intercollegiate Polo Championships. Dinger’s shoulder was not completely healed despite months of rest and physical therapy—which further demonstrated how serious her injury was. Wells still felt the remnants of the flu that had left her bed-ridden only two weeks ago. No matter—illness and injury would not stop this runaway train: Dinger and Wells were tough, battle-scarred warriors ready to push through and bring the silver home again. Combine that high-octane tenacity with Kim Morgan completely healed from her injuries, and with the highly athletic and fiercely competitive Jen Freed at full-strength—you had something to make the opposing teams jittery.

Jittery was right. All that experience, razor-sharp discipline, unwavering commitment and ruthless work ethic came together to form a polo team that left spectators and opponents awestruck. The Lady Huskies began their final-four onslaught by taking down the highly talented South East Regional Champions, the University of Virginia in the semifinals, at 19-10. In the other semifinal corner, Cornell was busy wreaking their own havoc by obliterating the fierce Stanford University team.

The victories had UConn face-to-face with Cornell yet again.

In the first chukker, UConn scored five comet-quick goals to get the crowd gaping in amazement and hooting with excitement. The Cornell team rolled their spurs to get in two goals, but it wasn’t good enough to get them a lead by the first chukker. When Cornell had trouble with their ponies in the second and the third chukkers, UConn showed no mercy and claimed a six-point lead. For the final chukker, it seemed that Big Red resolved the pony issues and came alive, scoring five points. Not to be strong-armed, the Huskies, fueled by white-hot adrenaline, mirrored their rivals and claimed five more goals of their own.

So, now we know how this story ends.

17-11 flashed on the scoreboard at the sound of the buzzer, and it was done. The crowd erupted. UConn had done it again. The wild card women had defeated not only their longtime rival Cornell—but they had also defeated injury and illness to claim the top prize.

The following is an excerpt from My Horse, My Heart: The Morgan Horses of the University of Connecticut by Helen Scanlon

book available on Amazon.com

 

Portrait of Mentor, by Helen Scanlon

 

Mentor

Goldfield-Fairytop

Born: 1942

University of Connecticut Herd Sire from 1951-1962

We are indeed proud to have such an animal in our horse barn. ~1951 University of Connecticut Block and Bridle program

 

Figure, the original Morgan, was a prodigious stallion, passing on his sturdy conformation, stamina and handsome looks to his progeny. In 1942, Figure seemed to be born again in a colt by the stallion Goldfield out of the mare Fairytop.

This was Mentor.

Mentor, bred by the Government Farm, arrived at UConn in 1951 when the Government herd was dispersed. In addition to Mentor, UConn was given the mares Penny, Pennsy, Quotation and Sheba.

Mentor was a bit of a sensation when he arrived at UConn. He was a three-time National Champion and was considered by many horsemen of the time as possessing the “best form towards Morgan type in the world today.” He was touted as “the last hope of the Morgans,” to pass on his strength, brilliance and near-perfect classic Morgan conformation to the UConn herd and beyond. Mentor was a stunning equine specimen: his neck was thick with a clean throatlatch, his shoulder was sloping and powerful and his legs were sound and strong as steel.

Highly intelligent, well-mannered and stately with a rich, dark chestnut coat, Mentor sired many foals during his time at UConn, including Quakerlady, Riviera, UC Highlife and UC Senator.

Mentor left UConn in 1962 when he was sold to Mr. William Glenney of Coventry, Connecticut. Mentor remained gentle and kind in his golden years, and could sometimes be seen giving toboggan rides to delighted children across snow-covered fields. William Glenney loved his horse and provided the Champion with a comfortable retirement.

Mentor breathed his last at age 27. The stallion’s body forever rests in that quiet, verdant land, less than twenty minutes away from the University where he left his proud hoofprints.

 

Afterword

In my research for this book, I received an e-mail that opened with these lines:

I owned beautiful gelding who came by way of the University of Connecticut breeding program. In 1963, my father bought Conquistador, sired by Mentor out of UC Pandora…

It is a rare and beautiful thing when research leads directly to the people who were touched by these Morgan horses of long ago. Intrigued, I asked the author of the e-mail to tell me more.

Much to my delight, I received a response almost immediately. The memories, including a scan of a faded black-and-white photo of UC Conquistador, filled my e-mail inbox.

In 1963, a 13-year-old girl by the name of Pamela was given the most wonderful gift a horse-crazy kid could ask for: a golden-maned Morgan horse gelding. Conquistador was, according to Pamela, “a giant in heart and personality.” Pamela rode him saddleseat and showed in pleasure, equitation, in-hand and driving. “Conky” won Reserve Champion for in-hand at the St. Jude’s horse show, where Pamela proudly recalls riding in the horse van with her winner, his head poking out the window as they journeyed home exhausted, proud and happy. Today, at 64, Pamela clearly remembers her horse show days with her chestnut gelding. She recalls the four leaf clovers her father picked for her to keep in her pocket and the blue carnations her mother stuck in her lapel, and her horse, ever steady and true, winning the ribbons and cantering effortlessly when all the other horses in the ring fussed and disobeyed. Conquistador stayed with Pamela until he was 16, and it is easy to see her transform into that proud 13-year-old girl as she writes about her horse:

I hope you can tell that this 64 -year-old lady back in the day was taken over by a marvelous fellow called “Conquistador.”

The Morgans of UConn are so much more than the herd stallions and the broodmares. They are the foals that grow up to be Champions, teachers, partners and best friends. They are the horses that can elicit the joy of younger days, trotting in a dusty show ring under a summer sun, and walking out with a ribbon clipped to the bridle. There are trunkfuls of those ribbons, somewhere, each one holding a proud memory of that special horse: the UConn-bred Morgan.

 

 

UConn Polo Pony and Player, pencil sketch by Helen Scanlon, illustration for Dust and Determination: A History of UConn Polo–coming soon!

Welcome to my first blog post! Glad you stopped by!

First off, I need to thank Laurin and Leslie at Streamlined Development for creating my beautiful new website. They are true professionals and an absolute joy to work with.

I had been thinking of revamping my web presence for quite a while now, and when I finally wrote to Laurin and Leslie and asked them to help me out, their enthusiasm was infectious. And, they work quickly—before I even knew what was happening, I had a new, easy-to-navigate website all decked out in pretty colors. I’m impressed.

As of this writing, my fourth book, Dust and Determination: A History of UConn Polo, is in my editor’s hands, ready for her magic purple pen. It took me about three years to finish the manuscript, so I am more than ready to share this book with all of you. It is my first official venture in real honest-to-goodness sports writing, and what a fun ride! I honestly didn’t expect it to be as enjoyable as it was—but now I am hooked.

Dust and Determination was written for polo fans, history lovers, horse fanatics, and those wanting to know more about polo. I included a section on the history of the game, and a basic primer on how the game is played, polo equipment, polo ponies, and more. No worries if you don’t know the first thing about polo—or horses—I got you covered.

Also included are player memories from former UConn players Tom Goodpseed and Cameron Smart, amongst others. Current coach Emily Galloway also shares her memories of learning polo from the late, great Hal Vita, Sr.—the first coach for UConn polo—the man who started it all. I also feature profiles on some of the beloved polo ponies that played their hearts out for the team. Among them are Moe, Suerte, Mayday, Jed, and Timber.

I also included an interview with artist Larry Wasiele, the creator of the bronze bas-relief polo sculpture that is featured in the polo arena lounge. Larry told me some priceless stories about his career and creative process, and I found myself laughing out loud several times throughout our phone conversation. Some of my beta-readers said his interview was one of their favorite parts of the book. What can I say—Larry is not only a talented artist, but he’s also funny as hell. His dry wit can blow right by you if you aren’t paying attention… Luckily for me, I paid attention—and took notes!

Dr. James Dinger wrote the foreword. ‘Nuff said. Jim Dinger lives and breathes UConn polo, and during his tenure as polo coach, he recruited, trained and inspired many of UConn’s top players. He was a natural choice for the foreword.

So, why is UConn polo’s history so noteworthy? Why did I write a whole flippin’ book on it? Well, how about this: UConn started out in 1969 as the underdog team from a sleepy Connecticut cowtown, and became national champions—the best intercollegiate team in the nation—in the blink of an eye, all without their own string of ponies or a proper practice space on campus. How did they do it? Dedication. Practice. Skill. A willingness to do whatever it took to get on the back of a horse and get that valuable saddle time. Teamwork. Communication. Plain ol’ hard work. Impressed? You bet you are. You want to know more about how they did it? You bet you do!

As I wrote about the amazing players and ponies of UConn polo, I put myself in the saddle, right in the heat of the game. As an equestrian myself, I want to impart the excitement, speed, and intensity of being on the back of a thousand-pound animal, galloping furiously for the goal. I want you to hear the hooves tearing up the earth, smell the sweat glistening on your pony’s neck, and feel the grit and dust on your face. There is a strong and palpable element of danger, but you ride through the gnawing twist in your guts; you are compelled to charge on and defeat your opponents. With the clamor of the fans, you claim victory with your teammates at your side. You and your pony are partners, a singular force; you pat his neck and he nods his head and snorts, shaking foam from his lips—he knows.

Welcome to polo.

Watch this space for updates and a publication announcement—and thank you for being here.

~Helen