Winter 2022/2023 Issue

Page 6 Winter 2022/2023 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN BLACK’S LIVESTOCK -The Next Pasture - Where the grass is always green, lush & stirrup high Individual Horse & Pet Cremation Standard Mortality 24 hour service available John E. Black: 610.220.5262 Matthew Hoffman: 610.656.3258 Office: 610.584.4482 Fax: 610.584.9111 BLACK’S LIVESTOCK P.O. Box 662 Skippack, PA 19472 www.nextpasture.com Philadelphia Polo Classic Brings High Goal Polo to the City of Brotherly Love We came here just for this,” she said, holding Rosser’s book aloft. Pace and her friends Jean Cyprien and Octavia Woodmans laughed about the audacity of their decision to come to the polo match. “We’ve never done anything like this before,” Cy- prien said. “But it’s a phenome- nal book and we all said ‘okay, let’s do it.’” “It” was flying from their homes in Savannah, GA and New Orleans, LA to Philadelphia, just to be part of a day that was so important to a young man whose life story touched them so deeply. “It’s amazing how they come back to give back,” Woodmans said, reflecting on how many WTR graduates were involved in the Polo Classic. Four Teams, Two Matches WTR graduates, along with polo players from nearby clubs, competed in two matches of six chukkers—or periods—each. The first match, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, featured Kathy Whitman, leading a team of WTR players wearing orange J&J shirts. Whitman has played with Christmas Tree Farm’s Polo team in Toughkenamon, PA. Team WTR featured Peter Stan- ish, who plays with Lancaster Polo. The J&J team won the match 7-4. The second match featured a fierce sibling rivalry as Kareem Rosser captained the WTR team and his brother Daymar played on the other team, captained by Figueras. The two teams played to an 8-8 tie. Shariah Harris, another WTR graduate, seemed to be everywhere on the field, ex- emplifying what Kareem Rosser had once said about her. “I’ve never seen a tougher player than Shariah.” Harris went to Cornell University on a scholarship and captained their polo team for three years. In 2017 she was the first African American female to play 20-goal polo. Daymar Rosser and his team at Roger Williams University won the United States Polo Association National Intercol- legiate Polo Championship in 2017. The Rosser brothers and Harris, along with several WTR alums, have racked up armloads of awards and championships since their early days at WTR. From fielding the first African American polo team in America in 1999, to winning the National Interscholastic Polo Championship in 2011 and 2012, WTR riders have shattered barriers, as well as preconceived notions about polo. The biggest winner of this day turned out to be WTR, as thousands of fans—old and young—got to see the game, stomp the divots, enjoy the atmo- sphere and meet the extraordinary WTR competitors, like Kaela Prescott who started at WTR when she was 12. “I’m in my third year at Del Val University, studying equine management, in- struction and training,” she said. “Polo wasn’t my best thing,” she explained. Her preferences were jumping and flat work when she was at WTR. But these days, Dressage is her “best thing.” She is on Del Val’s Dressage team. She confessed to being a little nervous about the polo match but thrilled to be able to support WTR. For his part, Kareem Rosser remains focused on the future. “I want our program to quadruple in size. I hope this event expands every year.” He wants the Polo Classic to be a multi-day event, “to give the people of Philadel- phia something to look forward to and to draw in people from around the world and attract good people who want to make a difference.” His admiration for Hiner and her single-minded ded- ication to “her kids” and WTR is boundless, and his connection to WTR is visceral. “At eight years old I began my journey here as a student,” he said. “I’m so grateful for everything the organization has done for me. Being around horses has allowed me to see life differently.” (Continued from page 1) Visit us online at www.eastcoastequestrian.net Kaela Prescot prepares her pony to compete for team Johnson & Johnson at the Philadelphia Polo Classic. All proceeds went toward expanding the Work to Ride program, allowing more children access to the fundamentals, skills, values and the safe haven, that the program offers. Photo credit: Suzanne Bush