Rachel Ebmeier Loves the Challenge of Polo
Some folks say that when it comes to equestrian sports, the horse does all the work. Spend some time with Rachel Ebmeier, senior honor student at Kempsville High School, and you will be educated differently. Rachel has been a horse enthusiast since her grandmother gave her a gift of four riding lessons for her tenth birthday. Now, as an acquired equestrian and a senior member of SeaHorse Riders 4H Horse Club, she enthusiastically laughs, "I remember my first lesson! I got on the horse and was told to play follow the leader with my instructor. It was the first time I was actually in charge of handling something all on my own." It was at that point where she began learning that the horse, although a very powerful, spirited, wild animal, is in the same token, very dependant on their rider. "They follow your command. You teach them where to go and where to be and you get them there," says Ebmeier.
Now, at age seventeen, Rachel is riding higher than ever. She challenged herself even more after her weekly lessons with some pick up games of Polo. She would finish a challenging workout of on-the-flat equitation or jumping over fences, then immediately ask at the conclusion of her lesson if she could "stick and ball," a polo term meaning to practice hitting the polo ball with a mallet. "It seemed like fun," she explains. Coming from a barn of polo enthusiasts, and mild mannered polo ponies, she was immediately supported and taught the basics of the game.
Ebmeier is no stranger to sports. She is a letterman in varsity field hockey and indoor track and field at Kempsville High School; but to Ebmeier, the "sport of kings" is unlike no other sport she had ever before attempted. Her first polo hits were with a large arena ball, similar to a practice soccer ball; then she graduated to a field ball, much like that used in field hockey.
But why polo? In all of her riding years, she tried many different styles. "I am not about looking pretty," explains Ebmeier. "To be able to move the horse around the polo field is such a challenge." The game makes the rider think of so many variables in a split second. "Push the horse forward, change leads, where's the ball? It's an entire body workout to maneuver the horse, focusing on the ball, standing in the saddle, leaning into the play all at the same time." All of these things, Ebmeier says, are what makes this sport incomparable.
Although the oldest ball sport in the world, Polo is just now getting to be one of the newest sports that teens are learning and taking to a collegiate and professional level. The competitive nature of the sport along with the enjoyment of the animal seems to be a nice twist for many. The United States Polo Association along with the Polo Training Foundation has supported youth polo programs ranging from boarding school polo teams, to collegiate competitions, to inner city programs.
Ebmeier explains that the horses have a lot to do with the sport. "Playing well comes from mutual respect (from horse and rider). They have their own personalities. They enjoy the sport." A polo pony is one of high endurance and athleticism. Quite often, the breed of a polo pony is a cross between an American Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse or the traditional Argentine Thoroughbred or Criollo. A well-trained pony thrives to run head to head with their opponent at a full gallop, placing their rider at perfect distance for a precise hit on the ball. As a defensive move, the horse maneuvers its body to push off the opposing horse from the line of the ball.
With all of this field action, it did not take long for Ebmeier to know that polo was her passion. Polo was "the only thing for which I ever enjoyed working hard." She was taught how to be a polo groom, practicing the procedures of preparing horse and rider for their next chucker, or 7-minute period. After diligently helping two to three days a week for a five-month season with her riding instructor, she landed her very first equine job, grooming for other players at the Virginia Beach Polo Club. Her work led her to a string of available polo ponies that could carry her in the matches at the club. Now, Ebmeier can be seen playing locally in 4v4 matches from May to October.
"Polo taught me that if you want something, you've gotta work for it. It's the only thing I ever personally had to work for outside of school. When I'm riding I think about nothing else. I love the workout and I enjoy riding no matter what I am doing."
Along with participating in many service organizations at Kempsville High School such as SCA, Latin Honor Society, Senior Class and advanced orchestra, Ebmeier has held a strong GPA and plans to attend a university next fall.
