A few weeks ago, you may have noticed a miniature horse standing in the SEC Plaza, munching on a pile of alfalfa and helping draw attention to a student fundraiser.
While Cookie is not an athlete herself, she graciously helped spread the word about the resurgence of OSU’s Polo Club, which is back in competition now after several years of hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For arena polo, teams consist of three people on horseback, often standing up in their saddles to swing mallets and send a ball flying through goals at either side of the field. Games are made up of four “chukkers,” each about seven minutes long, and after each chukker, the teams swap out horses for fresh ones so the animals don’t get worn out. Additionally, the teams swap horses with each other, so neither side gains an unfair advantage from a particularly talented mount.
The OSU club originally started in 1923 and has endured despite several lengthy breaks over the decades.
“We had a really strong team before COVID; the men’s team won regionals a couple times in the past, and women’s did really well too,” said Sophie Krueger, a third-year honors bio-health sciences major in the College of Science and the Polo Club vice president. “Since COVID, this is the first year we’re getting back on our feet and getting more consistent members.”
