Not Just Soccer with Horses...

Play by Play and Scorekeeper Stand...

With the game so far away, for the safety of the horses, the riders and the viewers, an announcer keeps the audience attentive and involved. He also explains the game to those novices, who think polo is just soccer with horses. Locally, there are teams that traditionally compete against one another, but I don't know how many teams or how many players are involved. The really experienced players are professional and, I am sure, are paid for their services. Many of those professionals are from Argentina or Colombia. Mostly, these games are fund raisers for local charities providing upscale entertainment, cuisine and all kinds of beautiful race and show horses. It has a pageantry atmosphere about it.

Copyright Ben Bensen III / 2011

Score Keeping Might Have Been Easier...

A "T. J." type product...

Now that I look at it again, it ain't so bad. I sat behind the plate at Mandeville High earlier this year to sketch my nephew, who plays shortstop for the Jesuit Blue Jays. He is in his senior year and is doing pretty well this season after breaking his finger in a "head first"slide into second base. He had to sit out quite a few games for that gaffe.

I sketched a few lines before I decided that I would never get it all, in one time at bat, so I started with the pitcher and worked my way down. The batter has T. J.'s stance, but not his build because I continued drawing who ever was at bat. I think it took me one whole inning to do the batter. I liked drawing the ump. He turned out the best because he consistently squatted like that to protect himself and still see the pitch. The catcher, unfortunately, looks like a "little leaguer" because I couldn't get the foreshortening correct. One sketch where I did get it "more righter," everything else was a mess. My ego is still too big to post those kinda of mistakes. By the third inning or so, I was wasted and decided to just watch the game. Score keeping was easier, ha!

Of course, now that I look at it again, it seems damn good!

Copyright/Ben Bensen III/ 2011