This will be my last post about Polo. Well at least until I attend another match. We had a great time seeing a match at the Eldorado Polo Club in Indio California during our last visit to the Palm Desert. Here are some images from the match.
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During our trip to California we had an opportunity to do something we always wanted to do. We went to the Eldorado Polo Club in Indio California and saw a match.
At halftime in the match spectators are invited out to the field to replace the divots, stretch and walk their dogs. We refrained thinking of all the horse poop tat was probably also spread out over the field.
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Halftime at The Polo Club
During our trip to California we had an opportunity to do something we always wanted to do. We went to the Eldorado Polo Club in Indio California and saw a match.
The sport is a lot like hockey on horses and of course like any sport there are rules and umpires. The umpires are also excellent horseback riders. After learning a little about the sport we saw play periodically stop and a foul was called. These required resetting the ball or maybe a penalty shot. The umpires use this clever tool to pick up the ball and move it to a different spot so they don’t have to dismount to get the ball.
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Polo Umpire
During our trip to California we had an opportunity to do something we always wanted to do. We went to the Eldorado Polo Club in Indio California and saw a match. I love horses and my riding years are most likely behind me. I can no longer attend horse racing which is a cruel sport to the horses. I was amazed by polo and will undoubtedly be posting many pictures. The synergy between the horse and rider is truly amazing and magical to watch. After the first half I became aware why.
These horses are ball hawks. They are undoubtedly trained to follow the ball and when they turn the rider better be ready. If the rider falls off the horse they do not stop the match. If the horse falls the match is halted. Nobody fell and after two hours it was mind boggling that none did.
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Ball Hawk
Before the game, I spoke “Pirate” to a barkeep outside the stadium and ordered grog for a mere pittance of what it cost inside the stadium. Of course the barkeep was a Pirate with eye-patch,bandana and parrot on his shoulder. I have of course seen the Presidents run in Washington and the Sausages run in Milwaukee on television but was totally surprised by the Perogies and thought about the days of “Babushka Power” You can see other images and buy prints and apparel at my commercial site.
Last year we saw the Oakland Athletics beat the Chicago Whitesox at U.S. Cellular Field. Of course we were rooting for Chicago with our daughter and boyfriend who are Chicagoans. Last Monday we saw the Athletics beat our beloved Pittsburgh Pirates. I am never going to any A’s games again…ever! Of course it was fun just being at PNC Park. Before the game I had my beer served to me by a Pirate wearing an eyepatch and bandanna. Our conversation was entirely in Pirate! Yarrgh!
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Hits But No Runs
Shadow and Tilly are best of friends. They play until they drop on the land and in the water. Tilly is eyeing the ball but Shadow has learned to swim very well with a ball in his mouth. He knows if he should drop it the chase is on. See other scenes from my nature portfolio by clicking here.
Shadow and Tilly swimming on the lake
How do you watch a baseball game? I watch the pitcher and try to follow the release to the hitter. I try to follow the pitcher’s motion and the ball. It is hard when the ball is traveling almost 100 miles per hour. As a result though, I have started to the analyze the pitchers form. Each one is different and you see different things if you stop motion and blur motion. Maybe there is a book in this? What did you learn for this picture? Let me know! You can buy a print of this image and see others on my commercial site by clicking here.
The High Heat
Big league pitchers are like Peacocks,each one is a little different. The camera gives you a unique point of view either by freezing the motion like in this shot or blurring motion. The camera sees what the eye can’t because the fastball is moving at about 90 miles an hour it is hard to appreciate the throwing motion. In this shot you can clearly see why Pitchers are on a pitch count. The torque exerted on the body is tremendous and the body requires a lot of healing time between games. This is Francisco Liriano of the Chicago White Sox showing his stuff. You can buy a print of this on my commercial gallery by clicking here.
Francisco Liriano Chicago White Sox Pitcher
Well I am back from a nice holiday with family and friends. Along the way, got to see the Chicago White Sox play the Oakland Athletics at Cellular Field. The game was great, the fans were fun and those folks know how to make and grill encased meat. In any case I started to take some blurred motion pictures of the Pitchers and it really helped me to understand why pitchers are on a pitch count. In real time, you say big deal, but when you blur the motion you can see the incredible torque of the throwing motion. Some parts of their body remain perfectly still while the rest of their body is in high motion. You can buy a print of this image at my commercial gallery by clicking here.
The Pitch at U.S. Cellular Field