DENNY GEILER

How did you get started with horses?
My mother made sure that her children could ride a horse and shoot straight so I did a lot of horse work on family vacations and after school programs. When I was in junior high school my parents arranged for me to work on a cattle ranch in Wyoming. It was there I found I really had a connection with horses. My sister had a horse and that introduced me to the English saddle. Nothing much happened until Shelley was born which gave me my path back to horses. Shelley and I participated in English horse shows.

How did you get involved in polo?
30 years ago Joanne, my wife, gave me one polo lesson as a birthday present. I was surprised to learn I had much so much in common with polo people: the loved horses and games. That was the start of my polo career. Roughly 20 years ago I became the president of OC Polo Club and have worked hard to create a fun, family atmosphere and sustainable polo. I also became very active in the United States Polo Association focusing on the Polo Development Initiative.

What do you enjoy most about polo?
Of course I love the horses. Each one with its own personality and skills. I love introducing people to this great sport and watching them develop into participating polo players. A key element to all of this is that I enjoy playing polo with my friends and family.