A Grand Slam For Polo's Grande Dame

1990

Sue Sally Hale's Team Wins First U.S. Women's Open

Story by,

Judy Reynolds

 

It's Been A Long Road For Sue Sally Hale, But It's a road that's finally becoming more traveled. After nearly four decades of playing polo, the 53-year-old grandmother has seen women's polo come a long way from the days when she had to disguise herself as a boy in order to play. So it was fitting that when the first USPA U.S. Women's Open trophy was awarded last December in Southern California, it was the grande dame of women's polo whose team accepted the honor.

"It took us 30 years to make it, but we're here!" said Sue Sally as corks popped and cameras clicked at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. "Now that we have our U.S. Women's Open, we can go on from here and women can get their ratings up as they should be."

Amid the swirl of events known as the Stouffer Esmeralda Resort Balloon and Polo Festival, Hale, her two daughters and five other women tore up the turf as they vied in the final of America's first open-level women's tournament of the modern era. Sandwiched between a "Balloon Glow Extravaganza" and 20-goal exhibition polo, the U.S. Women's Open final thrilled a meager crowd as it ran into a sudden-death seventh chukker. Tthe event featured two international 3-goal players and, of course, America's "First Family" of Women players, the Hales.

Sue Sally's Winning team including her 2-goaler daughters Sunny and Stormie, and their French teammate, 3-goaler Carolyn Anier, who impressed everyone with her hard-riding style. The Hales' Empire team narrowly defeated Palmera-Hanalei Bay - 3-goaler Leslie Ann Masterton of Jamaica and American 2-goalers Kim Kelly, Mary Alizon Walton and Oatsy Baker. Empire won 10-9 as Anier scored the game-breaker in the seventh chukkier.

Sue Sally Hale tried for 18 years before she and a handful of women players were finally admitted into the USPA in 1972. A decade ago, the Hales and Susie Welker won the National Western Handicap, the first USPA-sponsored national tournament for women. History now repeated itself, and even the losing team approved.

"The fact that Sue Sally and her daughters won the first U.S. Women's Open... it almost brings tears to your eyes," Baker said. "I was happy they won. But I want our team to go back and win next time. Maybe next year we'll get more girls out there."

One other team had entered the round-robin playoffs earlier that week. Laura Dreier's Rancho del Valle - with 2-goalers Susan Stovall and Stacey Galindo and 1-goaler Laurie Ballard - pulled ahead briefly during both games. but the 5-goal team was overmatched by its powerful opponents, losing 14-6 to Empire and 13-5 to Palmera-Hanalei Bay. "Even though we were up against 9-goal teams, Laura Drweier and the rest of us felt is was important to get out there and participate." Ballard said. "That was the spirit of it."

Lured by other festival attractions such as an art show, petting zoo and helicopter rides, spectators cam and went as the two 9-goal teams made women's polo history under sunny California skies that have murtured more women's play than any in the world.

Although Palmera-Hanalei got off to an early lead in the first chukker, Empire dominated most of the play on an extremely fast field, beginning in the second chukker when Sunny Hale dashed 260 yards to score the second of her five points during the game. It was one of many aggressive plays for Sunny, who earned the game's Most Valuable Player award. Her efforts were enhanced by her horse, Mostro, who earned kudos for Best-Playing Pony.

Back-to-back points by Anier put Empire in the lead, but two goals scored by Mary Alizon Walton kept Palmera-Hanalei close behind. Walton's team had been largely defensive until this point, but in the sixth chukker, they took the offensive, scoring three consecutive goals in less than a minute to take the lead and ultimately force the game into overtime.

"At the top of the fifth, John Emery, our coach, took us aside and said we had to win the line up," Kelly said. "So we did,"

"When they made those three goals, I was now getting worried," admitted Anier, Empire's No.2. But, with less than 30 seconds left in the sixth chukker and Palmera-Hanalei leading by one point, a penalty call gave Sunny Hale the chance to score. She rose to the occasion, tying the game 9-9. In the first minute of overtime play, Anier scored the winning and final point.

Anier's English is less than perfect, but in the international language of polo, she'd definitely fluent. The petite 27-year-old operates a polo club in Bouloy, France, and is that country's highest-rated woman player.

Anier said she was thrilled to team up with the Hales in the U.S. Women's Open. Though she and Sunny Hale have played frequently during the past two years in France, the four had never played together. "I'm very glad to have won with my friends. It's very important for me, because it's the first time in history, and such a tournament may not happen for a long time in France."

There are about 10 women players in France, but only she is rated. Playing polo mostly with men has schooled Anier in a different, tougher type of game. "That's why I made so many fouls in the beginning of this game... I have to fight."

Veteran trainer James Rice, who has worked for such stars as 10-goaler Cecil Smith and 8-goaler Ray Harrington, was impressed with the women's level of play. "The teamwork between Sunny and Carolyn was the turning point of the game...when {Anier} got into the corner there at the end and came out of that to score, now that was horse handling."

Walton, who hasn't played much women's polo in the last four years, noted the dramatic improvement in the quality of play today. "The audience couldn't have asked for a better game than overtime. And for the players such good competition make the game much more enjoyable and fun."

"It was a magnificent game and befitting of the finest women players in the world." agreed Alex Haagen III, owner of Empire Polo Club. "When you have two teams that go into sudden-death overtime, you know everybody's up to the challenge. You could see the gals really thinking out there."

Some of the mental maneuvering occurred on very subtle levels among the Hales, who have been playing together as a family for many years. At times, even Anier was left in the dark as they shouted messages to one another in a Hale version of pig Latin.

"When we started the game, I didn't know if they would blow us out of the water." Baker confessed. " I wondered if Carolyn and Sunny would run up and down the field and score these unbelievable goals from 100 yards away. I didn't expect it to be so close."

The Empire team also had a coach, 8-goaler Joe Barry. At his urging, they constantly tried out new formations keeping Palmera-Hanalei Bay off balance. "He did a terrific job," said Sue Sally.  "You really need a ground man on something like this. " She said he took his job very seriously. ""He was jumping six feet in the air and talking fast which he never does!"

Palmera-Hanalei was well-mounted, but the Hales teamwork helped to compensate for that possible advantage. "We didn't get our team put together as early as we would have liked. "Oatsy Baker added. "We tried hard to have the teamwork, and it was getting better, but we needed more time.

Complicating their task, Palmera-Hanalei'e No.3. Leslie Ann Masterton, had ridden only a handful of times in the moths preceding the big game due to non-stop rain in Jamaica. "I tried to stay in shape, but there's no substitute for riding." Masterton said.

Jamaica too has only a few women players, so Masterton takes to the road frequently. She has played for the Jamaican national team in Barbados and South America and has participated in French and English tournament. She will return to the United States in April for a tournament at Eldorado Polo club.

The U.S. Women's Open gives women players something to aim for, she said. "I really enjoy coming to a professional set-up like this; it makes all the work you've done worthwhile."

Sunny Hale, who hopes one day to become America's first woman 3-goaler, agrees; "It gives a women player something to work for now."

 

Article courtesy of Polo Magazine and the Stormie Hale Collection