The Sport of Kings: Polo

Peter Brant: Well, let's put it this way. As an investment advisor, I wouldn't advise you to start playing polo to earn a living. I mean, as a producer of a team.

But in exchange for covering all the bills, the patron gets to compete in the biggest tournaments alongside the pros. And few of them play as well as Peter Brant, once the highest rated amateur in the U.S.

There's another side to the sport that Nacho wanted us to see. He introduced us to a 19-year-old player from Philadelphia who he's mentored.

Kareem Rosser: Oh, Nacho is amazing guy. You know, very caring.

Lara Logan: Have you played a game with him?

Kareem Rosser: Yes, I have. I was fortunate enough to play couple times with Nacho -- once against him, once with him. I'd much rather play with him than against him, so...

Kareem Rosser was named the best high school polo player in the nation last year. Over 40 high school teams across North America compete for a national title. And Nacho sees Kareem's success as proof that polo can take root in the most unexpected places.

Lara Logan: Most kids grow up wanting to play basketball or football. There aren't many kids that grow up in America wanting to play polo. Did you ever imagine that that would be your life?

Kareem Rosser: I had no idea, but I'm glad that it is polo. I'm glad that polo has taken me far. I just love everything that it has brought to me, you know, all the opportunities, just the way it changed my life for the good.

Kareem grew up in a rough part of West Philadelphia.

Kareem Rosser: This is where a lot of bad stuff happened, on this street -- drugs, violence, shootings, killings. Being around all that negative influence, it's easy to get pulled in.

Just a five-minute drive from here was his refuge: this barn at the Chamounix Equestrian Center where Philadelphia's mounted police once stabled their horses.

Seventeen years ago, a woman named Lezlie Hiner started a program called Work to Ride. She came to see the sport of kings as her way to help give poor kids a chance.

In exchange for mucking stalls and keeping up good grades, Lezlie taught the kids how to play polo with donated horses and second hand gear. For years they didn't win a single match and they were not always welcomed in the wealthy, white world of polo.

Lara Logan: And now you're high school champions for the country?

Kareem Rosser: Yea, we are. It took us a while to accomplish that goal but now we can definitely walk around and say we are National Champions.

Kareem told us he hopes that one day he'll play professionally like Nacho.

In the match on Governors Island, we watched him lead his team to victory, hustling for the ball, stealing possession and charging down the field to score.

Nacho playing the game the same way it's been played through the centuries, hoping to excite new interest in this ancient sport.

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[svspag01]

I loved this piece! I'd much rather see more sports like polo and rugby on TV than American football and baseball. I can't believe how negative all the comments are though. The economic status of American people has nothing to do with this article or sport.
I just started learning polo! and guess how much it cost me...$1000 or more? no $325! yeah...$325/semester for unlimited riding. Polo is not only for the elite, rich, or the %1. My team and I raise our money ourselves. We take what we can get, work with old tack and equipment, our horses/tack are donated, and the boarding/grooming/veterinary/farrier is up to us. For the first time ever our school gave us $5,000 this spring (after pushing them) and that was a huge deal for us. Aside from that it's our responsibility to get money in the bank any way we can. We take amazing care of our ponies and put so much work into making sure they are taken care of and stabled at a trustworthy place. And they're not going to the glue factory!
Sure, the CBS program's main focus was the world of professional polo and that is no comparison to collegiate arena polo, but I don't understand why people are attacking this article? Don't say polo is for the elite because I can guarantee if any of you told any one of my teammates they would be playing polo in college they wouldn't believe it or just laugh.
Also, "And they added the black guy at the end...are you f'n kidding me?" timpcfcgrv So??? The objective wasn't he's a black, poor, minority let's make polo look charitable. The program Work to Ride is doing a great thing. Those kids are so fortunate to have that opportunity and I hope there are more programs like that out there! This summer I'll be working free labor as a groom in exchange to ride and keep up my playing.
So, for all you complainers, I hope this gives a little more perspective on the sport. We're not all rich and can throw our money around but some of us know that if there is a will there is a way.
PLEASE feel free to check out our team!!! http://uoflpolo.org/home.html we're always trying to get more recognition :)

[Frameofview]

To begin (from an experienced horseman and writer), EVERY non-western 'horse-sport' is a supposed 'Sport of Kings'...from racing to show-jumping and dressage. Some involve more skill, refinement and humanity than others to create 'beauty' and 'exhilaration' in the fantasy centaur-like performance. The sobering truth is that the lives of most polo ponies and their rider are of the utmost 'brusque', 'barbarous', and 'unrefined'. Absolutely torturous to many polo ponies...and the riders are almost debilitatingly mono-depressing until the end of the show or match or race. Riding a retired polo pony is usually a most unpleasant experience. Their mouths are hardened - extremely heavy in the hand, roached manes that don't return, and they are disposed of like candy wrappers when their injuries compile...they are sold for dog food, glue, and worse. It is so sickeningly disheartening what happens to many of them...just like old male fashion models who fail to shine again in any other line of work...

[Frameofview]

oh...and level of his attractiveness is totally subjective. His net worth is posted on Forbes for 30 million. For some reason, these fashion czars love him. I don't understand why except that he sounds incredibly depressed.

[ejm4]

So you want the next line up of 60mins to be:
"100 ways with potato peelings and other fantastic money saving tips"
"I'm in the gutter but looking at the stars - a down and out tells his story."
"Grapes of Wrath revisited 2012"
Can't wait.

[lagniappegirl]

interesting story on polo in Aiken. Just FYI sixty minutes reporter, there aren't any "ranches" in Aiken. We call them "horse farms". This ain't Texas, ma'am.

[apple232323]

i have to say that i am extremely disappointed with 60 minutes and this piece. why would you show a piece like this during these tough economic times. it only demonstrates just how out of touch some of the producers are at 60 minutes. these are not the types of stories we are interested in hearing about right now.

nacho himself is also completely out of touch with reality and the rest of the world. for him to say that if you grow up in argentina that you'll probably end up playing polo is ridiculous. if you grow up in argentina you'll most likely end up playing SOCCER, not polo. hello!! you cannot be serious with that comment! the argentines live and breathe soccer NOT polo. hardly anybody in argentina cares or knows anything about polo.

[La_Molkas]

Seriously Lara Logan???? in many years of watching 60 minutes I have never seen anything so ridiculous as this segment.

1)For this segment to air on a time when so many people are unemployed or under-employed and to boast of 50K tables at Governor's Island is insulting.

2) For Nacho or Lara to say that all kids in Argentina dream of growing up and being Polo players is absolutely stupid - I think we would all agree that kids in Argentina probably grow up dreaming of being Futball players

3) And as mentioned above - just looking at the horses break my hear - injuries, abuse, etc.

Please refrain from producing, distributing, and airing segments like this again!

[Tooch55]

The POLO Story was F- piece, while the Congo story was an A+ 60 minute producers really totally blew it running the Polo story while there is a record number of Americans in poverty, and millions unable to find suitable work. And yes, most of the problems that America is having is due to the 1 percent that this story was aiming to please.

[timpcfcgrv]

And they added the black guy at the end...are you f'n kidding me?

[timpcfcgrv]

And they added the black guy at the end...are you f'n kidding me?

[timpcfcgrv]

Are you kidding me? Polo? Why is this chick even on 60 minutes? Is she f'n the producer? I am so sick right now considering Mike Wallaces' death. He is not buried and he is already turning over in his grave.