Polo ponies and family fun for Halloween in Pukalani Maui
As a follow up to a previous post, I promised more pictures from the upcountry Maui polo field. On October 31, 2016 the polo match was moved to the drier venue at the Manduke Baldwin field in Pukalani due to muddy conditions at the Oskie Rice Arena in Makawao.
The event was a benefit for the Children's Cancer Society here on Maui, and was well attended by local residents and visitors. It was a beautiful and sunny day, with a few food vendors set up selling refreshments. A silent auction was underway to raise more proceeds for the charity. People bring their own chairs and shade, or tailgate to watch the action.
The first match was for the small kids, with the little ones being led around on the ponies so they can experience the ride and the competition. Maybe not so action packed, but still fun for everyone. Winners got to feed carrots to their four legged team mates.
Following the keiki round was the junior Team Polo round robin match. I think these are the local aspiring polo players who will someday be the pros. Obviously more at ease on the horses and the action was pretty quick.
The third round of competition was for big waves surfers who felt the need to challenge themselves in another sport. Being amateurs at this sport, they were also not as skilled as the pros, so it was fun to see the friendly match amongst these professional big wave riders who are much more comfortable in the water. My niece was on the winning team! She has no fear when it comes to conquering massive walls of water, and to see her practicing this game was fun.
The final event for the day was the professional polo match with the best looking horses and well groomed riders. Didn't stick around for this unfortunately, but got some shots of them warming up. These guys know what they are doing and the action gets pretty intense.
All in all it was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon in upcountry Maui with family and friends. If you get a chance to take in some of the polo action during the season, it's well worth it. Check out their website for the schedule of matches and events.
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