Horse, Stick, Ball

Dale Johnson ’08 details dedicating 100 hours to learning how to play polo.

Polo player on horse
One of the world’s oldest team sports, polo has iterations that date back to the 6th century B.C.E. Johnson’s first tip for anyone considering polo? Love the horse first, the sport second./ Photo via Dale Johnson’s Instagram.

Pick up and master a new sport at 32? The passion Dale Johnson ’08 feels for polo, as well as his determination, made it possible. He found a way to dedicate more than 100 hours and a full year to learning the ins and outs of the sport, while keeping his day job in the financial tech sector.

During a work trip to Buenos Aires, a city wild about polo and known for its leather goods, a beautiful pair of polo boots inspired Johnson to attend a clinic in Atherton. Fast forward to now and Johnson has a horse, Sunny, and a home base at the South Bay Polo Club in Gilroy.

The endeavor also includes his wife, Christine, who now plays, too. “Polo has helped me find so much purpose and personal motivation,” Johnson says in an essay for the U.S. Polo Association.

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