Jeff Hall
Photo by David Lominska

Polo

Five Questions for Jeff Hall

By Jan Westmark

Jeff Hall knew from the time he was very little that he wanted to grow up to be a polo player. His dream turned into a reality at the tender age of 13 when he turned professional. Although his polo playing kept him from attending college, Jeff says he has no regrets about turning pro so young and living out his dream.
Sidelines caught up with Jeff, now 28 and a resident of Houston, Texas, while he was in Wellington for the winter, to talk about polo, his engagement (sorry ladies!) and his plans for the future.

Sidelines: How did you get started playing polo?
JH: My father was a sponsor for many years so I was around polo since birth. I started riding when I was four years old and playing polo when I was seven. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to be a professional. I turned pro when I was 13 and that wasn't normal at the time, but I was really dedicated to it. I went to the barn all the time and it consumed my life. I home schooled through my high school career so I could play. When I was 12 my dad sent me to Argentina to practice and learn and when I came back from Argentina I went to play for a team called Revlon in Connecticut and that was the start of my career. The winter after that I came to Palm Beach and I have come every year since.

Sidelines: What is it that brings you back to Wellington year after year?
JH: I love the weather and the horse community. I'm at the barn all day long, which you could say is my office, so the weather is great and Wellington is the ideal place for me because there is polo everywhere. And in the States, the competition is the best in Wellington.

Sidelines: Speaking of competition, what has been your biggest polo accomplishment and what do you still hope to accomplish?
JH: So far, I would say winning the U.S. Open in 2003 with C-Spear has been my biggest accomplishment. I am rated at 8 goals right now and my main goal for the future is to reach and sustain a 10 goal rating. There are only about 10 polo players in the world that hold that rating, and none in America right now. In order to be a 10, it means having the right horses and the right teams and I am putting all of my energy into that right now. My breeding operation is in Houston, our farm is called Old Pueblo, and because of my polo schedule I haven't spent much time there lately but my father and my stepmother overlook it for me. I would also like to see polo become more popular in the U.S. The public needs to be educated on it, and it would be great if it could be on television. Another one of my goals is to keep building my string as well as my breeding operation.

Sidelines: What is the most satisfying thing about playing polo?
JH: The best thing about polo for me is the horses as well as the lifestyle. As I said, I love being at the barn. I also love traveling to the places that I get to travel to, and meeting people all over the world. The most satisfying thing is that I am living my dream. I am also engaged now, to Michelle Donnelly, and she travels with me. My ultimate polo dream is to be 10-goals, play as long as I can play, have the best horses I possibly can, and of course I want to win...everything. In ten years I want to improve at what I'm doing so I see myself how I am now, only better.

Sidelines: Throughout your polo career has their been one pony that stands out?
JH: All of my horses mean a lot to me, but some of the ones that really stand out would be Maple Leaf, she's the best horse that I have ever played, and Cochise, the stallion that I bought last year as the foundation of my breeding operation. It's rare for a stallion to play high goal polo, and he is truly a natural for the sport. Another standout is Harrah, who won best playing pony in the finals of the U.S.Open in 2003.

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