Polo Life: Horses, Sport, 10 and Zen delves into the world of high goal polo through the uniquely situated lenses of former 10-goaler Adam Snow and his wife and veterinarian, Shelley Onderdonk. Together their voices provide an unprecedented level of access into the horse and human dynamics that make the sport tick, their passion, respect and commitment for the sport and each other shine through each page. Less polo manual than human interest story, their chapters cover a broad range of topics: there is a horse so good she single-handedly altered the trajectory of Adam’s career; a farm named after the city where this couple met in college; a country and polo culture that shaped Adam as a player…and where they had luggage stolen more than once; and a serendipitous meeting with a sports psychologist that turned Adam’s career around. Adam recounts his childhood obsession with ball sports; Shelley hers with horses. Together, they reveal how sports psychology has been integral to Adam’s success, tell behind-the-scenes stories about teammates, grooms and trainers, celebrate their legendary equine partners, and provide an uncensored glimpse into the glamorous international component of the sport from Buenos Aires to Bandar Seri Begawan. The dynamics of maintaining a healthy marriage and family within the framework of a professional athlete’s career are also fundamental to Adam and Shelley’s polo life. Their prose–by turns humble, humorous, and inspirational–showcases the sport’s enduring appeal.
Spis treści
Foreword: by Stiliani Chroni, Ph D
Ch 1: Forty Golden Halters
Ch 2: Playing as a Pro
Ch 3: The Polo Pony: The Horse in the Game
Ch 4: A Career for Life
Ch 5: Achieving 10: Why Me?
Ch 6: Veterinary Art & Science
Ch 7: Lessons from Training Horses
Ch 8: Learning to Lead from Behind
Ch 9: Living with a Professional Athlete
Ch 10: The Unsung Heroes
Ch 11: Finding Horses with the Right Stuff
Ch 12: Dream Team
Ch 13: Polo Argentino
Ch 14: It’s a Dangerous Game
Ch 15: Ode to Hale Bopp
Ch 16: Planning to a T
Ch 17: Cultivating New Ground
Ch 18: It’s Not a Coronation