No horsin' around - Watkins hooked on polo

Dale Watkins has been around rodeos and other horse-related events all his life. It took him 46 years to discover his favorite: polo.

In 1990, the Cape Girardeau resident witnessed his first polo match in Carbondale, Ill. It turned out to be love at first sight.

"I love it for the action," said Watkins, 61. "I've rode a few bulls, done some roping, done some rodeos, but this is the fastest, hardest horse sport I've ever been in."

Watkins began playing shortly thereafter with a club in Carbondale. Two years ago the Little Egypt Polo Club was founded in Cape, and he's been a member since. The organization, affiliated with the United States Polo Association, competes against teams from Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Illinois and Missouri. The club generally meets each team for a home-and-home series and participates in about four tournaments per season.

Watkins is part of Little Egypt's nine-man roster, which includes only four Missourians. The squad began practice Sunday and plans to meet three times a week at its 240-by-100-yard field near Trail of Tears State Park, north of Cape. These gatherings usually consist of a three- to four-hour workout with breaks every 15 minutes for the players and their animals.

"You have to give the horses breaks, too," he said. "We'll stop for a bit and chat and have a soda pop or something. It's fun."

Little Egypt will begin its season near the end of May and will continue playing through mid-July, when heat becomes a health factor for the horses. After resting for a month, the club will then play through October, ending its season before the cold weather sets in.

Each game consists of six 7 1/2-minute chukkers, or periods, with four-minute breaks in between. Four players on each side use their mallets to hit the ball into the opposing team's goal.

Last year, Watkins and the rest of the team trained with a professional all season. And while most polo clubs practice with a pro every year, Little Egypt members thought it wasn't worth the cost and decided to forgo the extra man this year. However, the club plans to have a USPA professional from California host a free beginners clinic this season.

"Hopefully this clinic will get a few more people interested in the sport," he said. "We're always looking for new members. A lot of people say they want to come out and try it, but they never do."

After Watkins underwent knee surgery in January of 2003, he didn't see much hope for the future of his career. But after a surprisingly quick and healthy recovery, Watkins was back in action less than 90 days later.

"I really thought I wouldn't be playing a whole lot of polo after that," he said. "I was careful with it when I came back, and I didn't play wide open like I do now. There's a lot of bumping and pushing, and we wear knee pads, but it's still a pretty physical game."

Watkins still makes his claim as one of the best in the area. As the oldest member of Little Egypt, however, the end is in sight for the veteran player.

"I might go to umpire school and just umpire polo," he said. "I want to stay involved with it, but just stay closer to home and not travel so much. As for playing, at my age I'll probably slow down some in the next year or two, but I can still play pretty hard. I'll continue as long as I can get on my horse."