Kerstie at Crab Orchard
Kerstie plays for ERG a 20-goal tournament in Santa Barbara,
Photo by David Lominska, www.polographics.com
California in 2013.
playing for Fontainebleau Aviation.
“I was on the way home after playing polo in England and I
came to the USA to check out the polo scene,” she said. “I was
also fascinated by rodeo and western riding, having heard about
it all my life growing up in Australia. I was skiing in California
and overnighted my horses to me and they wound up stabling
at the Indio Polo Club and that was the start of my polo here in
the States.”
Kerstie admitted to being obsessed with horses as long as
she can remember. She didn’t get her own horse until she was
in high school, and her family wasn’t at all horsey. She was born
in Melbourne and stayed there until she graduated from college.
When she had an opportunity to travel, she leaped at it and has
never looked back.
“There’s no BS about me – we are what we are,” said Kerstie.
“I do team roping and barrel racing professionally, and calf roping
as an amateur. I also do cowboy mounted shooting. I’ve won a
lot of buckles, probably hundreds, and saddles. I’ve never had a
lesson. I taught myself to do everything. I’ve had to pursue my
dreams pretty much on my own.”
In addition to being totally self-taught in all of her endeavors,
on and off the horses, Kerstie is totally self-supporting. “I buy
and sell horses for polo, roping, barrel racing, hunter/jumper – I
find out what the horses’ talents are and what they enjoy doing
best,” she said. “I sold my best roping horse, a heel horse, to
Tuff Hedeman. He was a champion bull rider and best friends
with Lane Frost, who died bull riding. They made a movie about
it, 8 Seconds.”
Kerstie travels with her horses all over the USA, according to
the season and the sport. Right now, she has 20 in her string, but
she has had as many as 300 horses in one year. For polo, she
has a mentor in Facundo Pieres.
“It was an honor to play on the same team with him this season
in the 26-goal matches,” Kerstie said. “As a woman, it is rare
to even have the opportunities I have had. I have to thank the
Rawlings and the whole Crab Orchard team, including Paco,
Magoo and Facundo. I just want to continue playing high goal
internationally. I want to go as far as I can in polo.”
Photo by Barbara Bower, www.BarbarasVisions.com
Kerstie rides off Facundo Obregon in the 26-goal handicap finals,
Crab Orchard versus Coca-Cola.
Photo by David Lominska, www.polographics.com
80 SIDELINES JUNE 2014
About the writer: Lauren R. Giannini is an award-winning
journalist, specializing in stories about the equestrian world.
Crazy about horses all her life, she craves more stable time,
especially in the saddle. Right now, she rides her beloved
MacBook, a genuine work-pony, and reads voraciously to
escape the everyday world.
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE