Postcard from Polo.... It's no wonder that the Houston Polo Club has the established reputation as one of the premier Polo venues in the United States. Beside the superior polo playing, championship field and all that serious stuff, there are parties, parties, parties. The season began with an invitation only soiree at the Somoza-Sims Gallery, hosted by the divine and charismatic Mr. and Mrs. Bernabe Somoza and Mr. and Mrs. Grant Sims. The evening featured the renowned artist Sandra Massie Forbush. Sandra lives and works in Flint Hill, Virginia, where she receives commissions for portraits, posters and covers for equestrian events. In fact, the Somoza-Sims Gallery commissioned Mrs. Forbush to paint the "Fourth Chukker", which was unveiled and auctioned off that evening, with proceeds benefiting SIRE (Houston Therapeutic Equestrian Center). Note to our "Big D" friends, Houston is no longer a one-horse town, it's a "horsy" town Darlings, (and just to clarify, the "Big D" refers to Dallas, not Big Deal). Next came a quaint gathering at Arcodoro Ristorante Italiano, honoring Houston Polo 2000 players and sponsors. Guests munched on Arcodoro's culinary delights and sipped, no, more like became intimately familiar with the Robert Mondavi Family of Wines. I just love that family, don't you? Fab time was had by all, and the first match hasn't been played yet. But when it was time to actually do the Polo thing, the Spring Series kicked off with the Spring Classic Polo Cup, featuring Round Robin Polo Match, showcasing Team Pegasus, Team Chilton Capital and Team Eatzi's. Don't ask me who won, the half-time Piper-Sonoma Champagne Divot Stomp must have affected my recollection. Oh well, I'll pay more attention at the forthcoming USPA Governor's Cup. Check out the Polo Spring Calendar if you want to do some divot-stomping yourself. So, who did you miss out on seeing if you weren't there? Here are but a few names and faces, and you can say you were. It's ok, nobody will remember anyway. Rhett Butler (yes, his real name), who now resides in South America and owns a ranch in Paraguay met up with Elena Morselli from Paraguay, returned to Houston to celebrate his 60th birthday with his friends here. Nancy Massie (daughter of Sandra Massie Forbush and subject of Sandra's many paintings), Mary Jo Samson, Shari and Grant Roane, Dave Meyer and daughter Stacy Meyer (of Robert Mondavi Wines), Christina Girard, Jeff and Kathryn Smith, who secretly told everyone they're expecting bambino #2, Jane Koleff, Karen Payne, Marianne Kempner, Douglass Cannon, Clive Watson, John DiGiulio of Alitalia Airlines, Deanne Tupcienko, Luciano Topi, Simon Teame Chierici, Alex DiBagno, R.O Hunter, Jan Victor Bodorf, T.L. (Larry) Pickrell, Harriet Goodman, Edna Mayer-Nelson, Paolo Angelini, Surpik Angelini, Council General of Italy Carlo Columbo, Aurora Hayes, Luigi Moretti, Laura Pasquero, Jeffrey Newport, Rachel Grant, John Shelly Kinch III, Marsha and Ned Scott, and scores more of the horsy set...
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