One year after sustaining a serious injury while playing a practice match, Kelly Beck is back on the polo field enjoying the sport she and her family have come to love.

The daughter of a classical violinist, Kelly’s only involvement with horses growing up was as a member of the pony club. It was not until she was an adult that she got more involved with horses. She and her husband Michael bought a horse when the kids were younger and eventually purchased a farm and built an eventing barn in Tallahassee, Florida.

Busy homeschooling her six children, Kelly did not have time to be too involved with the horses. Her oldest son Daniel rode with a hunter/jumper barn until he confided to his mother it was as exciting as being in a sewing club. When she brought him to a polo game, he was intrigued. After giving polo a try, he started taking regular lessons with Stuart Campbell. He was soon hooked and before long he had his own string of polo ponies.

When he went off to college, his string was just sitting there. With the kids getting older and more independent, Kelly had more time, so friends suggested she give polo a try. She found it to be a great joy. Soon her other kids decided to join in, though she admits her husband was the last holdout. “He finally said well, if you can’t lick ‘em, join ‘em, so he started playing too.”

Today, 12 years after Daniel took his first lesson, the family owns 80 polo ponies and the entire family enjoys playing polo.

"We started with an eventing barn then kind of moved sideways into polo. But I will say this; I am so glad we did! Besides being such a great physical activity, polo is also so much more a family sport,” explains Kelly. “It is one you can all enjoy together, even playing different levels. You are working with a team, it is not every man for himself. And if you are going to be spending so much time on an activity, at least with polo you can do it together, as a family!

It gives me great joy. I love that it’s a family sport. We went from 0 to 60! It is a great lifestyle and it offers a great balance with physical [activities].”

The family owns a regulation polo field in northern Florida and is based at the Sarasota Polo Club in the winter. They have also played at The Villages, as well as taking summer polo trips to places like Wyoming; Lexington, Kentucky; Myopia near Boston; and Saratoga, New York.

"We like to take three weeks to a month to play some polo and enjoy the area’s cultural elements,” she said. Her kids have also worked for some pros so they can get what Kelly calls “sweat equity” in the game.

As more of the kids went off to college—only two are still at home—Kelly had more time to be hands-on with the polo ponies, and takes out sets everyday.

The Accident “It’s wet around the goal posts, don’t try to make a goal. It’s just not worth the risk.” Kelly remembers reminding just about everyone who would listen, including her husband and Campbell, manager of the family’s entire polo operation and is its coach, who were also practicing that day.

There had been a lot of rain in the previous days and they were just playing a fun practice with friends at a field near their home. Playing on basically a backyard field, it had a shorter runoff area behind the goal.

Late in the practice, Kelly said she was passed the ball. “I saw the ball, and it looked like the size of Texas,” said Kelly. “I just went full bore after it and there just wasn’t quite enough run off space where they had set up the goal. I saw the ball, all of a sudden looked up and there was no place to go so I yanked the horse hard. I tried to keep her from running into the woods and the lake on the edge of the field. I yanked her hard and she fell and I fell with her.

You know on cartoons when the horse’s or dog’s legs spin around in a circle? I kind of remember the horse trying to gain purchase. She is a great horse and is nimble. I am very grateful she didn’t fall on me.”

Campbell was closest to her on the field. “When I first saw the horse slipping and falling, I thought, how silly. It was the last minute or two of the last chukker and I guess Kelly wanted to end on a good note. The fall itself didn’t look too bad but when I got to her she was snoring and unconscious.

"Her husband Mike was the second person to get to her and he remarked that at least it wasn’t a bad accident. We called the ambulance and of course, it seemed like it took far longer than it really did for it to come. It was only a few minutes before they got there and when they drove off, we were all still thinking that it wasn’t too serious. We know now, it doesn’t take a bad accident to make a bad injury.”

As the days went on, doctors were increasingly concerned with the swelling in her brain and were not sure if she would make it. Kelly woke up in intensive care. She had damage to the third or Oculomotor nerve, which supplies the majority of the muscles controlling eye movements. Kelly said typically damage to this part of the brain results in much graver injuries. She also had a contusion on her head, broke her wrist and fractured a vertebrae in her neck.

When she was released from the hospital, she came home with a nurse and needed a walker to get around. Her balance was off and she was having problems with double vision. “This has been a big blow to my pride,” explains Kelly. “I know it sounds stupid—but polo people, we kind of consider ourselves a little bit like the rock stars of the equine world. It is a huge comeuppance to be sitting on the sidelines and not being able to ride.”

Kelly was wearing one of the safest polo helmets and believes it made a difference in protecting her head from more severe damage. But, she had screwed a facemask on to the helmet and wishes she had not. “[My facemask] kept popping off and I was flustered with that so I screwed the thing in. I might have had less impact on my neck and face [had it been able to pop off].”

She is glad she was wearing a mouthguard, something she continues to do and encourages others to copy. “Get one of the specially fitted ones from your dentist. They are about $300 and are worth every cent. The dentist takes a mold of your mouth so it fits very well and you can still talk with it in,” says Kelly. “And if you hit hard, the mouthguard takes the beating when you clamp down, not your jaw.”

The head injuries sidelined Kelly for six months. “I was tempted to go off on a horse and do some sets. Twice I found myself walking over to the stalls. ‘Just put a little saddle on and go for a walk,’ but I got caught by various people,” says Kelly. “Don’t rush. If they tell you to wait six months, wait six months. You don’t want to get a concussion on a concussion.”

Though doctors suggested rehabilitation, Kelly felt she had the best sense of what was good for her, so she did her own rehabilitation. Even though she was using a walker, she began walking, first up and down the driveway, to trying for a mile, then increasing the distance as she was able to.

As she got stronger, Campbell suggested she start riding a bike to help improve her balance and she began jogging. “She made more effort than anyone would,” remarks Campbell.

Kelly says, in addition to her greatest supporter, husband Mike, as well as her family, Campbell was there for her every step of the way, from her walker phase, to walking up the driveway, to her first outing to see her horses, to starting power walks, jogging, biking, driving around the block, then to the farm, all the way to her first day back on a horse, walking, trotting, and eventually cantering. Though she admits she was a little apprehensive about riding again, she was determined to get back up on a horse. “My husband said something about summer plans. I had set up a trip to take the kids to Russia and Berlin. I said, ‘When we get back can we go play polo?’ He said, ‘Honey, you can’t play polo yet.’ I asked, ‘why not?’ ‘It takes a while to get over the fact that you want to be doing better, but its slow going.’

I met a lot of naysayers. People asked if I had a death wish, I said, no, I have a life wish. Getting back on a horse again was daunting. I am so grateful for the great support of my husband, family and coach. Although my husband didn’t encourage me returning to polo, he didn’t say no to it either, which I greatly appreciate. That takes a lot of guts when it involves people you love! I know it has been hard for him, but he’s been beyond patient and a very good sport. Now we are having fun with it again, so that is great.”

In anticipation of riding, Campbell asked Kelly which three horses she felt most comfortable on. He got those horses legged up so when she was ready to ride, they were not fresh out of the field.

She waited the full six months and when it was time, she did not tell any of her family because she did not want them to be nervous and upset. “When I came home with this big stupid smile on my face, they were like, what have you been up to?” says Kelly. She had been counting the days until six months had passed and getting back in the saddle was a big day for her. “It felt really good. Getting back on that horse was a great victory,” Kelly explained. “I felt secure on my favorite mare, Luna, but we went slowly. I still had balance issues so at first we just walked and trotted, no mallets. It took a little bit to get the equilibrium back.” Kelly began riding sets everyday as a way to ease back into it and gain her confidence. She says, “I highly recommend doing sets to anyone easing back into the sport. You have to deal with the lead lines, reeling them in and letting them out, and all that helps balance. It is a non-confrontational way to get out there in an easier manner.”

"When Kelly wanted to get back on a horse, I was definitely wary because she was so fragile. I encouraged her to ride a bike, so she rode a bike and began jogging. Now, she is at the barn every morning by 7, 7:30 a.m. taking out sets,” explains Campbell. “She has come a long way and her hard work has payed off.” “People have been wonderful. The polo community has been great. Everyone has been so supportive. Personally, though, it has been a huge comeuppance. You feel like you just want to get back out there and start where you left off. Instead, you have to start again and relearn a lot and that is daunting,” explains Kelly.

She still struggles with double vision. “The third nerve controls your vision. There is really nothing they can do with it. I have compromised vision in one eye. When I ride, a lot of times I will close my good, left eye and make myself use the right eye just to exercise it. But it is mostly time. Then again, there are people out there with one eye, playing and doing great, so I have no excuse really,” Kelly explains. “I have to rejoice in the conquest. I am appreciative of every little thing.”

Kelly has made it back on the polo field, first playing in practices, then Ranch Leagues along with her two youngest children and husband. Anika, 16, is filling in on a 6-goal league in Sarasota and her older children will likely play this summer when they are home from college and graduate school.

Campbell says, “She is playing really well, but is still a bit fearful around the goal. We started having her video-taped so she could see herself playing and in the last two weeks she has really made a big improvement.”

If Kelly ever had any temptation to ride without a helmet before, on sets or whatever, that temptation has definitely vanished now. She wears a helmet whenever she is on a horse, whether it be riding singles or sets, and makes sure her children are wearing them too. “A properly fitting helmet is you best line of defense,” she says.

After seeing what she has gone through, Campbell now wears a helmet any time he is riding too. “Having seen the accident and grooms getting dumped, it was a big wake-up call. It is something the polo world should be aware of. Every time I ride, I wear a helmet. Guys see the helmet, come up and say, ‘are you riding a crazy horse?’ I probably stick out like a sore thumb, but imagine what might have happened if Kelly was not wearing a helmet. It has been a long, slow road but she has made a 360-degree turn.”

Between biking and riding, Kelly has pretty much conquered her balance issues. Now she is working on getting over timidity issues and focusing on trying to always know what is going on in the field. “Of course, I want to be back now! And that gets frustrating,” she says. “But I am getting stronger and more confident every day. It has been an interesting ride, no pun intended.” She hopes to play more competitive polo this spring and summer. “I’m clawing my way back, slowly but surely. I am not there yet, but I’m getting close!”

"I try to just go out there and have fun but I keep pushing forward, too. I tell myself over and over, ‘baby steps, Kelly, baby steps!’ and try not to take myself too seriously. That is the hard part though. I give myself that lecture pretty much every day. It can be exasperating to see everyone, even my kids, outstripping me. But I guess that is the natural order of things. On the other hand, I am not above reminding them now and then that I outstripped them before!” she jokes. “OK, so maybe I have to watch their rear for a little while, but watch out, Momma’s coming!”

Protective Headgear

After seeing Kelly’s fall and the severity of her injuries, Stuart Campbell said he hopes polo helmets can be improved and made safer. No helmet can protect from every type of head injury but there is room for improvement.

Helmets have come a long way since the pith-style helmets of yesteryear. The USPA began testing helmets several years ago and identified the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment, known as NOCSAE, approved helmets as providing the best protection available for polo.

Helmet makers began redesigning their helmets to get them approved by NOCSAE, however in the end, only one helmet passed all NOCSAE testing and players complained it was too heavy. A few other helmets fell just short of passing.

Polo helmet manufacturers have been reluctant to invest too much in improvements because of the size of the sport. Even in the best of circumstances, they will likely only sell a couple thousand helmets. And once a player has a helmet, he may not buy another for several years. Aside from the cost of research and development, helmet testing is expensive and polo helmet manufacturers are not likely to see a return on such a big investment.

For helmets to work, players have to wear them. Though the USPA has made helmet use mandatory during matches, there is no requirement off the field. Most polo riders do not use a helmet for everyday riding, but the danger is still very real.

One prominent polo horse trainer once said some of the worst injuries happen at a walk. At a leisurely pace, the rider is often more relaxed and less alert, and it gives the horse plenty of time to get distracted, play or get lazy and trip.

Other equestrian sports are tightening their rules requiring protective headgear. The United States Equestrian Federation now requires any person mounted on a horse at federation-licensed competitions anywhere on the competition grounds to wear protective headgear that is properly fitted with harness secured. It must also meet or exceed ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials)/SEI (Safety Equipment Institute) standards.

Even the Western horse world, which has long accepted the traditional cowboy hat during competitions, is beginning to have second-thoughts on the issue. In February, a 27-year-old professional barrel racer was killed during a competition. Lara Dewees was making the final turn in a race when her horse tripped, throwing the reins over its head. The horse regained its footing and galloped out of the arena through an open gate into a parking lot. Dewees was thrown headfirst onto the pavement. She died a week later, leaving behind a 20- month-old son.

Concussions

A study conducted from 1987-2000 showed that for every 100 hours of low or medium-goal polo, a player can expect an injury severe enough to see a physician. Of the people who were injured, a third reported two or more injuries during the same season of about six months, and 11 percent of the injuries reported were concussions.

There are three grades of concussion used in the American Academy of Neurology guidelines for determining when an athlete can return to polo. In order of increasing severity, Grade I involves no loss of consciousness, no amnesia and “mild confusion.” Amnesia is when a person cannot remember what happened. Grade II still has no loss of consciousness but does have confusion with amnesia. And finally, Grade III is complete loss of consciousness. The time away from play varies with each grade as well as the number of times the incident has occurred in the past. The athlete needs to take more time away from play with each incident, and Grade III concussions take more time to recover than a Grade I concussion.

We have all heard the saying, “when you fall off a horse, you get right back on.” The biggest danger is getting a second concussion on top of a concussion that has not had enough time to fully heal. A player may fall and not realize he has a mild concussion. If he continues to ride and suffers another head injury a few days later, it may have fatal consequences. It is important to note, a player does not necessarily need to take a direct hit to the head to suffer a brain injury. Just getting flung off a horse may cause enough whiplash for the brain to hit the inside of the skull.

Some athletes have starting using baseline impact testing prior to the start of a season. Baseline testing is neurocognitive testing under normal conditions. If the athlete suffers a concussion later, he is retested and the results are compared to the baseline data. For more information, go to impacttest.com.

By Gwen Rizzo