SAL STORIES - Page 3

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I only had the pleasure of knowing Sue Sally for 3 years. I do not play polo, but went with her last summer up the coast with 7 horses and a  pony to several matches. I am a novice that she again was teaching riding at my young age now of 54. In these few years, I have learned so much about horses, people and life itself. Just last week, after doing sets with the horses she quipped, "you know what Louise, I bet we could run this ranch, just you and I." In the next minute, I would flub something, and she would say, "you're fired.!" That happened almost every time I showed up at the ranch. She was a true friend, a blessing  to animals and people alike. I will miss her greatly, but I thank God I knew her even if the time was so short. God be with you and your loved  ones.

Louise Prisco

I am very blessed to have known Sue Sally Hale, both as a cherished friend and neighbor. She and I, along with my husband and many other of our neighbors, worked tirelessly together to form the predominately Equestrian, Rural, and Agricultural Community of Vista Santa Rosa, California. An incredibly extra special and phenomenal person......Sal will remain in my heart and the hearts of many forever. 

Gayle Cady

A Force to be Reckoned With -Sue Sally Hale would be amazed  that her death was covered in a story on NPR’s, All Things Considered. Actually, it was her life that was covered and what a life it was. She probably didn’t know how many people she influenced, affected and helped, by introducing them to and encouraging them to play polo. Sue Sal died unexpectedly to most of us, of natural causes at her home in Southern California in April. (of 2003) She was THE reason that there are women playing polo today. She played mainly in California but her influence was felt all over the country. Disguising herself as a man on  the polo field for years in order to play in tournaments she was one of the first to break the gender barrier in 1972 when she was accepted into the US Polo Association as a regular playing member. She was a pioneer, a woman to play alongside men and she opened the way for the rest of us. I feel privileged to have played polo with her, against her and to  call her a friend. I first met Sue Sal in 1978 at her ranch in Carmel Valley where she hosted and annual Women’s polo tournament played on a “skin” (read sand) field. Carmel Valley in unlike its upscale  neighbor, Carmel-by-the Sea, but is a dry inland valley of homes and  small ranches. Sal, as everyone called her, was holding court from the bed of her navy blue, Chevy dually, with an assortment of pound dogs and children seeming to come out of every corner. She looked like a tough cookie and had a strong, slightly roughened voice. Not tall, but strongly built with a quick, wide smile that included her eyes twinkling  and weathered skin that had not seen much sunblock. As tough looking as she was, she always wore something feminine as an accessory: maybe a  pair of silver hoop earrings or a chiffon scarf tied around the brim of  her polo helmet. She might be tough, but she wanted to make sure you  knew she was a lady, too. Polo games at Carmel Valley would sometimes be interrupted by the siren from the local volunteer  fire company. Hearing the siren go off, Sal would gallop to the sidelines, jump off of her horse and into her fireman’s boots and pants and off she’d go in her pickup in a cloud of dust. I can’t remember if  someone took her place or if we just waited for her, but it was an  impressive sight. Sal always preached and practiced good sportsmanship and I never heard her rudely question the call of an umpire and raise her voice to anyone on the field. She would compliment opponents and support her teammates. She was tireless, kind, sentimental, practical, stubborn and adventuresome. She could calm a  frightened child, back up a gooseneck trailer, doctor a horse, cook a  big breakfast, french braid hair, change a tire and tell a corny joke, all with equal ease and skill. She was an independent woman raising five children pretty much one her own, including for some time, her oldest  son who was recovering from a brain injury from a car accident at age eighteen. I ended up in her good graces and played with Sal, and  her daughters Sunny and/or Stormie in many a polo tournament. (Sunny at  age twelve, had the best near-side fore shot of anyone I knew—and went  on to be the highest rated women player in the country and play  professionally on high-goal teams in Florida.) Sal loved nothing better  than to have an all-women’s team and compete on a level with men’s  teams. She proved time and time again that four solid players who played  good team polo, had good horsemanship and tried hard, could often beat  the teams with professional players and ringers on them. Thanks to Sal, I had the chance to play polo in Hawaii twice, Florida, Texas and many  games in Indio, California. The games that we played on Hawaii were billed as “Battle of the Sexes” games and we did well, playing against an equally rated male foursome, with us on borrowed ponies. We played in the Pacific Coast Circuit Governors Cup in Indio with an all-female team and made it to the semifinals out of twenty or so teams. We traveled to Midland, Texas to play in the 8-goal Presidents Cup with our team of all 2-goal women ( Sal, Stormie, Sunny and myself). We didn’t  win but we didn’t disgrace ourselves either. One slow afternoon in Midland after a few days of rain, Sal organized a pick-up polo game using a beach ball and played in a paddock where the hazards included uneven terrain, cacti and piles of uneaten hay, just the kind of thing  she loved doing for fun. She hauled my horses, got my airfare sponsored, fed me, put my horses up, loaned me cars, loaned me horses and never commented on my independent, sometimes not-so-intelligent young adult decisions. Sal was one of the most generous , giving people that I have ever known. Sal love playing polo on horses no one  less would have wanted. I think she was from a well to do family but  shunned her roots. She would find small, inexpensive horses with good  attitudes in backyards, sales and out of the paper and train them to  play polo in a few months. There they’d be, tied to the trailer  alongside the veterans, ready to play in the next tournament for us. They weren’t usually very fast but they were always safe, handy and  well-schooled. She played Quarter horses, mustangs, an Andalusian and  even a mule. Rarely was there a Thoroughbred in her string. Her best  horse was a small, palomino mare with a not so beautiful head, named Maya, who played in a little snaffle bit and no martingale and tried her  heart out every game. Sal loved doing things a little bit differently  and proving that they could be done, and done successfully her way.  She had a reputation for stirring things up when she thought there were  things that needed to be improved. Her letters, both in content and number, to the USPA directors and the polo magazines, were legendary.  But the goal for Sal was always the same: Bring new people into the sport of polo,  make them comfortable and make it affordable for them. I think that it is safe to say that there are probably hundreds of people  who have played polo at some point in their life who never would have tried the sport if Sal hadn’t encouraged them to try it and make it accessible, affordable and fun. Whether you agreed or disagreed with her ideas, you knew her heart was in the right place and she just wanted more people to have the fun that she did playing polo. I thought it was appropriate that the day after she died, the polo magazine, Sidelines, appeared in my mailbox. In it was a letter to the editor from Sue Sally  Hale, about how to use money from the USPA to better help young players and encourage more members. How fitting that Sal got the last word in! As I write down my thoughts and memories about Sal, I envision many other people feeling the need to do the same: All of us trying to pay  tribute to the tough little lady from California with a heart of gold,  who was a force to be reckoned with.
Cindy Halle

I was living down the street from Sal's polo place as a broke single mom of 3. She let my son ride for free by having him exercise the polo ponies. She also let him muck stalls for pay. My son was having a rough time back then; a 15yo. She mentioned that karate might really help him. I was never able to afford those karate lessons but never forgot Sal's wise words and kindness. My son ended up being very successful. Thanks  Sal😍l 

Christine Gorham

Sue Sal was a lady that I feel all women in the sport of Polo looked up to and respected. She was a mentor with a heart of gold. Greatly missed and never forgotten as she made her mark on the entire world.
Susan Bolinger-Pierce and Kimberlee (Bolinger) Kramarczyk                                                                                                                      PAGE 1     PAGE 2