Girls, Girls, Girls 2010
On a calm and warm August day things were certainly heating up at the Toronto Polo Club as the Polo For The Cure women’s polo tournament was well underway. Though their shirts were pink and baby blue, there was nothing delicate and soft about the plays taking place on the field as the women battled it out for the Championship title. Now in its fourth year, Polo For The Cure has become a popular and widely attended event that brings in some of Ontario’s top women players.
Not only is Polo For The Cure recognized as being a well-organized, prestigious and highly-competitive tournament for women, the only of its kind in Canada, but it is also a fund raiser for breast cancer research at the Southlake Regional Health Centre.
Often thought of as a man's game, "the sport of Kings" is being played with increasing numbers by women. According to the United States Polo Association women polo players represent one of the largest growing sectors of polo today. They account for one third of registered players. Though women have been playing polo since shortly after the sport was first introduced in the United States, female polo players were few and far between. This, however, is beginning to Change.
Polo For The Cure was the brainchild of organizers Keri Weir and Donna Malloy. Recognizing that there was a great need for a women's only polo tournament in Canada, since these kind of tournaments have become an overnight phenomenon in countries like England and the United States, they decided to try the idea out by inviting Canadian women players to attend. Deeply affected by a recent case of breast cancer in her family, Keri Weir decided that polo could be an excellent forum for raising funds for research and treatment of the disease. The girls then decided to turn their polo tournament in to a fundraising endeavor as well as a competitive women's-only tournament. While out soliciting support for their event, Keri and Donna found that almost everyone they approached had been affected in some way or other by breast cancer. "People were so willing to give or help out with our event" said Keri, "the support and encouragement was overwhelming". This was the general feeling throughout the entire tournament, there seemed to be a bonding and camaraderie between all of the women who participated. Although the games were fast and fierce, the parties and socials between the games were what the tournament was all about – women getting together and sharing their passion for polo. 
So overwhelming were the entries for this tournament that two brackets of teams were necessary – an "A"division and a "B" division. On the day of the finals the field was lined with corporate tables and general public picnics. There was a silent auction, a barbeque, and a half-time entertainment show that included a "Pink pony parade" for the youngest generation of polo payers. In the end it was the team sponsored by Pisces Equine Sport who won the "A" division, and the team sponsored by Highland Chev-Cadillac who won the "B" division. Polo For The Cure 2010 was an enormous success, raising just under $15,000 for breast cancer research and treatment.
