s pot lig ht
Clockwise, from top left, Katelyn and Lyle Graham and Franz Colloredo-Mansfield; playing with Winter Creek; Jonathan L. Graham, Lyle Graham, Helen R. Ayer, Alex Ingram, and Phoebe Ingram at the Neil Ayer Memorial Tournament.
It’s All Relative
Lyle Graham reminisces about family, polo, and life at Myopia.
for lyle graham, polo—and Myopia Polo, in particular—has always been about family “It’s a family game—your family is always involved,” Graham says from his north shore office not far from Gibney Field. “It’s really hard for me to imagine having played at that level, having that many horses, if my family wasn’t involved or supporting of it.” A long hitter with a great deal of strength and little patience for turning the ball, Graham was known to send players away with a perfectly-executed shot. And though there were many victories over the years, it’s the father-son, parent-child combinations on the pitch that make the sport special for him. “It is an essential part of it, and Myopia is a club that’s built on families,” Graham says. “If you look at every single captain we’ve had, there’s a family there. And polo, for whatever reason, there seems to 64 myopia polo 2017
be some genetic genome or DNA transition from father to son, mother to son, daughter—that’s kind of the basics of our sport.” Graham led Myopia Polo as captain from 2000 to 2008, and has a long history with the club, dating back to his days as a 5-goal player known for his passionate, competitive style. It’s an approach he developed when he first began to learn the game as a youngster in Connecticut under the tutelage of 8-goal player and Polo Hall of Famer Bennie Gutierrez, among others. Before long he was hooked, beginning a decades-long career on horseback. “It was the connection to the horses and also the fact that I could participate in a sport with other people that I respected and learned from and enjoyed their company,” Graham says of the initial draw. He easily recalls a wealth of memories from his time on the field, from competing with his son to filling
his role as captain of polo when family friend and fellow Myopia player Adam Snow reached the 10-goal rating. It also allowed him to play with and against a wide variety of players from around the world. “Polo’s kind of that passport,” Graham says. “No matter where you are, if you’re a polo player and there’s a polo club or a polo field, you’ll be welcomed. It was a wonderful thing.” And always most importantly, it allowed him to play with family. His oldest son Jonathan talks about his father’s on-field skills with a combination of admiration and appreciation. “People loved watching him because of the way he played.” “He always came to the field to win—it didn’t matter who we were playing,” the younger Graham says. “And I learned a lot with him. There’s a whole aspect to polo behind the game: The back of the barn, getting the horses together, working them on a Wednesday when nobody’s there— just going out with your dad. That kind of connection you get away from the field is really special.” And through it all, a thread of pride and affection is woven among the stories of wins and losses. “That’s a picture of me retiring two of my favorite horses at Myopia,” Graham says of one of the polo photos that adorn his office. “That was one of the happiest days I had at Myopia.” As time wore on and old polo injuries began to catch up to the famously competitive Graham, he reluctantly opted to rein-in his on-field involvement a bit to focus on family, business and new interests like nautical pursuits and motorcycle touring. Graham is far from a stranger at Myopia, however, and he and his family remain a fixture there. “I may have downsized,” he says. “But we have the jerseys—and the memories.”
photographs, from top, james nelon; andrew katsampes (2)