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LESLEY-ANN MASTERTON FONG-YEE
JAMAICA’S PASSIONATE POLO PLAYER
JAMAICA’S PASSIONATE POLO PLAYER
An idyllic afternoon in Kingston, Jamaica the effervescent being of Lesley-Ann Masterton Fong-Yee evokes the humility, intrigue and the passion that comes with being ranked amongst the world's top female polo players. The relaxed Lesley-Ann's passion for her first love, animals emanates a nurturing nature that evolved in her being the passionate and committed polo player, through the gleanings of history shared.
The early years saw her being activily involved in the life of her fathers farm: where her love of animals began. With her father Dr. John "The Doc" Masterston, a veterinarian and avid polo player who captained the Jamacian team for nearly two decades, the best of both worlds converged, her love of animals and her athletic prowess. Lesley-Ann intimately exclaimed, "I started riding before I could walk". Lesley-Ann ultimately exploited her athletic abilities while at boarding school in the United Kingdom. It's her passion and interest that led to her understanding the game, even before she started playing.
Being one of the few female players in the sports, given that Lesley-Ann has been involved in the sports for over 25 years, her early inspiration came from her father. She also credits Dennis Lalor, founder of the Annual ICWI International Ladies Tournament, for his encouragement, having given her the first hat, boots and horse. Unreservedly, she notes his support and encouragement, has led her to explore varying aspects of the sport and daringly balance the demands of life and a professional sport.
Lesley-Ann, who is married to Stephen Fong- Yee, in an almost quizzical manner, noted that, her husband is very understanding and gives the emotional support to her demanding, but rewarding involvement in the sport. During the early years of her involvement in playing polo professionally, Lesley-Ann inferred that she did experience some amount of resentment because she did not play on a team. Her characteristic trait then, that of having a competitive nature, led her at times to get her own team so she could compete. Of no small feat, within the first seven years of her involvement in the sport, Lesley-Ann got the highest handicap in Jamaica. Lesley-Ann shares with me the nuances of polo, espousing hat the season begins in January and ends in August in Jamaica; the tropical climate allows for a much longer season. She's been ranked at goal 3, for polo players the highest rank in the sport is 5 only two women have had that rank in the sport, and one at goal 4.
Her achievements last year includes;
• United States Polo Association Women's Cup Tournament with Cup Team Catema (April)
• Singapore Tournament (October)
• Houston Qualifiers of the Wome's Cup Tournament with Team Pegasus (November)
• Jamaica Hi-Pro/ICWI High Goal Family Tournament
• Jamaica Polo Association Junior Cup which is over a 100 years old.
I enquired of the world ranked player, 'how does Lesley-Ann view the sport of polo?' She acknowledges that polo is a tremendously complex team event, with a
penchant for superb hand-eye coordination. Notably she said, "there is a tremendous sense of camaraderie", with her paraphrasing a comment by Winston Churchill, that a polo handicap is one the best passports to the world. She's had an amazing experience thus far, playing polo with and being trained by some of the world's best players from Asia to the Americas. Polo she noted requires tremendous commitment and dedication, given its nature; the organization and the execution which is required to make an event equally successful as the joy you experience being a part of the game.
Of women and the sport of polo, Lesley-Ann shared that several tournaments have emerged both high and low goal ranking events, to engender an outlet for their competitive energies. The Annual ICWI Ladies Tournament in Jamaica, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2008 has been a seminal one not only for being on the local calendar, but for the inspiration it has provided, with leagues and tournaments emerging throughout regions of the world including North America, UK and Asia. This is a giant leap for the sport and women in particular, over the past 20 years.
Over the last three years, she's been coaching and this has brought another dimension to viewing the sport in a whole different way, given the enthusiasm of her subjects. As she starts to reflect, and an introspective mood, radiates our patio setting, with her noting that as a child she had been given difficult horses to ride, that others wouldn't take on.
The worlds collide, the past the present and the future,- prospects and her passion. Having posed such a loaded statement, Lesley-Ann poignantly remarked and recalled her injuries, experience, exposure and involvement in the sports through training, playing and coaching. She would do it all over again, however emotively noted the injuries along the way, which led her to forcibly be apart from her passion. For her though, the sport has become a way of life; the tremendous camaraderie, the adrenaline rush and the game of polo itself, evokes a child-like reminiscing, that only time spent could have captured euphoria of her experiences.
Being one of the few female players in the sports, given that Lesley-Ann has been involved in the sports for over 25 years, her early inspiration came from her father. She also credits Dennis Lalor, founder of the Annual ICWI International Ladies Tournament, for his encouragement, having given her the first hat, boots and horse. Unreservedly, she notes his support and encouragement, has led her to explore varying aspects of the sport and daringly balance the demands of life and a professional sport.
Lesley-Ann, who is married to Stephen Fong- Yee, in an almost quizzical manner, noted that, her husband is very understanding and gives the emotional support to her demanding, but rewarding involvement in the sport. During the early years of her involvement in playing polo professionally, Lesley-Ann inferred that she did experience some amount of resentment because she did not play on a team. Her characteristic trait then, that of having a competitive nature, led her at times to get her own team so she could compete. Of no small feat, within the first seven years of her involvement in the sport, Lesley-Ann got the highest handicap in Jamaica. Lesley-Ann shares with me the nuances of polo, espousing hat the season begins in January and ends in August in Jamaica; the tropical climate allows for a much longer season. She's been ranked at goal 3, for polo players the highest rank in the sport is 5 only two women have had that rank in the sport, and one at goal 4.
Her achievements last year includes;
• United States Polo Association Women's Cup Tournament with Cup Team Catema (April)
• Singapore Tournament (October)
• Houston Qualifiers of the Wome's Cup Tournament with Team Pegasus (November)
• Jamaica Hi-Pro/ICWI High Goal Family Tournament
• Jamaica Polo Association Junior Cup which is over a 100 years old.
I enquired of the world ranked player, 'how does Lesley-Ann view the sport of polo?' She acknowledges that polo is a tremendously complex team event, with a
penchant for superb hand-eye coordination. Notably she said, "there is a tremendous sense of camaraderie", with her paraphrasing a comment by Winston Churchill, that a polo handicap is one the best passports to the world. She's had an amazing experience thus far, playing polo with and being trained by some of the world's best players from Asia to the Americas. Polo she noted requires tremendous commitment and dedication, given its nature; the organization and the execution which is required to make an event equally successful as the joy you experience being a part of the game.Of women and the sport of polo, Lesley-Ann shared that several tournaments have emerged both high and low goal ranking events, to engender an outlet for their competitive energies. The Annual ICWI Ladies Tournament in Jamaica, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2008 has been a seminal one not only for being on the local calendar, but for the inspiration it has provided, with leagues and tournaments emerging throughout regions of the world including North America, UK and Asia. This is a giant leap for the sport and women in particular, over the past 20 years.
Polo should be played with a hot blood and cool head
To share with Lesley-Ann, is an understanding of cerebral joy and an engaging stimuli, of her involvement and unwavering commitment to the sport of polo worldwide. She served as Chairman, Women's Tournament Committee, United States Polo Association, member of the Equine Welfare and Club Development committees. For two years, she participated on the Constitutional Committee of the US Polo Association, and is currently the Lt. Governor, Florida and Caribbean Region of that association. Over the past three years, a surge of interest by young people in Jamaica, has allowed her to explore in an optimal way another aspect to the sport, that of training and coaching. This conjures nothing but euphoria in her mind's eye, having the opportunity to share her wealth of knowledge with a whole new generation. Having been trained and coached by some of the top coaches in the world, with that her insightful comment, her humility comes shining through, as she unequivocally demonstrate, that this gives a blessing to share with others, who have developed an interest in the sport.Over the last three years, she's been coaching and this has brought another dimension to viewing the sport in a whole different way, given the enthusiasm of her subjects. As she starts to reflect, and an introspective mood, radiates our patio setting, with her noting that as a child she had been given difficult horses to ride, that others wouldn't take on.
The worlds collide, the past the present and the future,- prospects and her passion. Having posed such a loaded statement, Lesley-Ann poignantly remarked and recalled her injuries, experience, exposure and involvement in the sports through training, playing and coaching. She would do it all over again, however emotively noted the injuries along the way, which led her to forcibly be apart from her passion. For her though, the sport has become a way of life; the tremendous camaraderie, the adrenaline rush and the game of polo itself, evokes a child-like reminiscing, that only time spent could have captured euphoria of her experiences.
