Ponies take to the field

Aspen Public Radio | By Elizabeth Stewart-Severy

Published December 15, 2016 at 4:42 PM MST

Snowmaking operations are transforming Rio Grande Park in Aspen into a snow polo field.

Some of the world’s top players return this weekend for the final stop on the World Polo Tour. Snow polo is a modified form of the game, and this year it will be played on mostly man-made snow. Players use a bright red ball that is easy to spot in the winter event, and polo ponies wear special cleated shoes for traction.

Aspen is the only U.S. city to host snow polo. The event runs Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

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Elizabeth Stewart-Severy

Aspen native Elizabeth Stewart-Severy is excited to be making a return to both the Red Brick, where she attended kindergarten, and the field of journalism. She has spent her entire life playing in the mountains and rivers around Aspen, and is thrilled to be reporting about all things environmental in this special place. She attended the University of Colorado with a Boettcher Scholarship, and graduated as the top student from the School of Journalism in 2006. Her lifelong love of hockey lead to a stint working for the Colorado Avalanche, and she still plays in local leagues and coaches the Aspen Junior Hockey U-19 girls.

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