Bonus Interview: Philadelphia’s polo stars

From the Radio Times archive, our interview with polo star Kareem Rosser. He's hosting the first polo tournament in Fairmount Park today, the Philadelphia Polo Classic.

Air Date: September 24, 2022 9:00 am

In this Wednesday, April 8, 2015, photo, Colorado State's Kareem Rosser, center, celebrates with his team at the end of a polo match against SMU in the intercollegiate polo championships at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn. Rosser who grew up in poverty in West Philadelphia led Colorado State into the national championship game on Wednesday. About 50 schools field teams in what participants say is no longer just a sport for kings and millionaires. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

The inaugural Philadelphia Polo Classic on Saturday is the first of its kind to take over Fairmount Park, and a rarity for urban parks in any part of the country. We revisit our interview with Kareem Rosser, who’s leading today’s competition.

As a kid born and raised in West Philadelphia, he wanted a way out of the poverty and violence that accompanied much of his childhood. When he and his brothers stumbled upon a barn of horses in Fairmount Park, they found new a passion.

Cornell graduate and star polo player Shariah Harris had a similar moment of serendipity, when her mother took a wrong turn in Fairmount and she, too, discovered Philadelphia’s rich culture of horseback riding.

The two polo stars joined us last year to share their stories, their passion for urban riding and talk about Rosser’s book, Crossing the Line.

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