He has had great success chasing people (The Fugitive) and aliens (Men in Black), but in real life there are few things Tommy Lee Jones would rather do than mount up, grab a mallet and pursue the ball in a game of polo. Scoop talked to the native Texan, 53, at the Traditional Jewelers Christopher Reeve Polo Classic, a charity match in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
Why Polo?
When I first came to California from New York, I hoped to resume my athletic life, which is hard to maintain in New York. I could no longer play football. I tried tennis, but it was too boring. Golf was too slow. I had started roping calves when I was a boy, and in California I hung out with some polo players. One of them gave me a mallet. All of a sudden I owned eight horses.
Could you use any of your football skills in your new sport?
Foot ball is designed to create a collision. Polo is designed to avoid them.
You have said, "Polo is the finest thing a man and a horse can do together." Why is that?
It has to do with the quality of the horse and one's ability to ride him. It's a skill. It's an old art.
Do you practice much?
The motion picture business has been hard on my polo. You need to practice every day. A string of polo horses is like running a football team. You need to work them every day too.
Is polo risky? Can you keep from getting injured?
Yes, just don't do anything stupid.
Do your kids play?
My daughter (Victoria, 8) has shown an interest. My son (Austin, 17) has not.
Do you consider polo to be an elitist sport?
Yes. If you can't ride a horse, you can't play polo. In Texas, it's not socially elite. But it's not for the common rider. The common image of white duck pants, blue blazers, big hats and champagne flutes on the sidelines doesn't exist in Texas. It's rare anywhere.
A quick description?
It's fast. If you can't think, you can't play.
Should more people play?
I would encourage everyone to spend as much time as possible near a horse.
