Sunny Hale
Sunset "Sunny" Hale (December 30, 1968, Carmel, California – February 26, 2017, Norman, Oklahoma) was a professional polo player and one of the few women to play on pro teams consisting almost entirely of men.[1]
In 2000, she was on the winning team in the U.S. Open Polo Championship, becoming the first woman to do so.[1] At the time of the 2000 championship, she outranked 96 percent players in the world, including men.[2]
Described as "the most famous female polo player in the world", she was active in developing women's polo. She was named the most valuable female polo player seven times, and has been called "the most influential person in where women’s polo is today."[1]
Sunny's mother, Sue Sally Hale, competed as a polo player in the 1950s and '60s disguised as a man and is credited with breaking the gender barrier in the sport. Sunny's father was Alex Hale.[3]
Sunny Hale was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame Fame in 2012.[4]
Death
Sunny Hale died at age 48 from complications from breast cancer on February 26, 2017.[5]
References
- Fabrikant, Geraldine (December 10, 2013). "On Horseback, Mallet in Hand, Breaking Barriers for Women". New York Times. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- Howley, Elaine. "Sunny Hale Rules the Game of Queens". espnW. ESPN. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- Knotts, Bob (April 28, 1997). "Woman Carrying A Big Stick: In the most macho of sports, Sunny Hale speaks softly, scores often". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- Braschayko, Karen. "Dream Jobs: Professional Polo Player Sunny Hale". Equitrekking. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- "Sunny Hale, top-ranked polo player of peerless style and audacious speed, dies at 48". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 2, 2017.