By Lauren R. Giannini
John Walsh is a celebrated anti-crime advocate and the well-known host of “America’s Most Wanted,” which was instrumental in rounding up more than 1,100 felons during its long run from 1988 to 2012. He’s still a dedicated crime fighter and his latest vehicle is “The Hunt with John Walsh,” now in its third season on CNN. John is an avid polo player, often donating his celebrity presence at charity fundraiser matches and tournaments around the country. Horse genes run in the Walsh family: John and Revé have a daughter, Meghan, and two sons, Callahan and Hayden, who all ride. The boys proved very instrumental in their dad picking up a polo mallet for the first time in his 50s. John got hooked on the game and he’s just as single-minded and driven about polo as he is about bringing criminals to justice.
What’s your best way to decompress?
Definitely playing polo
What’s your favorite vacation getaway spot?
Ireland
Your most favorite item to buy at a tack store?
Anything and everything
Best gift you ever received?
My children
What horse — past or present — would you absolutely love to ride once?
Adolfo Cambiaso’s Aiken Cura
What’s your favorite saddle?
Custom-made English polo saddle from the Takeria in Palm Beach
Who makes your favorite riding coat?
Horse Country Saddlery in Warrenton, Virginia
What one item in your wardrobe best personifies you?
Leather jacket — it was my “America’s Most Wanted” wardrobe and I was known for being “the crime fighter.”
If you had to choose another career, what would you want to be?
A 10-goal polo professional
What was the last movie you saw?
Zootopia with my 4-year-old granddaughter, Eva – loved it!
What was the last book you read?
“Walk to Beautiful” by country music star Jimmy Wayne – about being homeless as a child, very inspirational
What’s your favorite charity or non-profit organization?
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (www.missingkids.org)
What’s your drink of choice?
Coca-Cola Classic
What’s your favorite timepiece?
Paul Stewart Watches
What type of car do you drive?
Jaguar XL Sedan
What was the name and breed of your first horse?
Way back then, a palomino named Thor
Name a person you’d most like to meet and why:
Ridley Scott — I very much admire his work ethic, attention to detail and spectacular finished products.
What’s your favorite trait in a person?
Compassion
What’s one of the most overlooked aspects of training a polo pony?
Diet
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Loyal, tenacious — and my wife would add in stubborn
If you could be anywhere right now, where would it be and why?
Home — I’m always on the road and just love to be home!
What’s the most frequent charge on your credit card?
Airline tickets and horse tack
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
On a horse, riding anywhere with my wife, Revé
Besides horses, what are your hobbies?
Motorcycles, scuba diving and landscape architecture
