Lexie Armstrong is bubbly and fun. She’s an easy conversationalist; you just like being around her. But the more you get to know her, the more fascinating she is. Lexie sought out playing polo because of her love of horses, and through that sport, she met her husband (a professional polo player). She’s an accomplished artist whose style has ranged from large oil canvas architectural designs to current nature and animal watercolor projects. The more we delved into her background, her adrenaline-seeking and adventurous nature came to light. Lexie’s from Michigan, and she’s lived in several places, but she and her family now call Nashville home. Here’s our conversation about art, horses, sports, polo, and some daredevil antics, too.
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Let’s talk about your art. Tell me about the kind of art that you like to do and how you got into art. Did you major in art in college?
Originally I started painting when my grandfather retired. He took up painting and so when I would go to visit him, I would draw and paint with him. It was super special and it was a neat time together. Then in grade school, the art teacher suggested I go take some classes at the Detroit Institute of Arts. They had these fabulous classes. Detroit has one of the best art museums in the country.
How old were you when you did this?
Probably 2nd or 3rd grade. I developed a love of it early. Then eventually I did graduate with honors in Studio Art and Art History at Dartmouth.
When you went to college did you know you would do art?
I always loved math and I thought I might major in that, but when I showed up to college, everything was on the computer. And math on a computer was daunting. My family was nice and encouraged me to follow what I loved. But I loved art history too. So after college, I got to study in London at Sotheby’s. They have a “works of art” course that covers everything from furniture and ceramics and sculpture and painting to medieval until today. And then there were so many great resources. We’d go to actual estates outside of London and see the furniture and art in the actual setting it was supposed to be.
Then I worked in an art gallery in New York which was focused on American art in the 19th century. It was a great experience, but I missed painting. So I went back home and took a year to study at the College for Creative Studies in downtown Detroit and then applied to graduate school. I went to American University in D.C. because they were one of the few art schools that focused on painting. I loved being in D.C.
During graduate school, I started doing a series of paintings that influenced my work for a really long time, which has to do with looking up into Baroque ceiling frescoes.
They were large paintings where it was as though you were looking into illusionistic architecture in a ceiling but it was brought back down to the 2-dimensional wall. That was something I worked on for a really long time. I loved oil painting and working
Not until then?
I mostly started it in the last 10 years, doing animal portrait commissions. Then it developed into doing place cards and note cards. And I was getting commissioned artwork for invitations and more custom things. It basically took something that I love to do, which is making individual place cards for everybody at the table at a dinner party — it was my fun thing I would do with a theme.
Like if it were President’s weekend, I would find out what all the Presidents’ pets were, and I would make one for each person at the table. Then people would have to guess which one and talk about it. I found out pretty quickly that I couldn’t make individual ones to sell them online because it would be too time-consuming, and I couldn’t charge enough. So I started printing them to sell online.
And some of your recent projects?
Recently I just did artwork for The Hummingbird Happy Hour, a fundraiser for the bird program at the Warner Parks Nature Center. I love painting animals. I had been doing a series of animal paintings of the predators on our farm, all the animals that eat my chickens. So I love animals and I love painting them. The bird show was fun to have an excuse to paint tons of birds. And I love being able to work with charities and give back.
And I’m working on a book in South Africa. There’s a famous stud farm there called
Do you still do animal commissions?
Yes, I just finished one. Actually, it was a horse thank-you, because I got gifted a horse from one of the top American polo players. I’ve been meaning to thank him and I finally this morning finished it and sent it to him.
Let’s talk about polo. Have you always played polo?
I’ve always loved horses, but I grew up in Detroit in a car-loving family. Horses weren’t really on the radar, but I would go to summer horse camps. Then in Vero Beach where my family had a home, they happened to have a ladies polo clinic. And so I tried it — this was right after college when I was in graduate school. I got hooked, and then in the different cities where I lived in New York and London and D.C., I was able to find polo lessons. I would go out on my spring breaks and stuff like that and find it. Then I got introduced to my husband James through some mutual friends.
Where were you all living at the time?
I was living in D.C. and he was living half the year in West Palm/Wellington and half the year in Nashville. I just didn’t know anybody from Nashville. It’s funny, I remember thinking, “I really like this guy but who in the world lives in Nashville?” Now it’s home!
So you guys started dating long-distance then?
Yes, and he invited me to play in a tournament in the summer. I brought my horses to Nashville and played in a tournament.
Because at that time you had horses?
Yes, I already had some of my own. By then I was working in D.C. So I brought them to Nashville for a tournament.
Because in the polo world, they never get any days off, ever. No weekends, only Mondays, barely. And if they’re in charge of the horses, not even Monday. Not Christmas.
For James, most of his adult life, he never got a day off. Which drove my parents crazy. He could never go to a wedding. I mean, he didn’t even go to his sister’s wedding. There are very few times when it’s the offseason. Because he was playing professionally. So if I wanted to date him I had to go to him. I did end up playing on a team with him in Florida, so I would commute.
How long did you do that?
Just one winter season. And then once we ended up getting married, we lived there half the year and Nashville half the year, until the kids got to an age where we had to choose. We decided Nashville is a great place to raise our family. Now James is still playing professionally, but he also runs the Nashville Polo Club.
And he started the Franklin Polo Academy. It’s a polo school but also has polo events at Harlinsdale Farm in Franklin across from the Factory at Franklin. It was an old walking horse farm historically, and the Harlin family owned it. Friends of Franklin Parks and the polo community also helped to create this beautiful arena that’s now there.
And you guys spearheaded that?
Yes, James did with the help of the local equestrian community and the city, and Friends of Franklin. So we have between four to seven different events every year. Events with different themes where different teams come to town. We play South Africa vs.
With polo high school teams, you don’t all have to be from the same high school. It’s just regional. We have a girl living with us right now who’s doing school online so she can help us on the farm and play on the team.
There are about 4 kids and they compete regionally with the option if they win to compete nationally. That’s been really fun to watch them grow and James is really proud of them. They’ve done so well. Last year they made it to the regionals which
The next match on Poloween will be heroes vs. villains. it’s really fun because we’ve always dressed up as the good guys and the bad guys. Then it’s going to be the University of Kentucky team playing the Franklin Polo Academy people in the main match. My other favorite thing about Franklin Polo events is the cowboy/cowgirl polo, where local cowboys to do a polo match. It’s amazing because they’re such great horsemen and their horses are phenomenally handy but they’re wild as all get-out. It’s like watching gladiator polo. We’ve done that in each of the matches this summer.
And you guys work on a polo charity event as well?
Yes, Chukkers for Charity, we just had that and it was the 23rd one. James has been involved since the first one and I’ve been involved since we’ve been married. And about 10 years ago, I introduced a car show as part of the event. It helped us get car sponsors. Nissan has been a huge sponsor for the last 7 years.
Chukkers
When those ponies get to Saddle UP, they know their job. And they become these sweet, safe, incredibly knowing creatures, It is a phenomenal thing.
It really is amazing what the horses do for those kids. There are so many great stories where a child who’s never spoken before, after several times with the horse and the bonding that happens, they end up speaking for the first time. It’s really cool. All kinds of disabilities. From autism to physical disabilities. And the strength-building is great. When you do physical therapy, it can be awfully boring with all the repetition. But if you’re strengthening your legs by squeezing and being on a horse, it’s so much more fun and they’re not even remembering that they’re doing it.
The other charity Chukkers supports is The Rochelle Center which offers support for adults with intellectual and physical disabilities. And the teams of the people in those two charities, they’re amazing. It’s a well-oiled machine but it takes the team effort for sure. Because 1,000 people attend. It’s tailgating and a big tent with patron tables and dinner. And this year I played for the British Commonwealth team. We had a Downton Abbey theme because the movie’s coming out. So James was in a pinch and needed a British Commonwealth person. But through marriage, I got to do that. And then last year James decided to do an all-women Chukkers for Charity, which is the first time we’ve done that.
We had a couple of great women players come, including Dawn Jones who is Tommy Lee Jones’ wife; she’s a huge proponent of women’s polo. And then Hope Arellano whose dad was a former 9-goaler, and she won the U.S. Women’s Polo Championship in 2017 (editor’s note: she is 15).
What’s a 9-goaler?
The ranking goes from -2 to 10. There are only about twelve 10’s in the world. Being a 9 is really good. The guy I was talking about earlier who gave me the horse, he’s a 9. James at the height of his career was a 6, which is really good. Polo is so much fun because it is pro-am.
The thrilling part is that the amateurs get to play with pros. And it’s usually coed. So it’s so much fun to get to play a sport on horseback with men and women. It’s unique that way.
And so you started playing polo after you went to the ladies’ polo clinic in Vero Beach? It just seems so scary and adventurous.
At our farm, we have a small arena. To me it seems very safe because it’s a really small space — you can’t get going too fast and the horses aren’t going to run away. And the polo horses are so responsive. For the most part, they’re very well-trained. It is dangerous because you’re up high. In any equestrian sport, falling off is not good. But playing a sport on horseback if you love horses is so much fun. Now, my mom does not love it. Because I have gotten injured and it is dangerous. So I do try to keep it low on my priority list.
Which do you like — arena polo or grass polo?
I like both. I’ll play in some of the Franklin ones too. It’s more physical in the arena. It’s a bigger ball, and it bounces so it changes things. In the arena, it’s like hockey on horseback. And on the
But as far as the Franklin polo academy, what kinds of people come for lessons?
It’s amazing, people kind of come out of the woodwork. People just hear about it and want to try it. You can see the personalities. James does drills and you do foot mounts first on the ground. And then you get on the horse and you do some relays to practice getting comfortable riding. And then you get the mallet. But there are certain people — and I’m probably one of them. When you’re trying to get me to learn how to hit the ball, it’s one thing and it’s frustrating and you’re trying to do it and you’re mad.
And then the second you put on a little scrimmage, and there’s a goal, everybody forgets about the horse and it’s just about getting that ball in the goal.
And the horses take you wherever you need to go. But it becomes just about getting that ball in the goal.
And you say you didn’t ride a lot growing up?
No, I really didn’t. I had to learn everything as I went along starting at 22.
So when you went to that clinic in Vero Beach...
I didn’t know how to ride.
Really? That just seems so crazy and brave. Did they ask if have you ridden a lot?
The funny thing about people with lessons, they’ll say, “have you ridden?” And people will say “yes” when they rode once when they were 12. It’s like the big joke. A lot of people have a bad experience when they’re whatever age and they never want to try it again. But it has so much to do with the environment and the horses.
I mean we can tell as they’re getting on the horse if they know how to ride or not. I would never say I know how to play golf because I went to a driving range once.
What do the horses give you? Are there certain people when they first get on the horse…
Some people have that enormous bond and it’s often with girls. I don’t know if it’s like a knight in shining armor who’ll take care of you. Or if it’s the speed. I do like the speed part.
But you’re from Detroit and you don’t drive race cars.
I did actually drive race cars though.
Okay, what? You’re going to have to tell me more about that.
First of all, my dad lives and breathes for cars I was the oldest, so when I turned 16, I went to a couple of race-car driving schools. Bob Bondurant. One was in Arizona and another in California. I went with my dad and it was so much fun. Bob was an old race-car guy. They also had a teen safety driving version where they raise the back end of the car with these special wheels so it simulates driving on the ice and you can practice over-correcting.
Then I got to be in a car race. I drove a VW golf — it was a souped-up street car. I was around 17 or 18. In the time trials, I was the 2nd fastest. The fastest car starts in the back, so I was 2nd to the back. I ended up getting 2nd place. But the funny part was I passed on the outside which you’re never supposed to do. My mom was videotaping it, and she didn’t realize it was off when she thought it was on and on when she thought it was off. She took an entire video of her foot.
And she said, “it was the only time I’ve ever seen your father about ready to kill me because I missed the best moment of his life — his daughter passing on the outside!”
Why are you not supposed to pass on the outside?
It’s just really hard to do. Usually, you pass on the inside. And also you can wipe out and stuff. The other funny thing is, he used to take me drag racing. He’d give me one of his
Who would you race?
These men who’d have souped-up cars. They would pull over and pull up their hood and let it air out. And I would pull up in a yellow corvette and just take off. I beat a lot of them and they did not like that, at all! Later, my dad got my brother some real drag race cars, like the long skinny ones. So my little brother would do that sometimes. And for my 18th birthday, much to my mom’s dismay, he got me a motorcycle. So speed is in kind of in the genes.
Did you ride
So when you went to college, you didn’t want to keep on doing car racing?
I still liked cars, but I really loved horses. I also loved sports. In college I played lacrosse and tennis and ice hockey. I had played ice hockey in high school, and we weren’t very good because they had just started introducing women’s ice hockey. In college, my roommate played for the ice hockey team. And I just played intramural ice hockey. But in my senior year, they needed a backup goalie, so if they were winning by 5 or 10 points they would put me in. My big claim to fame is I got an assist one time.
But a couple of the girls went on to play and win the Olympics a few years later. I mean, I would have bruises from the slapshots!
But after college, no more hockey?
No, but after college when I lived in London, I joined a lacrosse team. And I learned Karate.
You are so adventurous. Are your parents that way?
I don’t know. I just sort of like to do new stuff. When I moved to London I met a friend who knew about this place where they taught a certain style of Karate. They would have the beginners on one side of the room on a cushiony floor. I did it for the whole year I was there even though my friend bailed. The main blackbelt would hold his baby and yell at everybody even while the baby was asleep.
He was super tough. He called me
Do you feel more comfortable walking down a dark street? Can you whip my ass right now? Can you break this table?
What benefits and common threads do you see in all of these different passions of yours?
We all use our phones and screens too much. Science has shown it’s so bad. And not just kids — the adults are addicted, too. I don’t know why we’re falling so victim to this but we are all a bunch of zombies. I am purposely reading a real newspaper in the hookup line. No one is going to see me on my phone; I will sit there with my Wall Street Journal. And research shows that kids do better with handwriting than typing; it’s a sensory thing. Literally using your hands in any fashion, but particularly handwriting, activates two parts of the brain that we don’t normally activate. So making sure that we find ways to get unplugged and into other things — whether it’s art, music, horses, or sports — is so important.
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For more information on Franklin Polo Academy’s Poloween event on October 27th, including how to reserve a cabana, click here.
To read my last post, an interview with songwriter Mike Reid, click here: From Pro Football Player to Hit Music Man: An Interview with Mike Reid
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