Eight-year-old Kareem Rosser's life changed forever when a wrong turn on a bicycle landed him at Chamounix Stables in Fairmount Park – a serendipitous detour that would propel him from a troubled West Philadelphia neighborhood to national polo championships, published memoirs, and a life dedicated to creating opportunity for others.

Now 32 years old, Rosser has experienced both triumph and devastating loss since he first walked into that barn and discovered the healing power of horses – including the 2020 murder of his brother David. It’s a life that has filled two books so far, and has been optioned for film. Rosser’s second memoir, "When You're Ready: A Love Story," was published in February of this year and will be the subject of discussion at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy on April 16 at 7 p.m. His first book, "Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport that Changed Their Lives Forever,” was published in 2019. 

An unlikely beginning

Kareem’s story began when he and his two older brothers, David and Jabbar, stumbled upon the low-slung barn full of horses in West Fairmount Park. They’d been out riding their bikes, in the aimless way boys do, when they met Lezlie Hiner, the woman who ran it.

“It was a magical place,” Rosser told the Local in a recent interview. “Before you know it, my two brothers and two sisters and I were all riding there, and taking care of the horses too.”

Hiner was intent on teaching neighborhood kids like Kareem and his brothers how to ride. And it wasn’t just any kind of riding. She was building a competitive polo team. 

But unlike the typical polo circuit team, her riders were not wealthy. Instead of paying for their lessons, her students worked for them – mucking stalls, hauling water buckets, lugging bales of hay. In 1994, she founded the nonprofit, Work to Ride, to raise the funds needed to pay for everything else. 

Rosser’s family was a loving one, but he was no stranger to drug addiction and domestic violence. He was also a sensitive boy, and struggled with the type of masculinity – and violence – that he saw all around him. The boys in his neighborhood were expected to be tough. And opportunities to leave were scant.

But at the barn, it was a different story. His talent was clear. And so was his work ethic. He showed up on time, did what he said he would do, and followed instructions. For Hiner, he was a dream come true. 

“Kareem was a quick learner – and also a good kid,” Hiner told the Local. “If every parent could have teenagers like Kareem, life would be easy for them.”

A future grows

After he took up riding, Rosser’s grades began to improve – and he won a polo scholarship at the Valley Forge Military Academy. Two years later, when the Academy dropped the program, he became captain of the Work to Ride team – which he led to become the first-ever African American polo team to win the National Interscholastic Polo Championship in 2011. He also took home the Male Interscholastic Polo Player of the Year award.

Next was a polo scholarship to Colorado State University, where as captain and the only African American player, he led his team to a collegiate National Championship in 2015, whereupon he also received the Polo Training Foundation Intercollegiate Player of the Year award.

He seemed to have it all, especially when he met and fell in love with Lee Lee Jones, a fellow equestrian who specialized in show jumping. Unlike Rosser, Jones was raised in a wealthy suburban suburb. But their connection was profound. 

So when Jones had a horrific fall that left her with a traumatic brain injury, he was devastated. 

"She is still recovering and is actually doing quite well," Rosser said last week, "but she still needs 24/7 care and will forever need to be cared for."

Then there was what happened to David, one of the brothers he began riding with.

David had loved the barn too, at first. But – like many kids from their neighborhood – he was tempted by the money he could make selling drugs. He left the stables for the streets, and was eventually sentenced to seven years in prison for dealing.

He did work hard to rebuild his life after his release and eventually landed a contracting job. But in 2020, his past caught up with him – in the form of a bullet.

Giving back

Now the executive vice president of Work to Ride, Rosser is also a co-founder of the Philadelphia Polo Classic, a board member of Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, and founder of the Lee Lee Jones Patient Assistance Endowment Fund, which helps families to get hospital care who otherwise could not afford it.

He also has helped raise $15 million for the development of a new indoor riding and polo facility and stables at Chamounix, as well as additional scholarships and opportunities for lower-income children. "The new building will be ready in a few weeks," he said, "in West Fairmount Park, just two minutes away from Belmont Plateau."

Rosser, who now lives in West Mt. Airy with his partner and three-year-old child, appreciates his success – but says it’s a double-edged sword. 

"People think that if you are successful you must be happy and healthy," he said, "but I struggle with success. It is not what people make it out to be. Many times I have felt lonely. I struggle with the fact that so many people I loved as a young person are still struggling greatly."

The event is free and open to the public. 

For more information, visit kareemrosser.com. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com.