1931-2025
Born in Elm Grove, Wisconsin and raised on his father’s ranch in what was then very rural Scottsdale, Arizona, Allan attendedJudson School where he was first introduced to the game of polo which would thereafter be his life’s passion. While at Judson,he was recruited by and then attended Stanford College where he became the polo team captain and earned undergraduate, JDand MBA degrees, and met his future wife, Maggy.
From 1955 to 1973 Allan was President and Chief Executive Officer of the privately held McGrath-Shank Company; real estate developers of the Belmont Shore and Alamitos Bay areas in Southern California. Combining his polo and real estate expertise, he later served as consultant to Gulf & Western Corporation in its development of the Casa de Campo resort in the Dominican Republic. In 1978, he was recruited by Bill Ylvisaker Chairman of Gould Corporation to assist in the creation, development and management of Palm Beach Polo & Country Club, in Wellington, Florida; which under Allan’s direction became the most successful polo oriented real estate development in the world, and which project’s unrivaled success ushered polo’s evolution into a totally professionalized sport. In 2005 he was appointed to the Board of Directors of Southern UnionGas Co. and served on that Board until its $7.9 billion sale in 2012.
Allan’s passion for polo and international travel led him around the world. He was a member of the 1966 US Cup of theAmericas team, ultimately attaining a 6 goal handicap which he held for over 25 years, while winning many notable tournaments including the US Open, Butler Handicap, Pacific Coast Open, Sunshine League (26 goals), French Silver Cup, Pakistan Open, Spanish King’s Cup, Camacho Cup, Benson & Hedges Springbok Championship in S. Africa (26 goals), andthe Cartier Handicap (26 goals). In 1980, Allan formed and for the next 8 years captained the Glenlivet Polo Team of Wellington, winning many high goal tournaments until his retirement from the game in 1995. He served as the United States Polo Association’s Secretary, Treasurer, and for another seven years as the USPA’s first Executive Director. He also servedas the chairman of the USPA umpire and tournament committees, contributing to the early creation of the USPA’s professional umpire program. In 1989 he selected and coached the US International FIP polo team; the only FIP world polo championship ever won by the United States.
In 1978 together with Maggy, (his wife for 63 years until her passing in 2018), they developed Wellington’s very first private polo farm and pioneered much of the equestrian developments within the Southfields area of Wellington. Allan was also oneof the earliest promotors responsible for Wellington’s unique equestrian “lifestyle” expansion to the phenomena it is today; including the recruitment of the first equestrian horseshows to Wellington.
A full-time resident of Palm Beach, Florida for over 50 years, an exceptionally competitive athlete in polo, tennis, and golf for his entire life, he will be greatly missed by friends and surviving family of his two sons Brad and Warren, three grandchildren CB Scherer, August Scherer and Christina Scherer, and great granddaughters Surrey Bette Scherer and Sienna Brooke Scherer.