From High Goal to Hollywood – the history of polo in the USA – Part 2
By Victoria Elsbury-Legg
Click here for part 1
In 1890, fourteen years after it is believed the first polo ball was played across a US pitch, the USPA (United States Polo Association) was formed, with H.L. Herbert as the first Chairman. During the early years seven US polo clubs (rising to twelve in the following year) and 142 players were registered with the association, and at the headquarters of the USPA in New York, amongst other things, handicaps, rules and chukka length were regulated. In modern times the USPA governs the play of over 4500 individual members at 250 polo clubs, continuing to ensure pony and player welfare, rules and fair play are upheld. Its aim is to enhance and grow the sport across The States, to this end in 2010 Team USPA was created – a programme designed to promote and mentor young talent, offering training through Pony Club and Interscholastic/Intercollegiate polo, alongside playing opportunities to the future generations, allowing individuals to reach their potential as either professionals or amateurs within the sport, and flourish both at home and at an international level.
Back at its roots, in the early years, play at Westchester was either in New York City or Newport, Rhode Island depending on the season – with the club finally established itself on a permanent basis in Newport. The name of the club itself has become synonymous with US polo and recognised around the world by its namesake – the Westchester Cup which the USA and Great Britain first played for even before America had its governing body of polo – in 1886. Played in an era when international sporting events such as Wimbledon, the British Open and the Kentucky Derby were all in their formative years, Great Britain rode off the pitch the winners of the first match held at the Westchester Club itself. In latter years the US team however reigned supreme, winning nine of the following eleven matches including the last to be played at Meadowbrook Polo Club, Westbury, NY (which was the key club for much of the polo played in the USA in the first half of the twentieth century) in front of a crowd of 40,000 in 1939. The tournament was then reintroduced to the international polo circuit again in 1998.
A key date in the history of the US high goal is 1904 when the inaugural United States Open polo tournament was held in The Bronx in New York City at Van Cortlandt Park – and won by the Wanderers 4 ½ – 3 Meadowbrook Freebooters. This was to be the start of a tournament that would endure the years (albeit it was not played during the war years of WWI & WWII) growing to be the most prestigious annual US tournament and the third jewel in the American Triple Crown. During the 1920’s and 1930’s polo truly gathered the crowds, with as many as 20,000 utilising the limited transport of the era to gather to share in the excitement and thrill of games. Now in 2015 in its 111th year all the high speed action is enjoyed by spectators both pitch side at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (which has been its home since 2004) and internationally on the web via footage livestreamed from cameras both alongside the play and on drones following the intricacies of the game from overhead.
Click here for part 3