Herbert Spencer – Polo Journalist and Writer
By Victoria Elsbury-Legg
On the 1st of this month the polo world lost one of its most respected journalists and writers – Herbert Spencer, who died peacefully at his Berkshire home aged 85, leaving behind two daughters and his wife Judith.
In the words of Malcolm Borwick on Twitter:
@mborwickpolo – Also very sad to hear of the passing of Herbert Spencer. He was the most inquisitive of polo journalists. Best wishes to his family.
Herbert Spencer was tenacious in all of his work and research, which earned him much respect across the polo world. I remember the specific nature of his questions when he used to ring me when I was Assistant Polo Manager at Guards, this was not a man who accepted ‘maybe’ as an answer he wanted facts and specifics, he was a true journalist and he wanted the real story.
Born on 14th January 1929, Herbert Spencer moved from the USA to England in 1965, publishing Chakkar, his first polo book in 1971, followed by a magazine with the same name in the 80’s and other polo titles including A Century of Polo with a foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales in 1994.
In 2006 he was given the USPA’s Image Award for Contribution to the Public Appreciation of the Sport of Polo. Further recognition of his work within the international world of polo, which spanned over 40 years, saw him honoured by the HPA in 2011 when he was made a Life Member of the HPA. When presenting him with the award at the association’s Coronation Cup Centenary dinner, the then HPA Chairman Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers said of his career: ‘His role behind the scenes is seldom known of … but his advice to the HPA and many of us in the polo world has always been sound, sensible and extremely welcome.’
There are few in the polo world who can have won as many hats as Herbert did in his career, he was a polo publisher, historian, photographer and media consultant. A man who had been a communications consultant to the USA Polo Association, Federation of International Polo and HPA. He was credited for numerous articles in many publications from the Horse and Hound, Polo Player’s Edition and the Polo Times to Deputy Editor of the Hurlingham Magazine.
Herbert Spencer was indeed a man who unquestionably knew his polo.