TRIBUTE

Hamilton College, earned his law degree in 1969 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and then launched a legal career that began at Eckert Seamans in Pittsburgh before moving to Sullivan & Worcester and Mintz Levin in Boston. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to a business career that included establishing a Pepsi bottling company in Argentina, Braxton Associates, Health Dialog Services, and other new ventures through his firm, Meacham Woodfield, LLC.

Despite his business success, Fawcett may be best known for his triumphs on the polo pitch. He took up the sport at Myopia shortly after moving to the Boston area in 1971. In a 2017 interview with Worth magazine, he spoke of the sport’s attraction.

“It was exciting to be playing a sport much like lacrosse and hockey, but going 30-plus miles per hour on a horse that to a degree has a mind of its own,” he said. “Mixing all the necessary skills of riding, strategy, teamwork, playmaking and hitting a ball at speed with self-preservation was a challenge that I found irresistible.

“Polo has given me a lot,” he said. “I’ve made lifelong friends. I’ve been blessed with numerous business opportunities arising from polo connections that have been very rewarding.”

Fawcett, who served as Myopia’s polo captain for five years, passed away late March 2022, in Savannah, Georgia, at the age of 77.

“Michael was a friend who always had a kind word,” said Strouss. “I had tremendous respect for him both as an attorney and businessman and as a sponsor of high-goal polo. His team, Cold Comfort, played and won many tournaments at Myopia, Florida, and Argentina.”

According to his obituary, Fawcett “loved sporting horses and dogs.”

“He launched a world-class polo team and breeding operation with his Cold Comfort Farm in Hamilton, Mass., and Argentina,” stated his obit- uary. “His team traveled worldwide to win many tournaments at Palm Beach Polo, Saratoga, Myopia Hunt Club and Argentina. His team, with his son, Courtney, playing by his side, won the prestigious East Coast Open among many other trophies; and had the first and only undefeated high-goal season at Saratoga.”

Asked the secret to his team’s success, Fawcett told Worth: “I would say the single most important contributor was the quality of our horses. Like many patron players and all professional players, I loved being in the barn and dealing with all aspects of the horses, from breeding and training to ultimate retirement or sale. It was a great experience and provided me with friends for life sharing a common passion for horses and the game they play so well.”

Delmer “Del” Walton

In early December, Delmer “Del” Walton was killed in a single-car accident near his Walton Farm Polo in Blackville, South Carolina. He was only 39.

“Del was a very young professional polo player when he played at Myopia for the Riva family’s Homewood Polo team,” said Strouss. “I recall Del being a fun, down-to-earth pro who was hard to beat on the field.”

Walton began playing when he was just 9 years old and became a talented 3-goal professional player. Brothers Nick and Christian Riva shared fond memories of the summer of 2011, when Del lived with the family and played on the Homewood Polo team.

“We remember him more as part of the family that summer than a polo pro,” said Christian. “He would have dinner with us every night, joined our 90-year-old grandfather’s physical therapy sessions to rehab his polo injuries, and would make asados — Argentine grilling — on weekends. We still talk about the whole lamb he roasted one night.

“He was a great polo player and natural horseman,” said Christian. “He would constantly talk about breeding and training his horses in South Carolina. When we went to the races at Saratoga, he would talk through different horses’ bloodlines and how someone in his family had bred a particular horses’ grandsire. You could just tell this stuff was in his blood.”

Likewise, Nick Riva said he’ll remember Walton as “a consummate professional, and a great guy on and off the field.”

“He was great with horses and brought a warm, fun presence to the barn,” said Nick. “On the field, he was a confident quarterback for our team and helped lead us to some great wins.”

Walton was survived by his wife, Tessa Callaghan Lord, and their three sons, David, Cal and Harrison.

David Offen, executive director of the nonprofit Polo Players Support Group, said he knew Walton “his entire life.”

“I am very proud of how he overcame a lot of adversity in his life and became an accomplished horseman and polo player and, most importantly, a great husband and father to his and Tessa’s three boys,” said Offen.