HISTORY: U.S. POLO ASSOCIATION

The USPA

133 years of innovation, inclusion and tradition.

by Bill Burke

With a history dating back thousands of years, Polo is considered the oldest team sport in known history. The innovations of the past century, however, have molded it into the fast-paced, exciting game we recognize today. What was once a contest where eight or more players would gallop up and down the field for the better part of an afternoon has evolved into a focused, precise sport that highlights horsemanship, physical prowess and sharp team play.

Much of the credit for that organizational transformation — at least in the U.S. — belongs to the United States Polo Association.

Over dinner one evening in New York City in 1890, H.L. Herbert, John Cowdin and Thomas Hitchcock formally create the Polo Association — now the United States Polo Association (USPA).

The group is made up of seven clubs and is headquartered in New York. One hundred handicaps are assigned to members, including future President Teddy Roosevelt. Herbert is elected chairman — a post he would hold for the next 31 years.

The first U.S. Open Championship is played in 1904 and the legendary American team that would become known as the Big Four (Harry Payne Whitney, Devereux Milburn, and Larry and Monty Waterbury) defeats England to win the Westchester Cup.

Under the USPA’s guidance, the sport continues to see a growth in popularity throughout the U.S., necessitating expansion south and west. In the 1920s, crowds of more than 35,000 people gather to watch major tournaments, and players begin numbering

their jerseys 1-4 to designate position and role. The Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame says that during this era, it was estimated that there was an annual need for more than 63,000 polo ponies.

Women begin to make their mark in the 1930s, as Cornell fields an intercollegiate women’s team, and a group of Army officer’s wives form the “Whippettes.” The Pacific Women’s Polo Association is formed in 1934. Women now make up 40 percent of the USPA’s membership.

The 1940s saw a slowdown in the growth of the sport, with record-keeping suspended during World War II. The sport’s recovery took hold over the next 20 years, as the popularity of Arena Polo grows and a surge in the top ranks sets the stage for growth in the decades to come. The fashion world adopts the polo image, high-goal polo is recognized as one of the fastest-moving and exciting spectator sports in the world, and the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club opens in 1979 — becoming the foremost center for international high-goal polo. In the 1980s, USPA membership reaches an all-time high.

As the millennium draws to a close, the USPA evolves from an all-volunteer organization to one employing a full administrative and executive staff. Broadcasting and streaming tournaments, using drones and instant replay have all become a normal part of this traditional sport. Today, the USPA includes nearly 300 member clubs in 13 geographic circuits around the United States and oversees 40 national tournaments.

“It was deemed for the best interest of the game ... to form an Association, with a constitution and rules to govern all polo clubswhich should be elected to membership.”

— H.L. Herbert, First USPA Chairman

Pacific Coast Open, 1929