Victoria Polo Club
R
eports of polo being played in Victoria date back to the 19th Century; however, it wasn’t until the 1930s that the original Victoria Polo Club was established. Based at the Willows Racetrack (now Carnarvon Park), Victoria had three teams while neighbouring Esquimalt and Duncan
3 generations; Mike, Dan and Joshua Adey
90 \ THE SPORT OF POLO IN CANADA
had two, combining to create an impressive seven squad league. Polo in Victoria took a hiatus during World War II and wasn’t resurrected until 1961, when veterinarians Dr. Bill and Dr. Barbara Powell purchased their dream property on Vancouver Island. As one of Canada’s highest ranked polo players who also played internationally, Bill and his wife cleared their new land and turned it into the polo field that would become the Vancouver Island Riding & Polo Club.
