A History of Polo
"Polo"—the name of the sport is a variation of the Tibetan word “Pulu,” meaning "root." Polo finds its origin over 2,000 years ago in Persia, during the rule of Darius the Great. The ball was originally formed from the root of a tree and historical references indicate that it’s the oldest of ball games ever played. Ancient artwork (some even depicting women players) showed that the sport traveled in various forms throughout the Middle East and the Asia. Originally it was played with no limit time or number of players, and no rules or umpires. At times, thousands would play games lasting for days. The ball could be hit or thrown through the goal.
Polo was taught to the king’s guards and calvary units for training purposes and was also played by the sons and daughters of the nobility. An ancient poem inscribed near one of the playing fields in Pakistan reads “Let other men play at other games, the Game of Kings is still the Game of Kings.”
The first Europeans known to play polo were tea planters who discovered the game in Manipur; they in turn, introduced it to British calvary units stationed in India. The first European polo club was formed in Silchar in 1859. In typical European fashion, they “civilized the sport” by adding a few rules, reducing the size of the teams to nine players and giving form to polo as we know it today. The term “pony” describes the smaller horses used in India. As the game progressed height limits were raised, bigger horses resulted in faster polo; as a result, teams were further reduced to four players each.
In 1876, American James Gordon Bennett, multi-millionaire, sportsman and publisher of the New York Herald was so impressed by the games he had seen in London, that he bought a supply of polo balls and mallets, procured a truckload of Texas cow ponies (which he used to entice prospective polo players at a modest selling price of $20 apiece) and played the first American polo game at Dicke’s Riding Academy, on the corner of 39th and 5th Avenue in Manhattan. By 1888, a system of handicapping had been devised in the U.S., and organized tournaments were being played on national and international levels. The most prestigious of all was the Westchester Cup, which is still played to this day.
A quick note should be made of America’s Harry Payne Whitney, who in 1909 won the Westchester Cup against England by introducing a new style of play…the long runs and long passes of the ball which we see in today’s polo. With the increased number of clubs there came the need for organization. In 1890, the Polo Association (currently the United States Polo Association) was formed. That same year polo was introduced to Colorado.
An Englishman visiting Colorado in the 1890s remarked, “There are but two civilized places between your Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Chicago and Colorado Springs. For wherever you find polo, you find good clubs, good society and usually, good tea.” The third polo club established in America was the Cheyenne Mountain Country Club in Colorado Springs. It was organized in 1894 and built by Spenser Penrose, who also built the Broadmoor Hotel. Although the U.S. cavalrymen were embracing the game enthusiastically at this time, it was the silver and gold barons from Aspen and Cripple Creek that brought the game first to Glenwood Springs in 1890. They taught the game to a handful of cowboys and staged a match against the Colorado Springs Club in 1893 to draw attention to their new resort, The Hotel Colorado. The sport was eventually taken up by the Gentleman’s Driving & Riding Club of Denver. By 1903, The Overland or “Country Club Team,” as they were also known, (one of three Denver teams) was drawing as many as 1,000 fans to their bi-monthly Saturday matches at the City Park racetrack. Shortly thereafter, feeling the need for their own playing field, stabling and clubhouse, they relocated to the edge of the city. Today this area is known as the Polo Club Place near S. Steele and Exposition.
It is said there are only two ways a polo player ever gets out of polo…poverty or death. That saying comes from the 1920s and 30s, the “Golden Age” of polo, before the Great Depression and World War II put an end to the game as it was known then. Colorado was no exception. Fortunately, in 1946, Colorado ranchers and previous polo families of the 1920s, including the Phipps and the Sinclaires, revived polo by putting fields on their ranches southwest of Denver near Sedalia, under the name, “Plum Creek Polo Club.” The Beeman, Flannery, Hier and Pollock families were also involved. In fact, the Phipps’ Highlands Ranch field was the traditional site of the Annual Perkins Shearer Polo Cup. Polo continued to be played by ranchers who had the equipment to haul horses to the various fields to play friendly private games. Fields were later developed near Elizabeth/ Franktown.
“The game has been and always will be played by men and women who possess a zest for adventure and challenge. More important, polo has been and always will be characterized by the athleticism and beauty of the horse.”
- MUSEUM OF POLO
Modern Polo in Colorado
In 1982, The Gandomcars saw a need to make polo more accessible in Denver, devolving a club where players could board their horses and enjoy the social aspects of polo at the facility’s club house. Each year they would host charity polo matches with international players and teams. In fact, The Denver Polo Classic started at Denver Polo Club with a vison by the Gandomcar family to bring polo in Colorado to the masses. The philosophy of the Denver Polo Club is to promote the sport of polo, encouraging spectators to join special events or casual Sunday practices. The club is also proud to be the first and only club in Colorado to bring international polo to the Rocky Mountains, featuring many successful and reknown players.
Jenny Luttrel with Cotterell Polo Farms, and Bob Jornayvaz with the world famous Valiente Polo Team, have both made their mark in the polo world. Valiente has reached unprecedented success, winning the triple crown of polo, creating a groundbreaking breeding program, revolutionizing how the game is officiated, creating more high-goal sponsors and much more. Recently, the Ganzi family in Aspen has created another international world class polo operation. The World Snow Polo Championship has been a long-time staple in Colorado, and now with help from the Ganzi organization, the tournament is a favorite for many players and polo fans. From small beginnings to world fame, the polo scene in Colorado is small but mighty. Whether you are in Aspen or Denver, Colorado's polo family will welcome you with open arms.
Today, more than 20,000 people per year play polo in more than 60 countries. There are more than 250 active polo clubs in the United States Polo Association. The highest levels are played in Argentina, the U.K. and the U.S. Finding a quality pony is key to success in the sport. Just one in ten horses is suitable and only one in 100 become a top pony.
At Denver Polo Club, we carefully choose and train our own talented ponies, and some of our members have purchased their own. As long as there are horses, there will be polo. Although the game has seen innovations, it has changed little in essentials. It remains a kingly sport—but is now one that anyone with guts can play.
