The horses and horsemen of Newport Polo take a historic victory lap.
Long before there were scoreboards, sponsor banners or Saturday picnics at Glen Farm, there were horses—and people hopelessly smitten with playing polo on them.
The sporting young horsemen who formed America’s First Polo Club in Newport in 1876 would probably recognize our members today. They were athletic, adventurous and thoroughly hooked on a new sport that demanded equal measures of courage, skill, horsemanship and competitive spirit. But beneath it all was something even more enduring: a devotion to the horse.
One hundred and fifty years later, that remains the heartbeat of Newport Polo.
So before the final match of our Diamond Jubilee Season gets underway, we’re bringing together the horses and members of the Newport Polo Club for a 150th Anniversary Pony Parade—a victory lap honoring the four-legged athletes who have carried this remarkable story from one century into the next.
Because polo may be played by people, but the ponies make it possible.
They are athletes and partners, each with a personality and particular gifts of their own. Some are lightning quick; others seem to read the play before their rider does. There are seasoned campaigners who know exactly when the ball is about to turn, and young prospects still discovering the thrill of the game. Players know their quirks, their favorite treats, their strengths and moods—and spend considerably more time discussing their horses than themselves.
That relationship is one of polo’s great distinctions. A player can have the best swing on the field, but without the trust, athleticism and heart of the horse beneath them, there is no breathtaking run down the boards, no impossible neck shot, no last-second turn toward goal.
On Saturday, October 3, our ponies will have the spotlight.
You won’t want to miss the Opening Ceremony at 4pm: As horses and riders parade across the Polo Grounds together, they will represent generations of players and countless horses that came before them—from Newport’s earliest polo ponies of 1876 to the equine athletes thundering across BD Field today.
Different century. Different saddles. Same obsession. Same extraordinary animal at the center of it all. For 150 years, the horse has carried Newport Polo forward. For one very special lap, we’ll simply let them lead the parade. 🐎