Willowbrook Polo Farms
“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” - Winston Churchill
© Willow Brook Polo Farms 2020
News & History
History of the USPA
Dating back thousands of years to Central Asia, Polo is considered the
oldest organized sport ever played and was first introduced in the United
States by way of England in
1876. It didn’t take long for
America to take a liking to
this game of kings and
assemble their own
loosely structured
matches. As players and
teams propagated, the
development of the sport
demanded a governing
body and in 1890 the
United States Polo
Association, or USPA
(originally known as The
Polo Association,) was
formed. The second oldest
governing body in the U.S.
(behind only the United States Tennis Association (USTA,) the purpose of
the USPA was to coordinate games, standardize rules, and establish
handicaps so the teams could be more evenly matched.
With new clubs rapidly emerging on the east coast, the original USPA
headquarters was appropriately located in New York where the first formal
U.S. club, the Westchester Polo Club, was established. The Association
began operations on a voluntary basis of an elected committee structure
and presently continues as such with a small office staff in the current
epicenter of the sport just outside Wellington, FL.
In its early days of regulation, the Association initiated changes in the
number and length of time periods (chukkers) in a match, standardized
equipment, mandated pony height and significantly improved their
training, and instituted many prestigious tournaments still played today. As
the sport gained in popularity and expanded geographically, circuits
developed all across the country while Interscholastic and Intercollegiate
(I/I) programs and indoor (arena) polo also came of age.
lt. sharp of 16th field artillery shooting a goal 1926copyright by national
photo company-1Throughout the twentieth century, excitement of the
sport was contagious. During the World Wars era, USPA membership
even included over 1,200 military players from the U.S. Army who were
encouraged to participate in polo to improve their riding ability. Interest
peaked all the way out to Hollywood in its heyday, dignitaries like
President Theodore Roosevelt took up the game, the U.S. Open
commenced at Oak Brook in Chicago, and the Indoor Polo Association
combined with the USPA to expand the scope of the sport.
Great strides were also made around this period as the overture of
sponsor money for horses and professional players was introduced and
international play increased. Dominate polo centers could now be found in
Florida, Texas, and California and polo itself evolved from a society sport
to include a far broader base of budget-minded horsemen, professional
players, and commercial sponsorship.
Today, USPA membership includes nearly 300 clubs in 13 different circuits
across the United States and Canada and oversees 40 national
tournaments. Supported by funding that comes from its officially licensed
consumer brand, U.S. Polo Assn., the USPA tenaciously reinvests in
numerous programs and services designed to grow and sustain the sport
- particularly regarding the development of next generation American
players. A key part of the sport’s evolution is the emergent inclusiveness
and diversity of the polo community. In addition to the fast growth of young
players, women now represent 40% of USPA membership, and the Gay
Polo League is also recognized as a member club.
The current USPA regime has made significant progress in the areas of
umpiring, safety, rules, safety regulations, and refinement of the
handicapping process while retaining many of the sport’s distinctive
traditions. Polo has also begun to incorporate leading-edge technology as
the level and amount of polo being played is the highest in the history of
the game. As the official resource for the sport of polo in America, the
USPA aims to provide a wide variety of resources to make the polo
experience enjoyable for both participants and spectators while providing
a solid foundation for the future of the sport.
The United States Polo Association® was organized and exists for the
purposes of promoting the game of polo, coordinating the activities of its
Member Clubs and Registered Players, arranging and supervising polo
tournaments, competitions, and games and providing rules, handicaps,
and conditions for those tournaments, competitions, and games including
the safety and welfare of participants and mounts.
Founded in 1890, the United States Polo Association (USPA) is the
national governing body for the sport of polo
1890 USPA Rule Book 1890 USPA Rule Book in North America. Proudly
celebrating 125 years at this stature, the USPA is currently comprised of
almost 300 member clubs, thousands of individual members, and
oversees 40 national tournaments.
The level and amount of polo played today is the highest in the game’s
history and as such, the USPA governs polo handicaps, tournament rules,
equipment, and safety regulations in the U.S. and Canada to ensure the
welfare and being of both pony and player. Funded by sales from the
officially licensed consumer brand, U.S. Polo Assn., the USPA
purposefully re-invests revenue by underwriting numerous development
programs to expand and sustain the sport of polo.
Retired Racehorse Project
$100,000 THOROUGHBRED MAKEOVER ATTRACTS TOP TRAINERS
FROM TEN SPORTS
Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) released today a list of 480 trainers
from 45 states, three Canadian Provinces and England who will acquire
and train a recently retired racehorse for the $100,000 Thoroughbred
Makeover and National Symposium, scheduled for October 27-30 at the
Kentucky Horse Park.
All ten of the discipline winners
from last year’s Makeover will
return to defend their titles,
along with seventy-three other
Makeover alumni on brand new
horses. The remaining group of
nearly 400 is doing this for the
first time. This may be the most
diverse group of accomplished
horse trainers ever to gather in
one place.
Among the entries is a large contingent of professionals from the top
ranks of their respective sports. It includes fifteen event riders who have
competed at the advanced level, four grand prix dressage riders, and four
grand prix show jumpers. The field hunter division features two past
winners of the North American Field Hunter Championships, and among
show hunters are ten who have trained winners at the country’s top A-
circuit shows.
The strong contingent of barrel racers will be eager to see what 20-time
World Champion Lance Graves can do on a Thoroughbred, and the
working ranch division mixes lifelong ranch hands with a half-dozen show
and rodeo veterans wearing World Champion belt buckles. At least six of
the polo trainers make their livings training and selling to the world’s top
players, and the Competitive Trails division is an eclectic mix of
endurance riders, Extreme Cowboy Race veterans, and all manner of trail
and obstacle class winners. And then there is the crowd-favorite freestyle
division. It features 14 Mustang Makeover alumni, Road to the Horse
trainers, a National Cavalry Champion in mounted pistols and saber, an
AQHA World Champion driver, and the entertainment director of Arabian
Nights Theater.
“Reading through the applications of these 480 trainers was like opening
Christmas presents,” said RRP President Stewart Pittman. “Off-track
Thoroughbreds dominated the horse show world in this country when they
were in the barns of our very best riders and trainers. We believe that a
key to restoring demand for these horses is matching some of them with
the best trainers. Doing so not only increases their chances of winning,
but it encourages those trainers’ clients and fans to consider an off-track
Thoroughbred.
“With the carrot of $100,000 in prize money, lots of promotion, and a buzz
among the horse industry too loud to ignore, we have recruited trainers
who are leaders in their sports. Many of these trainers have barns full of
warm-bloods and Quarter Horses. Some grew up on Thoroughbreds and
feel like this is coming home. Others are trying something completely new.
“
Lindsey Partridge won Competitive Trails and the overall title of America’s
Most Wanted Thoroughbred last year with her gray mare Soar. When
asked how she felt about the flood of top trainers coming to challenge her
title, she said without hesitation, “I think it’s fantastic! It means more
Thoroughbreds are going to be re-homed and showcased to their full
potential.”
That is the spirit that makes this competition unique. It truly is about the
horses, and that shared commitment is felt throughout the barns and all
the arenas. It is an even playing field for amateurs, pros, and juniors, and
money can’t buy success.
With $100,000 and major bragging rights on the line, the Makeover does
push trainers to do their very best work. Lindsey’s closing remark was, “I
will be upping my game this year.” We suspect she speaks for many.
Game Information
Please check the HOTLINE for
information on game day. Unsafe
field conditions and team
cancellations do happen. We do not
want to inconvenience you and
have you make a trip to the field if
we are not playing.
Polo Hot Line : 330-692-0851
The Darlington Polo Club is in its 79th consecutive season. The Club
began playing in the summer of 1937 when Cliff Braden and other
interested fans retrieved a ball from under a car at a game in Zelienople.
They began playing the sport in Darlington in a very primitive fashion.
Their mounts were plow horses. They used gasoline cans for goal posts
and lit the field with a series of floodlights hung from the surrounding
trees.
The founders of the club would be surprised at the advancements the club
has made since it humble beginnings. In recent years, the club has
purchased a lighting system that was used to light the local high school
football stadium. Most players ride athletic Thoroughbreds with a few
preferring the Quarter Horse and Appaloosa Breeds. Quickness and
agility are the most sought after traits in a polo horse.
The Darlington Polo Clubs home season begins in mid May and runs to
the end of August. We play our home games at 8:00 P.M. on Friday nights
earning the team the name " Night Riders". We play competitive teams
from Canada, Ohio, Michigan, New York, and Virginia. Many of today's
high goal professional players have graced the Darlington field early in
their careers.
The atmosphere at a Friday night game is a mix of hometown sports and
backyard festival with a healthy dose of horse and family thrown in for
good measure. The local Lion's Club serves up French fries, funnel cakes
and other ballpark treats from their concession stand. Most of the players'
families are pressed into service as ticket takers, referees, and grooms.
Friends and families turn out with lawn chairs and picnic baskets to cheer
for the home team.
The Darlington Polo Club would like to invite you and your family to come
and join us each Friday for polo "under the lights."