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The game was
as much a social event as an athletic contest. One journalist estimated
the size of the crowd, many from San
Antonio's wealthy class, at 1,200. A reporter for The San
Antonio Light wrote "the novelty of the game and the reputation
of the players were sufficient to attract a large and fashionable
audience."
The Texans who turned out for the game liked what they saw. Polo
was a fast-moving sport that was both graceful and violent. There
were few rules in those days. Riders could do most anything to score
a goal or keep an opponent from scoring. Collisions and spills were
frequent.
But Texans were not amused with the annoying English habit of bragging
about their superior horsemanship, especially after a few beers
at the Menger Bar. Something had to be done, and on July 10, 1883,
just 3 days after the first public polo game at San Pedro Springs
Park, some Texans gathered at the office of the Texans Investment
Company in San Antonio.
That afternoon they organized the Cowboys Polo Club to take on the
British and put them in their proper place.
The Cowboys, undaunted by inexperience, challenged the Brits to
a game of polo - any time, any where. The Brits sent word to "bring
it on."
On July 14, 1883 The Texas Polo Club played the Cowboys Polo Club
at San Pedro Springs Park for the unofficial Texas polo championship.
And there was more than bragging rights on the line. The prize money
was $100 - winner take all.
There was a lot of trash talk prior to the game. The English poked
fun at the way the Texans talked. The Texans ridiculed the tiny
"baldheaded" English saddles and the silly way the British popped
up and down when they rode.
Despite tough talk by the Texans, the odds were with the British.
Those Texans could ride, but there was more to polo than riding
a horse. Striking a ball with a mallet while riding a mustang at
full gallop was a tricky proposition. The Texans played with gusto,
but they hit each other more than they hit the ball.
Still the Cowboys held their own for a while, but their reckless
maneuvers and daring horsemanship couldn't overcome the skill and
experience of the Brits. The Texas Polo Club won the game 3-1.
After laying the foundation for polo in Texas, Captain Turquand
sold the Balcones Ranch to Count Norbert D'Orenay of Hungary in
1885. Two years later Turquand died in Ohio.
© Michael Barr
"Hindsights"
September 1, 2017 Column
Sources:
"Polo at the Springs," San Antonio Light, July 9, 1883.
"An Unequal Match," San Antonio Light, July 16, 1883.
"Polo in San Antonio Dates Back to 1883 When First Match Was Played
at San Pedro Park," San Antonio Express, January 11, 1926.
"Texas Quiz," The Navasota Examiner, July 1, 1954.
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