Polo, Steeped In Tradition
Polo was first played in Barbados in 1884 by British cavalry officers on The Parade Ground at The Garrison Savannah in Bridgetown.
From the The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, May 19, 1900:
THE BARBADOS GARRISON POLO CLUB
“This is one of the oldest Polo Clubs in the West Indies, and with the Jamaica Club is now the only one there. The Trinidad and Demerara Clubs ceased to exist some years ago.
An annual match was formerly played between Barbados and Trinidad, who visited each other in turn. At present the important match of the year is when the North American fleet makes its visit, the soldiers always being pleased to mount the sailors. A few years ago, when the island was more prosperous, the club contained a number of civilians, but since beet has supplanted cane, civilian membership has entirely ceased. From the same cause, horse racing is now a thing of the past in Barbados. The Polo Club has just sustained a great loss in the retirement of General Fowler- Butler, a keen polo player, a good all-round sportsman, and a popular commanding officer.”
The late Mr. Keith Melville, who presided over the Club for thirty-nine years, recalled that the club became inactive between 1929 and 1939 due to the Great Depression. After 1939, the Club was revived by Mr. Henry Arthur and polo was played at the Garrison once more, mostly by the Barbadian planters.
Polo in Barbados Today
Yvette Reid PhotographyIn 1965, the Barbados Polo Club was relocated from the Garrison Savannah to Holders Hill Plantation at the invitation of the Kidd family.
Initially, the facilities comprised of a tent simply constructed of palm fronds and the bar was the back of one member’s station wagon. Later that year, the clubhouse as it stands today was constructed and the rest, as they say, is history.
Young, vibrant Barbadian businessmen and planters who grew up in the West Indian tradition of horsemanship handed down from their pioneering forefathers took up the reins of the club from their dedicated predecessors. This ‘new guard’ of men and women innovated the sport with sponsored matches, international tours and invitational tours extended to the Caribbean, North America & European polo fraternities. In 1967 the first non-military touring team Potomac Polo Club from Washington DC, USA, arrived for a memorable tournament. Then Prince, now King Charles III of the United Kingdom, has also played polo at the Holders Hill polo grounds.
Stalwart local names such as John Marsh, Vere Davis, Errie Deane, C.O. Williams, Roger Gooding, J.A.K. Archer, Andy Dowding, Keith Mellville and many more built the club up to what it is today.
From its inception at Holders Hill, the Barbados Polo Club has been renowned for being both a family friendly sporting establishment dedicated to the old time honored traditions of the sport and a serious after-match party venue where the players and spectators can mix and mingle and enjoy the friendship and camaraderie of the equestrian community of Barbados.