Chukkers! Divot stomps! Lancaster County’s polo season is in full swing! This year, the Lancaster Polo Club is celebrating its 85th year, with a legacy woven by generations of players, ponies and loyal spectators.
A young spectator offers congratulations to the winning players. Juliana Tomlinson photo
In late April, while the grass was still greening up on Forney Field in Rothsville, the Lancaster Polo Club’s patrons and players gathered for a pre-season party that gave a nod to the risks and thrills inherent in the “sport of kings.” The Black & Blue Ball is named for the bruises that a player often receives while attempting to advance the ball to the goal with a four-foot mallet, all while astride a spirited horse. In honor of such players, gentlemen are requested to wear formal black jackets paired with blue jeans. (Ladies have more liberal color choices for their cocktail attire.)
While the party is a fundraiser for the nonprofit Lancaster Polo Club, the event is also an opportunity for spectators, who line the polo field at their reserved spots each Sunday from early June through September, to socialize with season patrons who sit on the opposite side of the 300-by-160-yard field. According to the club’s board president, Elizabeth Beck, it’s also a night to thank the club’s season sponsors, Tomlinson Bomberger Lawn Care & Landscape, Jack Daniel’s, Tequila Herradura and Events By Gillian and Co., for their support. “As we saddle up for our 85th year, we are filled with pride for the tradition and legacy we carry forward,” she said in her welcome remarks. “I often wonder what Ben Forney, whose love of polo laid the foundation for all that we enjoy today, would think of where we are now.”
Indeed, it was Ben Forney who brought polo to Lancaster County, when he and three other local cattle dealers rose to the challenge of a polo match by a team from York New Salem. The novice sons of Lancaster won that first game, played at the former Lancaster Fairgrounds, then continued playing where Overlook Golf Course is located. In 1956, Ben brought polo to the little town of Rothsville – current population 2,698 – when he created a polo field on his farm. Now called Forney Field, teams from Canada, Dominican Republic, California, Texas and the eastern U.S. have competed in Rothsville.
A dedicated horseman for decades, Forney rescued many of his dozens of polo ponies from the New Holland livestock auctions. Many of today’s Lancaster Polo Club players once groomed Forney’s ponies or leased them for competitive play.
Forney, who was deemed “America’s Oldest Active Polo Player” by Sports Illustrated, played into his 80s, before his final roundup in 1988 at age 84. Today, the club plays on at Forney Field every Sunday, June through September. Friendly tailgating, champagne toasts and divot stomping at halftime are just a few of the fun moments to experience. Having a front-row seat to the action on the field and feeling the thunderous impact of galloping horses’ hooves on the ground provide the thrills. All that makes it one of the best ways to spend a summer Sunday afternoon in Lancaster County.
Special Sundays will include the Cracked Pepper Cup on June 29, when Cracked Pepper Catering and its owner, Joe Hess, sponsor the day’s activities. Be sure to wear white on July 13 for Polo En Blanc, and cheer on the young players at the National Youth Tournament Series qualifier match on July 20, which will include a market area of vendors. August 3 is Dog Days of Summer and August 17 is Hat Day. September 7 will see the Porsche Cup be contested, while the 14th will see a Chili Cook-Off be staged.
Admission is $10 (cash). Gates open at 1 p.m., the action gets underway at 2:30 p.m., weather permitting. For more information and a complete schedule, visit Lancasterpoloclub.com.
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