West Somerset Polo Trophy
West Somerset Polo Trophy
30521
Vintage Polo Trophy.
A vintage J. Salter & Sons polo ball, written on the ball in ink 'West Somerset Polo Club, Dunster, August 1936'. The ball is also impressed with 'J. Salters, Mulch Willow, Made In England'.
The West Somerset Polo Club was founded in 1898 and first played its matches on the long sandy strand of Minehead beach. Strings of ponies were a familiar sight being exercised on the beach. When, a year later, Minehead Recreation Ground was opened the Polo Club was able to use that instead.
On September 8th 1900 the West Somerset Polo Club held its second annual tournament at its club ground in Allerford where it had built 'a very tasteful and commodious pavilion'. A match is recorded as having taken place here on May 27th 1905 saying: 'it 'married' contesting with 'single' in skill and a very pleasant game resulted'. The club also had a fine ground on the spacious lawns of Dunster Castle.
The club met here twice a week as well as for club matches and tournaments. The annual subscription was 4 guineas. The first evening match took place at Withycombe in 1900 as an attraction after its Gymkhana.
In 1925 the Luttrell Family of Dunster Castle invited the Maharajah of Jodhpur to visit and for whom they had arranged a number of polo matches. They had not realised that he would turn up with his 'crack' team together with 62 polo ponies!
The Castle stables, built in 1660, which had an impressive array of stalls that were used when dignitaries came, were full to capacity. Polo players from all over the world competed on the ground including Winston Churchill who loved the game calling it 'The Emperor of Games'.
He played it for 35yrs. For many events the ponies' horseboxes were unloaded at Dunster Station.
It was in Minehead that prestigious owners and trainers were accommodated at the luxurious Metropole Hotel on the seafront, originally built without its now distinctive dome. It had its own stables and tennis and croquet lawns. Stable lads and grooms lodged in the Pier Hotel.
Taken from :- https://wordgetsaround.co.uk/article/a-right-royal-sport
Dimensions:
1900-1949
Circa 1930's
Willow
England
Brian Stein
Egerton Place Collection
Good condition, small crack on one side.
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