100-year history of polo at Paris Olympics sees repeat victory for USA

The Paris Olympics proved the ideal opportunity to commemorate the 100th anniversary of polo being played as an Olympic sport in the French capital, with an international match between France and the USA at Chantilly Polo Club just outside Paris this week, with the USA winning 10-7.

Champagne toast a la Française! Team USA celebrates Paris win. Photo: Stephanie Gates

“If you look back, the last time the Olympics was in Paris was in 1924,” said USA’s Nico Escobar, who contributed eight goals to the visitors’ winning tally. “That’s 100 years ago and to be a part of that history is an incredible honor.”

Nico, who has just landed back in the States to compete in Santa Barbara, was part of the 14-goal visiting team, under the captaincy of Cody Ellis, with Hope Arellano and Quinn Evans. Julio Arellano and Luis Escobar joined parental forces to coach USA in the match at Château de Chantilly co-organized by the United States Polo Association and the Federation Française de Polo.

Ooh La La! Victorious USA (l to r) Quinn Evans, Hope Arellano, Nico Escobar and Cody Ellis. Photo: Stephanie Gates

A hundred years ago, the US took a 15-1 victory over the host country. This rematch was much closer with the score 5-5 going into the fourth and penultimate chukker. “The fourth chukker was a big chukker for us. We went up by four goals,” said Nico. Horses, as ever, proved a factor with the visitors renting horses locally, Nico, playing the horses of Jota Chavanne. “We were doubling horses, so the horses we played in the first two chukkers, we brought back and we knew those horses more, so we could take more chances. “The first time you play on those horses it’s very different from practice and riding. The second time you [play them in a match you] know what they are going to do.”

Polo was first included in the Paris Olympic Games of 1900 and 1908 in London. Able to enter more than one team, Britain won both gold and silver in 1900 with France taking the bronze. In 1908 Britain claimed all three medals. In 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium, the British beat Spain for gold and the USA won bronze. By the time of the next Paris Olympics in 1924, Argentina was staking claim to the international polo stage and took gold, winning 6-5 against the USA line up of Elmer Boeseke, Tommy Hitchcock, Frederick Roe and Rodman Wanamaker.

Back in time to 1924 and the Argentine team that won the Paris Olympics.

Polo’s last appeared in the Olympics at the 1936 Berlin Games, in the Maifeld Stadium. Neither France nor USA sent a team and the contest produced another Argentine win. Britain, captained by David Dawnay, father of polo guru Major Hugh Dawnay, took silver and Mexico bronze.

The Maifeld stadium in Berlin where polo was last played as an Olympic sport in 1936.

The advent of war saw the end of polo as an Olympic sport and while there have been campaigns to reinstate it through the Federation of International Polo [FIP], the next best thing has proved to be the FIP World Championship held every three years at 14-goal level.

This year’s commemorative match dubbed the Paris Games Polo Challenge, coinciding with the Olympics, gave polo international exposure and will air on August 11 at 10:00am ET on ESPN2.

“Whenever you play an international match and you’re playing for your country, it’s always an honor,” said Nico.

Paris Games Polo Challenge
France: Elena Venot (2) Dorian Bulteau (4) Julien Reynes (4) Clément Delfosse (5)
USA: Quinn Evans (1) Hope Arellano (3) Cody Ellis (5) Nico Escobar (5)

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