Ep. 154: When Lone Star Cowboys Took the Sport of Kings

Ep. 154: When Lone Star Cowboys Took the Sport of Kings

Author: Ken Wise August 31, 2026 Duration: 31:09

In This Episode
• The origins of polo in sixth-century B.C. Persia — and why it was war training, not sport
• How the British found the game in India, and the first formal English rules in 1875
• James Gordon Bennett brings polo to America — and immediately sends to Texas for horses
• Vanderbilts and Belmonts buying Hill Country mustangs
• San Antonio as the polo pony capital of the United States by 1885
• The Texas breeders: O. W. Cardwell of Junction, “Doc” Weir of Georgetown, Jay Floyd of Midland
• What these horses actually were — Spanish mustang stock with Thoroughbred blood, long before the American Quarter Horse existed as a breed
• Captain Glynn Turquand, the Balcones Ranch, and the Texas Polo Club at Boerne in 1883
• The first public polo game in Texas at San Pedro Springs Park — and the collision that opened it
• The Cowboys Polo Club challenge and the “Texas Championship” of July 14, 1883
• Military polo at Fort Sam Houston, and why the usual 1896 Fort Riley date does not hold up
• The Broadmoor Cup trophy in Colorado that inspired this episode
• Playing polo in a western saddle, and the separate sport of cowboy polo
• The Polo Association in 1890, the first U.S. Open in 1904, and how handicaps work
• Cecil Smith’s Llano County childhood and his apprenticeship under horse trader George Miller
• Polo in Hollywood — Will Rogers, Walt Disney and Reginald Denny
• How the Chicago Blackhawks logo came from a polo club crest
• The 1933 East-West “World Series of Polo” against Tommy Hitchcock
• The knockout, the ambulance Smith waved off, and the comeback that made him famous
• The all-Texas team that swept England in 1938 and won the King’s Coronation Cup
• Smith’s horses in the Hall of Fame, and the groom who won polo’s lifetime achievement award
• Five U.S. Open titles, twenty-five straight years at ten goals, a last match at age 83
• Getting There: where to watch polo in Texas today
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There’s a particular feeling you get standing on a wide stretch of prairie or walking through a quiet courthouse square that seems to hold a century of stories. Wise About Texas is about uncovering those stories, layer by layer, with the kind of depth and context that makes the past feel immediate. Hosted by Ken Wise, each episode goes beyond the well-trodden tales of the Alamo and cowboy legends to explore the people, places, and pivotal moments that truly shaped this unique state. You’ll hear about forgotten communities, surprising cultural intersections, and the everyday lives that built Texas from the ground up. This isn’t just a dry recitation of dates; it’s a thoughtful exploration that connects history to the landscape you can visit today. Whether you’re a lifelong resident, a curious newcomer, or someone planning a trip with a desire to understand what you’re seeing, this podcast serves as an engaging guide. Tune in for narratives that are meticulously researched yet told with a conversational ease, making each chapter of Texas history accessible and genuinely compelling. The aim is to leave you not just better informed, but with a richer sense of the spirit and complexity that defines the Lone Star State.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Wise About Texas
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