Polo and Events

Polo has been one of the chief features of the winter season in Aiken since 1882 – just 6 years after it was introduced to the United States by James Gordon Bennett, making it one of the oldest clubs in America.  Aiken became known as the polo center of the South.  At that time, there were 16 polo fields.  Mrs. Thomas Hitchcock, the wife of one of America’s first 10 goal players and mother of Tommy Hitchcock, is credited with starting a boy’s school with a polo program which eventually turned out some of the best players in the country.  From Aiken’s playing fields have come 10 members of Polo’s Hall of Fame.  Names such as Knox, Bostwick, Corey, Hitchcock, Iglehart, Milburn, Smith, Stoddard and Whitney make up the elite core.

During the 1960’s and 70s, the tradition was continued by a group of new polo players, namely, Biddle, Boyd, Durrett, Flerx, Little, Manning, Rizzo, Shapter and Winthrop.  The 80s brought the corporate form of ownership to the Aiken Polo Club and an influx of local players.  Brown, Batchelor, Cato, Carothers, Hook, Herrick, Kneece, Salatino, Smith and Widner became familiar names in Aiken Polo.  Today polo is still played at Whitney Field, the site of the longest consecutive period of play on one field in the United States, by second and third generations of the above named players.  With the 90s, the rediscovery of Aiken by high goal professional players began the resurgence of polo here.  Today, more than 45 professional players call Aiken home.

Aiken’s equestrian community is much larger, and boasts world class thoroughbred racing and steeplechase training, fox hunting, dressage, over 45 polo fields and more.  You name it, Aiken has it.  No other community can come close to the horse experience you will find in Aiken.

*Narrative courtesy of the Aiken Chamber of Commerce.

We invite you to experience Aiken:  old south charm, a sophisticated art community, world class equestrian community, great restaurants and more.