The Jackson Hole Polo Club was officially registered with the USPA in 1966. The true beginnings, however, occurred much earlier…

At the end of the war, polo was being revived in St. Louis. In 1948, Paul Von Gontard got invited to play, and it was love at first swing! Paul brought his newfound love of polo with him to Melody Ranch, the Von Gontard’s summer home in Jackson. “There was already an abundance of horses and horsemen here, as well as some individuals with previous exposure to polo, such as; Skip Wright Clark who had played at Cornell, John Wort who had played in the 1930s in Santa Barbara, and guests at some of the guest ranches.” One of these guests invited Paul to join in for some backyard polo in western saddles, and it was there that he met some of these other polo enthusiasts.

Back at Melody Ranch Paul and the crew began to play on newly cut hay fields. They used a rubber ball and brooms with the bristles cut off and taped for a better hitting surface. They soon discovered that western saddles were too dangerous and they rode bareback like wild Indians. “This was a very rough game with no rules except every man for himself.”

Polo at Melody Ranch continued in this manner until the early 1960s when Tony Veen from California happened to stop by for a visit and offered to help gather some proper equipment and put on a polo clinic. So began a new era. Flat saddles, mallets, and balls were found and borrowed. The field was moved to a dirt airfield which was widened enough to make it playable. Tony taught the rules of the game and proper swing of a mallet, from a tailgate first and then from horseback at a walk. By the end, there were about 12 members made up of local ranchers, businessmen, and visitors.

Soon thereafter, the Jackson Hole polo club got invited to play in Sheridan against the Big Horn Polo Club. Big Horn is a well-established club with a long polo history. “All in all, there were some great games and wonderful parties, and Jackson Hole got a good schooling on the game of polo. The next summer, Big Horn reciprocated and came to Jackson to play.” The Jackson club went to great measures to water down the dusty airfield in preparation for the match. Nonetheless, by the end of the day, it looked like Custer's Last Stand in reverse with the Big Horn club once again triumphant. The lesson learned from these two exchanges was that the Jackson Hole Polo Club needed a commitment to developing proper fields, horses, and equipment to be competitive in this sport.

So in 1967, an indoor/outdoor grass field was built with plywood sides, an open-end, and an arena ball was used to play. Next, an old log building was donated, which was moved to the field side and became the much-used clubhouse. “It was at this point that we began to consider ourselves a real polo club and invited some players from California to come to play in a tournament, which we won. The occasional win reinforced our motto; We may not win every tournament, but we never lose a party! It is just as important to continue the fun off the field, and we would entertain our members and guests with river floats, trail rides, and cookouts.” This tradition remains today.

Another person who must be honored for the significant impact he had on the growth of polo in Jackson is Dr. Billy Linfoot. As a vet visiting from California to demonstrate horse breaking for the regional veterinarians, Dr. Linfoot exhibited his horsemanship and communication skills. He stayed in Jackson just long enough to give a clinic at the polo club and teach the value of teamwork; both on and off of the field. He taught that the true essence of a club is its community-minded function, and that family involvement is key to building a strong club. This is another ideal we still value highly at the Jackson Hole Polo Club.

No view of a club's history is complete without memories of the great horses, matches, and realizing the love and dedication of the members and their families for this sport. ‘There is a kinship passed amongst us. There is longevity not measured in time. From these great people, there is a continuance when we turn back and see and find great loving memories and vitality for the future."