Auto Polo: noble sport or lunatic game?

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With horses and carriages slowly but surely disappearing from the street scene in the last century or so, it might seem logical for motorized vehicles to replace them in sports, too. It seems, however, that the sport seen here and known as Auto Polo was only popular for a short period of time in the 1910s and 1920s. And, yes, we have an idea why that was!

The Americans are said to have loved it after the first match was organized by the Dedham Polo Club in Dedham, Massachusetts, in 1902. They used steam-powered Mobile Runabouts at the time but the majority of cars used were soon replaced by Ford Model Ts, which it looks like we see here. A team from Wichita, Kansas, was sent out to tour Europe in 1913 with the idea of promoting the sport, but before Auto Polo could catch on anywhere else, it was condemned by foreigners as dangeorus. The Auto magazine in England described it as ‘a lunatic game’.

These shots were taken in Canada in 1919 and are just two of many action photographs of Auto Polo at the peak of its popularity. The drivers and their malletmen clearly took big risks, not just of being thrown out but also of being run over. We also wonder if the photographer managed to escape the ball! It was tough for the vehicles, too. A survey in 1924 revealed no fewer than 1,564 broken wheels, 538 burst tyres, 66 broken axles, 10 cracked engines and six cars completely destroyed during the course of the year… 

Words: Jeroen Booij; pictures: Reddit.com
 

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