The Tallyho Cup (foxhunters and polo mallets) and Polo Saturday (polo players and hounds) debuted in Aiken, South Carolina this season, reaffirming the traditional Aiken bond between foxhunting and polo. The two sports have been entwined in Aiken since the early 1900s, when all the great polo names of the day—Hitchcock, Knox, Bostwick, Corey, and others—played polo in Aiken and rode to hounds as well.
Polo Saturday
In keeping with this historic tradition, Linda Knox McLean, MFH sent out an open invitation to all of Aiken’s polo players to cap with the Aiken Hounds on their polo ponies while wearing their polo gear. Dubbed Polo Saturday, the day was the brainchild of Theresa King, who hunts with the Aiken Hounds and plays polo on her foxhunter.
Barb Uskup serves a stirrup cup to the foxhunting polo players. / Maybe Ortiz photoSince the polo season in Aiken winds down as the hunting season begins, hunting is a perfect way to extend the sporting season, and Polo Saturday gave polo players a chance to try foxhunting along with their friends. The meet was held in the Hitchcock Woods, home of the Aiken Hounds. The Hitchcock Woods land was donated for equestrian use by the Hitchcock family, members of which included the first Masters of the Aiken Hounds and two ten-goal polo players.
It seemed like every polo player in town showed up to cap, outnumbering the foxhunters. A familiar face, Barb Uskup, made all the polo players feel welcome with a stirrup cup, and MFH McLean and huntsman Katherine Gunter took the field on a chase that rivaled the thrill of high-goal, with long fast gallops up and down steep terrain and hairpin turns.
Christine Cato, riding her old polo pony Seven-Up, expressed the sentiment of the participants when she said, “We are lucky and privileged to go out. We have to do this every year!”
Tallyho Cup
Players from Overbrook Polo Club who rode on Polo Saturday thought it would be equally fun to host a reciprocal event where foxhunters could try polo on their field hunters. Clint Nangle offered the use of his Overbrook Farms for the event in which foxhunters vied for the Tallyho Cup. Players from Aiken Hounds, Whiskey Road Foxhounds, and Why Worry Hounds turned out in full force, with twenty-four players representing their hunts in an unexpectedly fast and furious game.
Polo Saturday was the brainchild of Theresa King, a foxhunter and polo player. / Maybe Ortiz photoThe event began with a clinic where players could learn the rules and practice hitting the ball “at a level appropriate for 1st time players on foxhunters.” But when the umpire shouted, “Play,” at the start of the game, hunt versus hunt competition took hold, and the foxhunters picked up a fearless gallop, vying for trophies, goals, and glory.
The game ended in a well-fought tie. The winner of the Tallyho Cup was decided by a shoot out, where players had to convert penalty shots at an open goal from 30 yards. Jeff Schuler put in the winning shot for Why Worry Hounds, and Katherine Gunter’s amazing hunter Augustus took home the Best Playing Foxhunter trophy for Aiken Hounds.
The field side was packed with cars, truck and trailers, the weather was gorgeous, and the hunt breakfast was wonderful, thanks to Jane Hostetter. With over 150 spectators, the blend of the Aiken traditions of polo and foxhunting appealed both to the crowd and to the competitive spirit of the players. The hunts and Overbrook Polo Club have unanimously agreed to make the Tallyho Cup an annual event!
Posted May 4, 2011
Aiken huntsman Katherine Gunter was Best Playing Foxhunter. / Maybe Ortiz photo
George Thomas, MFH, Why Worry Hounds, holds the Tallyho Cup for his winning hunt. / Maybe Ortiz photo