NEWS

The Board of Directors of the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame have announced the 2025 inductees into the Museum’s Polo Hall of Fame: Joe Henderson, Jimmy Bachman, Jorie Butler Kent, Susan Stovall, and legendary horses Rockey Kid “Flash” and Beatrice.

Joe Henderson ("Smokin' Joe") reached 8 goals outdoors and 10 goals in the arena and has won numerous major high-goal outdoor tournaments, including the C.V. Whitney Cup in 1987, as well as the America Cup twice and the North American Cup four times. He also dominated the 1987 Pacific Coast Open, winning the title while sweeping Most Valuable Player and Best Playing Pony awards. In 1993, Henderson and Fish Creek reached the U.S. Open Polo Championship final, where he was selected as Most Valuable Player.

Henderson was also a dynamic arena player, winning numerous titles en route to a 10-goal handicap while earning Arena Player of the Year in 1988 and 1992 and recognized as Arena Player of the Centennial Era in 1990.

Posthumous Hall of Fame honoree Jimmy Bachman had considerable success at all levels, winning the 20-goal Monty Waterbury in 1983 and reaching the finals of both the 26-goal Sunshine League in 1985 and the 20-goal East Coast Open. He captured numerous medium-goal tournaments as well, including the Copper Cup (1987, 1988), Bronze Trophy (1988, 1989), Heritage Cup (1990) and the Chairman’s Cup (1991). Bachman also made his name dominating low-goal polo, especially at Gulfstream Polo Club (now defunct) in Florida in the 1980s. Bachman reached 7 goals in 1986 and played at that handicap until his untimely death in 1991.

Jorie Butler Kent is an iconic figure in U.S. polo. Born into the sport, her father, Paul Butler is synonymous with Oak Brook Polo Club (Oak Brook, Illinois). Butler Kent became the first woman to manage Oak Brook from 1967 to 1979.

Along with Sue Sally Hale and several others, Butler Kent became one of the first women to receive handicaps from the USPA in 1972. She also organized the USPA Polo Pony Championship and helped to establish the rules and registry. She continued to be a pioneer in the sport when she secured the first international corporate sponsorship with Rolex Watch.

Additionally, Butler Kent was integral to the early successes of many clubs, including Palm Beach Polo (now defunct), Greenwich Polo Club (Greenwich, Connecticut), and Windsor Polo in Vero Beach, Florida, as well as the Museum of Polo.

The posthumous Iglehart Award honoree and “force of nature” Susan Stovall left an indelible mark on the world of polo, both as a pioneer for women’s polo and on the sport in general. Stovall did it all – from riding early morning sets, competing on the field, organizing tournaments to entertaining royalty and celebrities at charity polo events. She was a respected and much beloved manager of Eldorado Polo Club (Indio, California) for 26 years, while also continuing to play and continuing to help run her family’s polo operation at White Swan Polo Club in Washington.

Under her watch, Eldorado grew to become the largest polo clubs on the West Coast, with dozens of teams regularly competing thanks to her no-nonsense approach, organizing skills, enthusiasm and genuine love for people that made them feel welcome.

The phenomenal chestnut Thoroughbred gelding "Flash," whose actual name was Rockey Kid, will be recognized with the Horses to Remember post-Hartman Era award.

In the 1970s, "Flash" helped several top players achieve tremendous victories. During the successful run of high-goal tournaments in Chicago in 1973, John Oxley purchased "Flash" along with the Linfoot string, greatly benefiting his players. "Flash" earned three Best Playing Pony awards played by Billy Linfoot, Roy Barry and Corky Linfoot, all in the same year.

"Flash" also competed in the Coronation Cups and Queens Cup in England. Among his many highlights was being named Horse of the Year from April 1976 to April 1977 and was featured on the cover of POLO magazine.

The Horses to Remember honoree of the early pre-Hartman era is Beatrice, who was a warrior on and off the polo field. Owned by Stephen "Laddie" Sanford, the little dark bay mare excelled in three International Series for the U.S., played by two Hall of Famers, Devereux Milburn (1924 Westchester Cup) and Winston Guest (1928 Cup of the Americas, 1930 Westchester Cup). She also played in the 1921 Westchester Cup for the British team.

Adding to her laurels, Beatrice was also a real war hero. At the age of 16, she served as an artillery horse in the British Army and was awarded a gold medal, which she wore pinned on her saddle pad while playing for the U.S. international team.

The 36th Annual Hall of Fame Awards Dinner and Induction Ceremony is one of the premier events of the high-goal polo season in Florida and is scheduled for Friday, February 14, 2025, at 6:30pm at the Museum of Polo in Lake Worth, Florida. The Hall of Fame Awards Dinner is the most important annual fundraising event for the Museum, a private, independently run 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization.

All are invited to attend. Tickets for the event are $350 per person, with general seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. For groups of 10 who prefer reserved seating, a table can be purchased for $3,500. Additionally, sponsorship tables are available for $25,000 or more, accommodating 10 guests with prime front-row seating. This option provides an excellent opportunity to support the museum and honor your family, business or community. For tickets, please call the Museum at 561-969-3210.