NEWS

The Russ Sheldon Award recognizes one USPA member each year that has made outstanding contributions to the sport of arena polo. In the case of Dr. Robert “Doc” Walton, his efforts towards growing the sport of arena polo reach across the United States. From humble beginnings in northern California to the Lone Star State of Texas, Doc remained an active proponent of the arena polo scene until his passing earlier this year.

Walton was born in Burnley, Lancashire, England, on February 23, 1923. At the age of 17, he entered medical school at Guy's Hospital, London, England, the same year Britain entered WWII. After the war Walton was a Captain, Regimental Medical Officer in the British Army of the Rhine, in Occupied Germany. Taking care of healthy soldiers awaiting discharge orders, he prescribed sports, among them, horseback riding, show jumping and steeplechase. During this time Walton honed his equestrian skills, courtesy of his attachment to the Royal Horse Guards.

After the war, Walton acquired an internal medicine residency post at Vancouver General Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, before moving to Stanford University Hospital in Stanford, California, to become board certified in dermatology. He met his future wife and nursing student, Mary Elizabeth Lee, in a class Walton guest lectured. They were married on June 27, 1953, in her hometown of Midland, Michigan. Though he was always proud of his British heritage, Walton became a U.S. citizen and once remarked if he had stayed in Britain, he would not have attained the success the United States afforded him.

Walton started playing polo at the San Francisco Polo Club at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California, in his 40s. Among his first teachers were Dr. Neill Johnson, a 1974 Stockton Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, and Jack Kona. Johnson was a champion of the northern California polo scene in 1953 and was instrumental in the formation of the Central Valley Polo Club [Merced County, California], where Walton would often lease and ride. Given the field’s location and proximity to the nearby county fairgrounds, Walton was quickly exposed to the value of spectatorship. He developed an eye for the sport and strategized how it could live on in the public view for future generations to come.

Within a few years, Walton was entering and winning several 3-goal tournaments in Menlo Park, California. He traveled around northern California to compete and spread his passion for the sport, serving as an ambassador for arena polo and horsemanship. Doc combined his love of polo with love for his family and consequently began purchasing horses for both he and his children. His dedication to feeding their passion for the sport resulted in the construction of an arena in his backyard. The Walton family went on to manage a ranch where they grew the sport of outdoor and indoor polo, providing players with a polo field and horses, while Walton continued to practice medicine and treat patients at Stanford.

Doc also participated in Burbank, California, high-goal arena polo and coordinated a partnership with the Los Angeles Equestrian Center to put on public matches. These arena polo games drew a large viewership and helped build a sense of community among spectators and players in the area. The arena polo season would also continue during the winter months with chukkers often followed by “good beer and steak.” Even once complications arose with the California venue, Walton continued to help players and spectators find polo to remain rooted in the sport.

Walton went on to become one of the first USPA handicap delegates in California and would later move to Texas to create new arena polo venues in Dallas. He also became the USPA Pacific Coast Circuit Governor. From there his reach only continued to spread and touch the lives of many fans of the sport. Walton would eventually become the President of the USPA and serve his time in that role doing what he loved most — promoting the sport of polo and fostering those who shared his passion for it.

It is through his lifetime dedication to the sport of polo and the monumental strides he made to grow arena polo that he became the 2022 Russ Sheldon Award recipient. Unfortunately, at 100 years old Walton passed away at his beloved Frank Lloyd Wright home in Modesto, California, on April 21, 2023, just one week after being informed he had received the award.

Walton left behind a legacy of contribution to arena polo that will not be soon forgotten. His family and the many figures in the polo community that have shared his love for the sport continue his work by honoring his values of horsemanship and community.

“My father pushed arena polo—pushed it to exist,” recounted son, Bil Walton. “He always felt polo could be pushed to the point where polo pays for itself. To do it though, he always said ‘we’ve got to get people in the seats to watch arena polo.’”

All photos courtesy of Bil Walton.