NEWS

On December 19, 2016, the USPA and the Midstates Circuit lost Frank Wilkens, a valued member and driving force for polo in Cincinnati, Ohio, for decades. Frank Wilkens passed away peacefully surrounded by his family and friends after a three-month battle in an intensive care unit in Cincinnati, Ohio. Frank was a loving husband and father to his wife, Mary, and his five daughters, Kim, Katie, Morgan, Taylor and Sydney. With his can-do attitude, sense of humor and keen ability to be there for others in need, he had a vast assortment of friends and never met a stranger.

Frank spoke fondly of having the opportunity to play on the Xavier Polo Team in 1978 with Jake and John Sieber in the National Intercollegiate Finals after the eldest Sieber brother, Rob, had graduated. Frank was a steady player in the Midstates Circuit from the early 1970s until health issues kept him from actively playing polo in 2005.

The Wilkens family were some of the most dedicated people in the sport. Frank’s father, Herb, served as a USPA Governor in the 1970s and 1980s and supported low-goal polo all over the Midstates Circuit. Frank and his brother, Herbie, introduced many new players to the sport in the 1980s making it possible for Cincinnati Polo Club (CPC) to field three sponsored teams throughout the 1990s. The Wilkens family farm was the home of CPC from the late 1970s until the farm was sold for commercial development in the 1990s. After the sale of the family farm, Frank invested his share of the money into purchasing 60 acres in Goshen, Ohio. This is where Frank, along with his wife, built a 40-stall barn and regulation size indoor arena. Later, an outdoor field was built, and in 2013 the first game was played on the field, continuing his support of polo in Cincinnati. Frank and the Wilkens family's years of contribution to polo in the Midstates Circuit will long be remembered.