Addo Polo Club beginnings

Addo Polo Club beginnings

The Addo Polo Club, in Addo, Eastern Cape, was started in 1923 largely through the initiative of Cecily Fitzpatrick (daughter of Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, author of Jock of the Bushveld) in 1923. Cecily found many supporters among the British settlers’ wives, all keen horsewomen. Dorothy Gibbs, Noel McBean, Margery Merewether, Phyllis Pearce, Iris Rathbone and two Apthorpe girls joined Cecily as players. Cicely FitzPatrick married Jack Niven – there has been a Niven playing at Addo throughout the club’s history – and men began to join the fray. It was not until the late 1940s and ‘50s that women’s polo started in South Africa.

The Addo Polo Club got going again, boosted by the Niven family team of father and three sons with Cecily (Sir PercyFitzpatrick’s daughter) as Umpire. Dougal McBean, a tall, austere and aristocratic Englishman, who owned Stellenhof farm, pressed for the exclusivity of the club, declaring that he had no desire to drink at the same club as his farm manager, who was in fact quite an educated Frenchman called Chevaux, but not an Englishman of course. Val Sullivan, the Archetypal Ladies Man and enthusiastic Polo player regarded it quite acceptable to swear loudly at the opposition during a chukka, so long as his blue-tinged outburst ended in “Sir”. Bull Oxenham always rooted for the pony rather that the player. Buller Pagden, always the showman, had his groom Willie bring his change of mount between chukkas to the front of the clubhouse so that spectators could watch him mount his fresh pony. Polo was very serious, posh, and rather high society.

Polo is still played at the Addo Polo Club today but not to the same degree. Ladies are now allowed in the bar and all are welcome! Bull Oxenham’s son, Futa, and grandsons, Ray and Hugh, still live up the road and play Polo for Addo. Addo History continues!

Based on the fascinating writings of Mr. Johnny Briggs, of Good Hope Farm, Selborne, based on the diary of his late father, ‘Kit’ Briggs, a Valley pioneer.