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.
