Polo Weekly | Lost Polo Photos That Will Make You Nostalgic

At PoloWeekly, we’re craving nostalgia. As fashion sports the ‘90s, Brooklynites are bringing back shabby chic decor, and there is a focus on process and experience rather than mass production.

And in case you didn’t hear, Vogue declared 2019 officially the year of throwbacks and nostalgia. So we’ve decided to take a stroll down the memory lane of polo and look back at fashion from the sidelines, polo players, and their ponies.

Though, of course, the most interesting part of polo was always it’s attendees. Women would wear their Sunday-best, fashion’s latest trends that we find quite suiting now a days.

One of America’s biggest polo fan’s was always former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Here she is pictured with her daughter in the cover photo of the article.

These particular ladies must have seen a plethora of tournaments in their day and so they are not easily amused. The young lady on the right has lots to learn.

Seeming unamused was clearly a trend, and these women before the Great War in Berlin would love to be anywhere else but at the tournament. Two of them are seemingly players with their boots and attire all ready for a match.

The best view has always been from the sidelines, maybe with a pipe to accompany the game.

Though these ladies would never be found sitting on the grass, instead opting for comfy wooden Adirondack chairs (Long Island, 1937).

Women watching polo match in Adirondack chairs

Though one onlooker is extremely into the game as she records the action. Extra points for the Ferrari convertible. We’ll take a guess that she really loves horses.

But what polo match would be complete without a proper polo tailgate. For those readers that don’t recognize this iconic photo, check out our article on the Oak Brook Polo Club here.

And while the women record the game, the men continue smoking. One takes notes on the bleachers. Perhaps he was a sports journalist?

The polo players have their smoke before the game too. This particular story ran as the cover story of TIME Magazine in 1937 featuring Pete Bostwick, 8-goal polo player and grandson to Jabez A. Bostwick, a founder and treasurer of Standard Oil Company of New York and partner of John D. Rockefeller.

Other polo players have their own rituals like re-applying lipstick before the game.

These are four chic Argentinian polo players ready for a tournament in 1968. The second from the right is Dolores Blaquier.

The players must have learned the sport from this hilarious beginners brochure. Check out the man hit by the ball.

But nothing compares to a vintage shot of polo in full swing.

Equestrian sports and polo have always been the favorite of celebrities and famous individuals. Everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Grace Kelly and even Linda Evangelista have loved ponies in their day.

In fact, photo shoots with horses, especially Polo Ralph Lauren ones, were quite common. Horses were the ultimate symbol of status, elegance, and social position. Check out the images of celebrities and their horses below:

Queen Elizabeth here is off to play some polo herself. We wonder if she would be a striker?

Jackie Kennedy truly had a particular relationship with ponies and so we feature her twice. Doesn’t this shot look like it was ripped out of a magazine?

Speaking of royals, ponies and magazines, Grace Kelly both rode horses and loved to assist polo tournaments. She was chic as ever. Here she rides in New York’s Central Park.

Linda Evangelista also never missed a chance to see glamorous even at a horse ranch.

And a final… Sam Haskins having a conversation with her horse in the stable.

Angelika Pokovba

Angelika Pokovba has ridden all paths of life, from luxury fashion to travel writing. But equestrian sports have always lurked in the shadows since learning to ride as a child with her dad. She is now turning her long-time hobby into a proper journalistic beat.