Cecil Smith (polo)

Cecil Smith (1904–1999) was an American rancher and polo player.[1][2]

Cecil Smith
BornFebruary 14, 1904
Llano, Texas
DiedJanuary 21, 1999
Boerne, Texas
OccupationRancher, polo player
Spouse(s)Mary (Miller) Smith
ChildrenCharles Smith
Sidney Smith

Biography

Early life

Cecil Smith was born on the Moss Ranch near Llano, Texas on February 14, 1904.[2] In his childhood, he won roping prizes in rodeos.[2]

Career

In 1924, he started playing polo while working for George Miller, a horse trader in Austin, Texas.[2] He also played alongside Albert Buckman Wharton, Jr. at his El Ranchito Polo Club on his Waggoner Ranch.[3] He later played polo with Will Rogers, Darryl Zanuck, Walt Disney and Reginald Denny.[2]

He was a ten-goal player from 1938 to 1962 -which makes him the American with the longest record to hold ten-goal status.[1][2][4] He often competed at the Meadow Brook Polo Club in Westbury, New York.[2] He won the Monty Waterbury Cup in 1930 and the U.S. Open Polo Championship five times.[1] He played on the U.S.A. team against Mexico three times.[1] (Quote from New York Times article dated Feb.14,1999, "Then, starting in 1938, he began a string of 26 years, 25 consecutively (1938-62), in which he was a 10-goal player".)

He owned a 100-acre ranch in Boerne, Texas, where he rode and trained horses.[2]

Personal life

He married to Mary Miller in 1935.[2] Their sons, Charles and Sidney, are polo players.[2]

Death

He died on January 21, 1999 in Boerne.[2]

Legacy

He was inducted into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in Lake Worth, Florida on April 6, 1990.[1]

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References
  1. "Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame, Cecil Smith's biography". Archived from the original on 2012-02-27. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  2. Cecil Smith, Considered the Best Polo Player Ever, Dies at 94, The New York Times, February 14, 1999
  3. Gary Cartwright, Showdown at Waggoner Ranch, Texas Monthly, January 2004
  4. Alex Webbe, Gentleman Tommy Wayman Keeps Keeps Earning 10-Goal Status, Palm Beach Daily News, January 2, 1983
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