Cecil Smith (February 14, 1904 – January 21, 1999) was an American rancher and polo player.[1][2]
Cecil Smith | |
|---|---|
 Smith, circa 1950 | |
| Born | February 14, 1904 |
| Died | January 21, 1999 (aged 94) |
| Occupation(s) | Rancher, polo player |
| Spouse | Mary (Miller) Smith |
| Children | Charles Smith Sidney Smith |
Biography edit
Early life edit
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 edit
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 the 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 with 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 edit
He married Mary Miller in 1935.[2] Their sons, Charles and Sidney, are polo players.[2]
Death edit
He died on January 21, 1999, in Boerne.[2]
Legacy edit
He was inducted into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in Lake Worth, Florida, on April 6, 1990.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e "Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame, Cecil Smith's biography". Archived from the original on 2012-02-27. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Cecil Smith, Considered the Best Polo Player Ever, Dies at 94, The New York Times, February 14, 1999
- ^ Gary Cartwright, Showdown at Waggoner Ranch, Texas Monthly, January 2004
- ^ Alex Webbe, Gentleman Tommy Wayman Keeps Keeps Earning 10-Goal Status, Palm Beach Daily News, January 2, 1983