Scott Brown can’t help but sound a little wistful when he recounts the history of Brandywine Polo Club. It was here that Brown, the club’s current president, learned to play polo at age 17 alongside his uncle, a member who introduced him to the sport. More importantly, around this time the sport’s popularity was at its peak in Chester County.
“The ’70s and ’80s were the heyday,” says Brown about the 62-year-old BPC, one of the oldest establishments of its kind on the East Coast, nestled snugly in the rolling hills of the bucolic Brandywine Valley. “Thirty to 40 teams would come from Boston, Chicago, Ohio and around the country for 10-day tournaments. There would be three to four games a day and huge parties at night. It was an exciting time.”
Times have changed, though. Travel among clubs has diminished, eliminating those multiday matches altogether, and membership has slowly been declining over the past few years due to the economic downturn and an aging player population, says Brown. But he’s not worried. In fact, he seems downright optimistic about the future of BPC.
“We have a beautiful venue that’s highly desirable,” says Brown. “It’s the place to play on the East Coast. We just have to make it more accessible.
Part of the organization’s success in that endeavor can be directly attributed to the Brandywine Polo Academy, a training center that opened in 2007. Players training at the program range from a six-goal professional to a newbie interscholastic high-school player— and more than 25 horses are available to rent, meaning you don’t need to own a horse to learn how to play polo.
“Brandywine Polo Academy teaches people to play and gives them opportunities to play,” says Brown. Currently, there are roughly 50 students, ages 22 to 62, enrolled in the academy. Brown adds that women are the sport’s fastestgrowing segment, making for a nearly even ratio of females to males at tournaments.
“Seventy percent of playing polo is good horsemanship,” he says. “And in general, women ride better than men.”
“We really are on the forefront of the polo community,” says Brendan Walsh, a Center City marketing professional who is a member of Brandywine Polo Club and the Academy’s polo ambassador. “The club has begun to rebrand itself as a hub and beacon of change within the equestrian community. We have a concert series, asados [South American-style barbecues], luncheons, corporate events and fundraisers.”
