Polo at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Encyclopedia
At the 1908 Summer Olympics
, a polo
tournament was contested. It was the second time the sport had been featured at the Olympics, with 1900
being its first appearance.
The venue was the Hurlingham
Polo Grounds in London. The Hurlingham Club presented a Challenge Cup to the winner of the tournament, which consisted of three teams. All three teams represented the British Olympic Association
, with two from England and one from Ireland. The two English teams played each first, with the winner playing against the Irish team. Roehampton
won both games, taking the gold medal, while the other two teams did not face each other to break the tie for second place.
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
, a polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
tournament was contested. It was the second time the sport had been featured at the Olympics, with 1900
1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics, today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in Paris, France. No opening or closing ceremonies were held; competitions began on May 14 and ended on October 28. The Games were held as part of...
being its first appearance.
The venue was the Hurlingham
Hurlingham Club
The Hurlingham Club is an exclusive sports club in Fulham in southwest London, England. The club, founded in 1869, is situated by the River Thames in Fulham, West London, and has a Georgian clubhouse set in of grounds...
Polo Grounds in London. The Hurlingham Club presented a Challenge Cup to the winner of the tournament, which consisted of three teams. All three teams represented the British Olympic Association
British Olympic Association
The British Olympic Association is the national Olympic committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It was formed in 1905 in the House of Commons, and at that time consisted of seven national governing body members from the following sports: fencing, life-saving, cycling, skating, rowing,...
, with two from England and one from Ireland. The two English teams played each first, with the winner playing against the Irish team. Roehampton
Roehampton
Roehampton is a district in south-west London, forming the western end of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It lies between the town of Barnes to the north, Putney to the east and Wimbledon Common to the south. The Richmond Park golf courses are west of the neighbourhood, and just south of these is...
won both games, taking the gold medal, while the other two teams did not face each other to break the tie for second place.
Medal table
| Position | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
Medal summary
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's tournament | |
None |
Hurlingham
- Walter BuckmasterWalter BuckmasterWalter Selby Buckmaster was a British polo player in the 1900 Summer Olympics and in the 1908 Summer Olympics.-Biography:...
- Frederick FreakeFrederick FreakeSir Frederick Maitland Freake, 3rd Baronet was a British polo player in the 1900 Summer Olympics and in the 1908 Summer Olympics.-Biography:...
- Walter JonesWalter Jones (polo)Walter John Henry Jones , was an English polo player.He was born at The Elms, Warrington, the son of William Charles Jones and Lucretia Elizabeth Jones. His father was the owner of Jones Brothers Cotton Mills in Leigh, and extremely wealthy...
- John Wodehouse, 3rd Earl of KimberleyJohn Wodehouse, 3rd Earl of KimberleyJohn Wodehouse, 3rd Earl of Kimberley CBE MC was a British peer, known from 1902 to 1932 as Lord Wodehouse.-Biography:...
Ireland
- John Hardress LloydJohn Hardress LloydBrigadier-General John Hardress Lloyd was an Anglo-Irish soldier and polo player. He was awarded a DSO and made a Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur for his service in the British Army during the First World War...
- John Paul McCannJohn Paul McCannJohn Paul McCann was an Irish polo player who competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Together with Percy O'Reilly, John Hardress Lloyd and Auston Rotheram, he was a member of the Ireland team that won a silver medal The Ireland team was part of the Great Britain Olympic team.-References:...
- Percy O'ReillyPercy O'ReillyPercy Philip O'Reilly was an Irish polo player who competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Together with John Paul McCann, John Hardress Lloyd and Auston Rotheram, he was a member of the Ireland team that won a silver medal The Ireland team was part of the Great Britain Olympic team.His daughter...
- Auston Rotherham
Roehampton
- Charles Darley MillerCharles Darley MillerCharles Darley Miller was a British polo player who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics as a member of the British polo team Roehampton, which won the gold medal.-Biography:...
- George Arthur MillerGeorge Arthur MillerGeorge Arthur Miller , was a British polo player who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics as a member of the British polo team Roehampton, which won the gold medal....
- Patteson Womersley Nickalls
- Herbert Haydon WilsonHerbert Haydon WilsonHerbert Haydon Wilson was a British polo player who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.-Biography:...
Game 1
Hurlingham scored first, with a goal in the second period by Jones. It would be the only goal scored by the team, however, as Roehampton answered with two goals in the third and added another in the fifth.| June 18 | GBR Roehampton Roehampton Roehampton is a district in south-west London, forming the western end of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It lies between the town of Barnes to the north, Putney to the east and Wimbledon Common to the south. The Richmond Park golf courses are west of the neighbourhood, and just south of these is... |
3 | - | 1 | GBR Hurlingham Hurlingham Club The Hurlingham Club is an exclusive sports club in Fulham in southwest London, England. The club, founded in 1869, is situated by the River Thames in Fulham, West London, and has a Georgian clubhouse set in of grounds... |
Hurlingham Grounds |
Game 2
The second game was decidedly more lopsided than the first, with Roehampton scoring twice in the first period and Miller adding three more himself in the second. Ireland scored its only goal shortly before the end of the match, when the team was already down 8-0.| June 21 | GBR Roehampton | 8 | - | 1 | GBR Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
Hurlingham Grounds |