Which global millionaires loved the game of polo?

Polo is a sport associated mainly with the British monarchy, which for many years has been its greatest ambassador in the world. However, not only the British rich can be found on the polo field, but also great personalities from other parts of the world.

Sylvester Stallone

The star of American action cinema, known for such productions as “Rocky”, “Rambo” or “The Incredibles” for years is famous for his love of polo. His adventure with the sport began at the age of 11, and he learned the playing technique from his father, who was a professional polo player in the 40s, even before the family moved to New York. After several years of training, the already popular actor took part in a demonstration match in Palm Beach Polo and Country Club in Florida in 1990.

As Sylvester Stallone emphasizes in many interviews, he spends his free time mostly on the field, and playing gives him great pleasure. The star, talking about his passion for polo, compared this sport to playing golf during an earthquake. Stallone’s love for the elite sport infected not only his daughters, who train with him, but also his colleagues, whom he met during his acting career in Hollywood, including actor Kurt Russell, with whom he met on the set of the film “Tango and Cash”.

Winston Churchill

The British Prime Minister, who played a key role in restoring peace in Europe after World War II, was a great lover of the game of polo. The politician learned the rules of the game while serving at the Royal Military Academy in the late 19th century. Churchill even had a chance to start his professional career, but in 1896 he got an injury that thwarted his plans. This did not mean that he stopped playing polo, though it could no longer be played at a professional level.

Winston Churchill often took part in tournaments and, according to the records of these meetings, he played very aggressively, precisely and with great commitment. As biographers point out, the British Prime Minister actively played polo for 35 years of his life, and ended his adventure with the sport thirteen years before becoming Prime Minister of Great Britain.

Walt Disney

One of the world’s most recognizable film producers had a strong passion for sports. His biggest involvement was polo. The love for the sport stemmed from Walt Disney’s passion for horseback riding and the animals themselves. In the 1930s polo reached great popularity in the United States, so the owner of the famous film studio also began training. The sport liked Disney so much that he invited his co-workers to play, and also created a cartoon “Mickey Polo Team”.

Disney participated in many tournaments and show matches, until 1935, when a serious accident occurred during the game. The star player’s horse collided with another competitor. As a result of the fall, Walt Disney suffered a spinal injury and his playing companion died. The tragic event strongly affected the psyche of Walt Disney, who after the accident decided to stop playing polo.

Marek Dochnal

In the list of entrepreneurs and celebrities who are ambassadors of this elite sport, there can be no lack of Polish businessman and long-time polo player. Marek Dochnal from Tarnów has been promoting polo in Poland for many years, sponsoring the most recognizable tournaments (including the Royal Windsor Cup) and participating in them himself.

Marek Dochnal is a professional player who learned the game on grass, but his greatest professional successes were in winter polo. In 2004, together with his team “Team Larchmont”, he triumphed in a prestigious, international tournament of polo on snow “Cartier World Cup on Snow” in St. Moritz. Successes on the world arenas allowed the Polish entrepreneur to enter the so-called Golden Book, a list of players triumphing in the most important polo tournaments in the world.

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