History

Thomas Hitchcock, Jr.

Born in Aiken, South Carolina in 1900, Tommy Hitchcock, Jr., learned the sport from his parents, Louise and Thomas Hitchcock, Sr. His father had been one of America’s first 10-goal players and competed in the first Westchester Cup series in 1886.

He played in his first tournament at the age of 13, and made his first appearance in America’s successful retrieval of the Westchester Cup in 1921, but took time off to enlist in the Lafayette Escadrille, and flew combat missions in Europe during the First World War.

During his three months at the front Hitchcock was credited with shooting down two German planes before he was shot down behind enemy lines. He was captured and held prisoner by the Germans for six months before escaping and traveling by foot over 100 miles to the safety of the Swiss border.

He returned a hero, enrolled at Harvard and continued to fascinate the growing throngs of spectators that traveled to Long Island to watch him compete at the storied Meadow Brook Club.

As major polo matches in America attracted tens of thousands of players, Tommy Hitchcock, Jr.’s fame grew. Sports Illustrated’s Sarah Ballard cites the fact that Hitchcock was referred to as “Ten Goal Tommy” by the tabloids, and was largely responsible for carrying polo to a much larger audience.

Arguably the greatest polo player in history, his presence on the field always created oohs and aahs with daring riding and precisely placed long shots taken at a gallop.

With Babe Ruth in his second year with the Yankees, Jack Dempsey the world champion in boxing, Tommy Hitchcock, Jr. took his place right along side them.

Tommy’s success in international play placed him on winning teams in five Westchester Cup competitions while four US Open championships were complimented by a Silver Medal in the 1924 Olympics and a successful appearance in the Cup of the Americas (Argentina vs. the United States) in 1928.