Why did we ever stop doing this RT @HistoryInPics Auto Polo, early 1900s pic.twitter.com/qKWiUybtet
— GOOD KING SPENCESLAS (@edsbs) December 12, 2013 Why did we ever stop playing Auto Polo?
Well, besides that it appears impossible to play and insanely dangerous there is no good reason.
The New York Herald
Imagine the equestrian polo to which you’re accustomed, but with humanity’s initial attempt at cars and the ever-present threat of death. That seems to be Auto Polo, according to the source documents in Wikipedia’s reference material.
Here’s some quick Auto Polo trivia to impress your friends and neighbors!
(1) Auto Polo was perhaps popularized by something called Ralph "Pappy" Hankinson. According to Bain's New York, he used it as an advertising stunt to sell the Model T (by destroying many of them, I guess).
(2) Before the Model T, the Dedham Polo club used Runabouts “mobiles” to varying degrees of success as long as there was no “riding off” attempted, which I think means people just left with the cars?
(3) There is a position called “Malletman.” This sounds fun, but looks terrifying.
(Photo: Harper's Weekly, Volume 57)
(4) Some lunatics agreed to referee all this!
(Photo: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
(5) No one ever stayed in their automobile!
(6) Seriously, not once.
See More:
