Cecil Smith (February 14, 1904 – January 21, 1999) was an American rancher and polo player.Cecil Smith, Considered the Best Polo Player Ever, Dies at 94, The New York Times, February 14, 1999
Biography Early life Cecil Smith was born on the Moss Ranch near Llano, Texas, on February 14, 1904. In his childhood, he won roping prizes in rodeos.
Career In 1924, he started playing polo while working for George Miller, a horse trader in Austin, Texas. He also played alongside Albert Buckman Wharton Jr. at his El Ranchito Polo Club on his Waggoner Ranch.Gary Cartwright, Showdown at Waggoner Ranch, Texas Monthly, January 2004 He later played polo with Will Rogers, Darryl Zanuck, Walt Disney and Reginald Denny.
He was a ten-goal player from 1938 to 1962 -which makes him the American with the longest record to hold the ten-goal status.Alex Webbe, Gentleman Tommy Wayman Keeps Keeps Earning 10-Goal Status, Palm Beach Daily News, January 2, 1983 He often competed at the Meadow Brook Polo Club in Westbury, New York. He won the Monty Waterbury Cup in 1930 and the U.S. Open Polo Championship five times. He played with the U.S.A. team against Mexico three times. (Quote from New York Times article dated Feb.14, 1999, "Then, starting in 1938, he began a string of 26 years, 25 consecutively (1938-62), in which he was a 10-goal player".)
He owned a 100-acre ranch in Boerne, Texas, where he rode and trained horses.
Personal life He married Mary Miller in 1935. Their sons, Charles and Sidney, are polo players.
Death He died on January 21, 1999, in Boerne.
Legacy He was inducted into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in Lake Worth, Florida, on April 6, 1990.
References