Thomas Hitchcock Sr.

Thomas Hitchcock was one of the leading American polo players of the late nineteenth century and a Hall of Fame horse trainer and owner known as the father of American steeplechase racing. He was born on 23 November 1860 in Westbury, New York, and won a blue for polo at Brasenose College, Oxford, in 1883 alongside his friend Douglas Haig. He helped organize the first polo match on Long Island in 1877, was one of the first ten-goal players in the United States, and led the 1881 formation of the Meadowbrook Polo Club. In 1886 he played for the United States in the first Westchester Cup. His son Tommy Jr. is regarded by many as the greatest player ever. He died on 29 September 1941 and entered the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in 2002.