Devereux Milburn

Almost 80 years ago, speaking of Devereux Milburn, the British press stated that the American Back on the field should be described as the greatest player in the world. Lewis Lacey, the great Argentine captain, said of this 10-goal player, “I doubt if his defense now can be improved… to me, he is the wonder of the polo age.” Later, Thomas Hitchcock, Jr., said, “If there were four Milburns, my choice for an all-time team would be Milburn, Milburn, Milburn and Milburn.”

He started polo as a 17-year-old in Buffalo, N.Y., played at Oxford, and became one of The Big Four in international polo, winning the Westchester Cup six times. His record is unassailable but, above all, he embodied the spirit of sportsmanship and great leadership.