After death, Will Rogers has still got game
By Diane Hensley

Horseman and humorist Will Rogers will be inducted into the National Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame Feb. 18 in Lake Worth Fla. Rogers, who played polo at three- and five-goal levels with pros, power brokers and presidents, joins 59 other Hall of Famers in the nonprofit museum founded by four polo players. 

 I-never-met-a-man-I-didn’t-like Rogers is the first to be named to the Hall of Fame this year, following Rodolphe Agassiz, who became one of the first 10-goalers in the U.S. in 1894 playing back for Myopia Hunt Club and Charles Smith, a five-time U.S. Open champion rated at 7 goals in 1966. Both were inducted last year on Feb. 20.

 In spite of his tenth grade education, Rogers’ wit and innate wisdom rocketed him through several successful careers in his 55-year life—in film, in radio, and an author and columnist. He was an accomplished horseman, an aviation enthusiast, and a Guinness Book of Records holder for his notorious three-lasso toss to the neck, rider and all four legs of a horse. That distinction led him to refer to himself as the poet lariat. The comedic cowboy from a cattle ranch in Oologah Okla. made 71 films during the 1920s and 1930s and wrote more than 4,000 columns.

 Rogers’ affinity for non-nonsense talk and an intense interest in reading led to a masterful command of language and self-deprecating humor. His astute observations about people from all stations tickled audiences worldwide and his talent was recognized with the distinction of being of Hollywood’s No. 1 entertainer. He was a guest at the White House and friend to two presidents, Calvin Coolidge and Franklin Roosevelt.

Two ponies have been reputed as his favorites—Soapsuds and Bootlegger. Of course Rogers’ greatest loves were his family, his animals and the ranch he built in 1926 high in the Palisades. Now Will Rogers Historical Park, it remains home to the Will Rogers Polo Club, that once drew top pros and amateurs including Clark Gable and Walt Disney. Rogers was killed in a plane crash enroute to Alaska in 1935 with one-eyed aviator Wiley Post.

 The ceremony will reportedly be attended by Rogers’ grandson Chuck, a polo pro for three decades, his brother Kem, who sits on the Will Rogers Memorial commission and sister Bette Brandin. The museum is chartered to preserve history and tradition and contains a collection of documents, art, artifacts, books, statistical records, periodicals, film video and recordings. In addition to its Hall of Fame, the museum extends the Philip Iglehart Award for lifetime contributions, which Indio’s Sue Sally Hale received posthumously in 2004.

The museum also recognizes the dedication of polo ponies, offering the distinction of Horses to Remember for exceptional contributions.

For more information, visit the National Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame Web site at www.polomuseum.com.

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