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During her junior year, two sisters and a friend transferred to Cornell and wanted to play Polo. “Doc” Roberts sent them to Ms. Hamill-Huff to start a women’s team assuming (and possibly hoping) that the spark would burn out. It didn’t.
Despite having to overcome many obstacles including a huge lack of familiarity with playing team sports, having to practice at seven a.m. Sundays without the benefit of a coach and after having to work the Saturday night games and clean up after postgame parties, and paying twice the dues that the men paid, the women persevered. Ms. Hamill-Huff’s involvement with the men’s team and with reporting also continued unabated.
The Fall of 1972 brought rumors of the formation of more women’s teams, specifically a strong Polo squad at Yale that actually practiced with the varsity men.
Spring of 1973 saw the first ever women’s intercollegiate polo game. Cornell played at Yale, with Ms. Hamill-Huff captaining the Cornell side in an inspired but losing effort. Ms. Hamill-Huff graduated shortly thereafter, but the idea of women playing Polo was firmly established.
The festivities on April 24 began with ten chukkes of Polo between alumni and students. That was followed by a banquet and the induction ceremonies. At the ceremony, Ms. Hamill-Huff was introduced and mildly roasted by the former freshman coach, and by a good friend and member of the men’s team.
After graduation, Ms. Hamill-Huff worked the Polo circuit for a couple of years. She played in the first women’s games in Boca Raton, Florida and Potomac, Maryland. Since then, her path has taken her a little away from Polo. But she sustains her addiction to things equine by breaking and train
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