Our Polo Story

Early Days

James Ashton (Senior) was born in 1860 in Australia to humble circumstances. He grew up to become a politician. By 1895 he had become the Minister for Lands in the Administrative Assembly in the state of New South Wales, Australia.

As a leading politician within the agricultural community he foresaw the coming 'Wool Boom' and by 1920 had bought his four sons a property called 'Markdale' in the Southern Tablelands of NSW. The fours sons were called James Hay (born 1899), Bob (1901), Geoff (1903) and Philip (1906).

As the boys left boarding school they all returned to work on Markdale the family property; Markdale was at the time an isolated sheep and cattle station, but today is one of the most famous home and gardens in country New South Wales and is still owned by the Ashton family.

The Ashton boys were fit young men who were looking for a physical and social outlet away from the station. Fortunately a retired British Artillery Officer had introduced the game of polo at the local township of Goulburn. The four boys took to this new sport with vigour. The four boys took to this new sport with vigour which suited them, as the remote areas of those days meant there were not enough men on farms to make up cricket or football teams.

Every weekend the boys would trot their horses many miles for tournaments and practices at Goulburn. They would trot their horses the 56 miles on Friday, play polo Saturday and Sunday, and the grooms would trot them home on Monday. James Hay Ashton, the eldest son, always maintained that this was one of the main reasons why the Ashton Polo Ponies became known for their qualities of strength, calmness, and endurance.

Between 1920 and 1928 the Ashton brothers devoted much of their time to supplying horses to the British Cavalry in India, growing wool and playing polo. They ultimately became the number one polo team in Australia and were unbeatable in their own country. The Ashton brothers final handicaps were: James (7), Bob (8), Geoff (8), Philip (6).

1930 England Tour

The challenge of the "Mother Country" beckoned them to get their 26 polo ponies organised and to plan an ambitious trip to England. This involved a three month boat trip, which would require installing loose horse boxes on the ships deck and a small round sand yard in which to exercise and train their ponies.

The trip was challenging with high seas and at one point they were almost shipwrecked in a severe storm in the Mediterranean. One horse became free and was almost lost over board before they managed to save it. The British press got wind of the Ashtons' ambitious endeavor before they left Sydney. The British Press categorically stated:

The Ashtons would never arrive in Britain.
The Ashtons would never play a game of polo in Britain.
They would certainly never win a game.

Within two weeks of arriving in England they had played and won their first game. It was then April 1930. The cuttings from the newspapers can be seen at the Ashton family home today.

The Champion Cup at Hurlingham

Over the 1930 British polo season the Ashton brothers played with great success being beaten narrowly only three times. Their principal aim, however, was to win The Champion Cup at Hurlingham - a 24 goal tournament and the most prestigious and highest goal competition of the calendar year in Britain at that time.

They won their preliminary rounds and made it to the final. After a fast and furious final at Hurlingham the Ashton brothers were beaten in extra time. The King of Spain was so impressed by the Ashton brothers that he personally had a cup designed and made in their honour and presented it to their father James Ashton senior at the culmination of the polo season. Today this cup sits at the Ashton family home.

North America

The brothers intention had been to finance their trip by selling their ponies at the end of the season. This was not possible due to the Stock Market crash and Worldwide Depression. The news, however, of the now famous Ashton brothers had crossed the Atlantic and caught the imagination of the American polo community, in particular the Long Island Polo Club. The Ashtons were invited to visit the United States as guests with all expenses paid. Once again they boarded a boat with their horses and took the American Polo season by storm. It was August 1930.

Polo in North America at that time was played by such luminaries as Walt Disney, the Whitneys and the Peabodys. The Ashton brothers were very successful winning most of their games but were narrowly defeated by America's best polo team.

At the end of the American season in 1930 they sold their 26 polo ponies for $76,000 US Dollars which paid for their trip. At that time this was a fortune, equivalent to 20-30 million US dollars today. The profit from this trip allowed each of the brothers to buy a substantial grazing station in New South Wales. Their return to Australia their achievements caused a great sensation and the Ashtons were treated to a heroes welcome for their sporting achievements.

Prior to the war in 1937 the Ashton's once again returned to British soil and succeeded in winning the Champions Cup at Hurlingham. This time, however, with the shadow of war looming in Europe things were not so good for selling polo ponies. Notwithstanding this the horses were sold satisfactorily at the end of that season.

After the devastation at the hands of Nazi Germany in World War II Lord Cowdray worked hard to re-establish British Polo. Through his friendship and long standing association with James Hay, and Bob Ashton, Lord Cowdray asked for their assistance in helping the British Polo Association recommence the great game of polo in Britain. James Hay was happy to help and today the winner of the subsidiary final in the Gold Cup at Cowdray Park play for The Ashton Cup.

Millamolong Station

Today the descendants of the eldest son James Hay Ashton still live on one of the properties, Millamolong, which was bought in 1930 on James' return to Australia. They remain one of the most famous polo playing families in Australia and currently run one of the largest polo clubs and polo pony Breeding programmes in New South Wales.

James William Ashton (son of James Hay) runs Millamolong and has played and organized polo extensively throughout the world. He was integral to the organization of the 2001 World Cup Polo Tournament in Melbourne, Australia and still plays a key role within the International Federation of Polo (FIP). James Ashton has held many positions in World Polo including President of Australian Polo and currently is global treasurer of the Federation of International Polo.

The current polo pony breeding programme on Millamolong is a lifelong passion for James and his family. Many of the pony blood lines descend from the original polo ponies which travelled to England in 1930. Millamolong still breeds strong, calm and durable ponies to play fast and furious polo at all levels.

Over the past few years James Ashton was the first in the Southern Hemisphere to breed a sex sorted foal for polo. Recently yet another Millamolong polo pony 'Miss Glitter' won Best Polo Pony at the Cartier International in England, 2004. The Ashtons still play polo around the globe having recently played and toured in the West Indies.

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