The Morehouse College Polo Club recently received official notice from the United States Polo Association of their membership into the organization, making it the first Historically Black College & University (HBCU) to have a polo team.
“We would like to officially welcome Morehouse College to the I/I Family! Morehouse is in Atlanta, and will be playing out of The Atlanta Regional Polo Center with Jolie Liston and Frankie Questel,” said Amy Fraser, Director Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Polo, in a letter addressed to the Morehouse Polo Club.
Co-founded by Atlanta entrepreneur Miguel Wilson and Morehouse students Rian Toussaint, Justin Wynn, Jayson Palmer and Caleb Cherry, the Morehouse Polo Club was started in 2019 due to the help of Wilson’s Ride the Olympics Foundation.
The idea originally came from Cherry’s polo coach, who suggested that he start a team at Morehouse. A veteran equestrian, Cherry competed in dressage for ten years before and started playing polo five years ago. He’s the only player on the team with prior experience with horses.
Through Ride to the Olympics, the students received scholarships that support their membership of the Morehouse Polo Club, giving them access to horses, riding lessons and appropriate gear; allowing them to compete against other polo teams, both domestic and international.
“Just so there is no confusion this is the first HBCU team in history,” Wilson said.
Last September, Wilson’s foundation raised additional funds for the team through its annual Atlanta Fashion & Polo Classic event, where high-profile Atlantans and celebrities attended to support the Morehouse Polo Club.
