For almost half a century Ascot Cottage Stables made its mark in Horse Racing, Then in 1985 the property was transformed into England's most complete polo club.

In 1924 Colonel Sir William Waldron, six times Mayor of the London Borough of Fulham, established a thoroughbred stud and training centre in Winkfield, Berkshire, mid-way between Ascot and Windsor race courses. He built elegant stables, installed a mile-and-a-half fenced track, and brought in a good breeding stock and talented trainers and jockeys. Today thanks to the vision of two polo payers, polo ponies now exercise around the track where race horses were once timed in training.

In the spring of 1985 Bryan Morrison, a well-known English music promoter, was playing polo and was a keen student of the game's history. He had long dreamed of a polo club to match the elegance of famous old London clubs, like Hurlingham and Raneleigh, which no longer exist.
Returning home from a match that May, Morrison spotted a "For Sale" sign outside Ascot Cottage Stables. Intrigued, he inspected the property and found it to be a perfect setting for the club of his dreams. He and fellow player Norman Lobel immediately purchased it.

Work started in July on three new polo grounds within the perimeter of the old race training track. It was a massive operation. Some 35,000 cubic metres of topsoil and subsoil was shifted to level the area, and 17.5 kilometers of plastic drainage was laid. After the soil was enriched the three grounds were sown with 3.5 tons of a special mix of grass seeds. Over the months the old stables were renovated and extended. Part of one stable block was converted into a club house and an unusual derelict cow shed was converted into a beautiful pavilion beside No1 ground.
Bryan Morrison became Chairman of the new club, with Norman Lobel as Vice Chairman. The Berkshire's first playing member, after Morrison and Lobel, was HRH The Prince of Wales, an honorary life member. England's Howard Hipwood, an international high goal professional, was one of the founding members. Amongst the first overseas members were Canadian Galen Weston, Polish American race horse owner Henryk de Kwiatkowski, and TV actress Stephanie Powers.

On May 2 1986, less than a year after they started work on the club, Morrison and Lobel cut the ribbon on one of the new grounds and members played their first chukkas. Later that month the Berkshire inaugurated its high goal tournament for The Prince of Wales Trophy. London jeweller Theo Fennell donated the trophy, a striking gold a silver statuette of a polo player in action created in his studios.

The Berkshire's fifth season in 1990 saw the opening of a new all weather arena polo, with Chairman Bryan Morrison heading the H.P.A.'s Arena Polo Committee and Polo Manager Michael Amoore drafting arena rules. Thanks largely to their initiatives, there are now many U.K. clubs playing arena polo throughout the winter.

The Berkshire is the newest of England's "big four" polo clubs, after Cirencester Park, 1894; Cowdray Park, 1911; and Guards 1955. It is however, the only one which can be considered a complete polo complex. Unlike the others, the club has all the necessary facilities for year-round polo contained within its 270 acres of beautiful Berkshire Countryside.

The club now has six polo grounds immediately adjacent to one another, all with stands for spectators. Permenant stables provide full livery for up to 200 ponies, with space available for temporary loose boxes.

The Berkshire's elegant clubhouse, with its terrace and lawn, looks out over the polo grounds. Adjacent are tennis courts and a regulation croquet lawn. Beside No.1 Ground is the Royal Pavilion; an expansive sponsors enclosure with marquees for corporate entertaining; and an additional tented hospitality area.

Bryan Morrison the Club's Chairman, has future plans for expanding its facilities and activities, perhaps developing a major equestrian centre to include other horse sports as well as polo. Meanwhile the club continues to concentrate on "The game of kings".