Scone Polo: A Tribute to Heritage and Excellence

Founded by Australian investor and polo enthusiast David Paradice, Scone Polo is a team that pays homage to its roots in the town of Scone, New South Wales, and the esteemed Ellerston polo legacy. Paradice, who began his polo journey later in life, has combined his passion for team dynamics and strategic play to build a competitive presence on the international polo stage.

Scone Polo has achieved significant milestones, including winning the prestigious 2019 Cartier Queen’s Cup in England and securing victories in the USPA Gold Cup and U.S. Open Polo Championship in 2021. The team is known for its collaboration with top players like Adolfo and Poroto Cambiaso, reflecting Paradice's commitment to excellence and integrity in the sport.Beyond competition, Scone Polo emphasizes youth development and the growth of polo in Australia, aiming to make the sport more accessible and to foster the next generation of players. Paradice's vision for Scone Polo is not only about winning titles but also about contributing positively to the polo community and upholding the values that make the sport enduring and inclusive.

To better understand the vision, values, and remarkable journey behind SCONE Polo, we spoke directly with its founder and patron, David Paradice.

ENPOLO: How did SCONE Polo originally come into being?

David:

I grew up in Scone, which is also the home of Ellerston polo. As the patron at Ellerston, I wanted the name SCONE Polo to pay tribute to both the town of Scone and the heritage of Ellerston.

ENPOLO: What was the spark that led to the creation of your own team?

David:

I love being part of a team in both sport and business. By being involved in the ownership of the team, I have some influence on the culture, disciplines, and philosophy necessary to win—just like in business.

ENPOLO: How did the decision come about to compete in international high-goal tournaments?

David:

James Harper and James Gilmore had the crazy last-minute idea that we should put a team into the 2019 UK high-goal season. Against all odds, and despite being a first-time team, we managed to win the Queen’s Cup and make the semifinals of the Gold Cup.

ENPOLO: What is the Paradice family’s history in polo in Australia?

David:

Not much. I grew up riding on my father’s farm and we would occasionally watch polo at Scone.

ENPOLO: How did you personally get into the sport of polo?

David:

I grew up riding and would watch polo at Scone, but I never had the time or funds to play. I focused on other sports like rugby, which actually has similarities to polo. Later, my family coincidentally ended up renting a house near the Scone polo field, but I was too embarrassed to join the young guns, so I practiced alone in a lucerne field where the lucerne was a foot high. Feeling sorry for me, my friends eventually invited me to play in the Scone field. A few years later, I was fortunate to be asked by the Packers to join Ellerston, which introduced me to global polo.

ENPOLO: What drives your deep passion and fascination for polo?

David:

Polo is unique in that it allows older people to compete alongside the world's top players. Similar to business, I love being part of a winning team. Achieving success requires focus, preparation, and meticulous execution. Polo keeps me physically fit and mentally sharp. Additionally, polo matches are relatively short, lasting only 90 minutes, unlike golf. This enables me to balance work and play, no matter where I am in the world.

ENPOLO: How did the connection with Adolfo Cambiaso come about?

David:

The Packer family have been instrumental in changing the world of polo and breeding some of the best horses, ridden by top players like Adolfo Cambiaso. Around 2016, Jim Gilmore told me that Adolfo might be playing in Denver, where I was working at the time. He gave me the address of Adolfo's barn I happened to be driving past every day to work. Adolfo and I connected and discovered we had mutual friends. Scone ended up winning the Queen’s Cup that year and Adolfo liked the way I played and invited me to join him. My job has always been to block the opposition’s good players from my teammates. I hardly see the ball, which is fine—I would be the first to say that I am not great at hitting it anyway. Adolfo and Poroto are kind of better at that than me. Crazy as it sounds, I was the number one amateur in the world for a few years, not because of talent but because I played with the best. The best told me what to do and where to go.

ENPOLO: What was the key reason for bringing Poroto Cambiaso onto the team?

David:

I was lucky to be brought into the La Dolfina camp just as Poroto was entering high-goal polo. I was eager to play with both father and son and see the father to son transition unfold. The Scone team with Adolfo, Poroto, me, and Peke Gonzales won the 2021 US Gold Cup and US Open and reached the Queen’s Cup finals. Poroto had improved so much that he and Adolfo couldn't play in the same team in a 22-goal tournament any longer. What I admire most about Poroto and his siblings is that they are genuinely polite, well-raised people—a credit to Maria and Adolfo.

ENPOLO: How is the collaboration between family, team members, and professionals organized?

David:

As with any well-run business or team, what happens off the field is as important as on it. Adolfo runs a highly respected organization known for breeding top horses and putting together winning teams. When everyone—players, patrons, grooms, physios—treats each other with decency and respect, things run more smoothly. Everyone is an essential cog in the well-run machine, and no one is above anyone else. Everyone respects the value-add that each contribute.

ENPOLO: Which tournaments are particularly important to SCONE and why?

David:

Outside of Australia, the UK high-goal tournaments, USA high-goal tournaments, and the Jockey Club are especially important.

ENPOLO: What have been the most significant milestones in SCONE’s journey so far?

David:

The Queen’s Cup, the US Gold Cup and US Open, and the Jockey Club have been key milestones. All the Australian tournaments have also been meaningful to us.

ENPOLO: What philosophy does the team follow both athletically and personally?

David:

Do the best we can, never give up, and do everything with integrity.

ENPOLO: What is the vision for the next years ahead?

David:

Work hard. Continue to do things properly and win—with respect, integrity and fun.

ENPOLO: What role does youth development play in SCONE’s concept?

David:

It’s very significant. If we don’t have younger players coming through, the sport can’t thrive. Whenever possible, I try to involve young people in Scone campaigns. We also assist in funding polo schools.

ENPOLO: How does SCONE aim to shape or develop the sport of polo in Australia in the long term?

David:

We all need to give back in our own way—it makes the world better when we leave it. We’re bringing in well-bred horses from overseas to elevate Australian breeding, inviting top global players to raise the sport’s profile and quality, providing horses to new players to make polo more accessible and trying to lift goal level of tournaments.

ENPOLO: Thank you David! You embody all the values that make this sport so special – values that we should continue to uphold every day in a society where they are increasingly under threat.