Robert Skene
Encyclopedia
Charles Robertson Skene (May 26, 1914 – August 24, 1997), nicknamed Hurricane Bob was a ten-goal polo player. He was inducted into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame
.
He was a two-goal player at 18. In 1937 he was on the Ashton Brothers Australian team that won the Champion Cup at the Hurlingham Club
in London. At 25 he received a nine-goal rating playing for England vs. the United States in the Westchester Cup on Long Island, New York. Skene remained in the United States after the match, working in the war relief effort in the Bundles for Britain campaign. He played no polo until 1949.
Wanting to contribute more to the war effort, he soon joined the Indian army, becoming an officer in a Gurkha
s regiment. In February 1942 he was posted to Malaya
, then taken prisoner by the Japanese at the fall of Singapore
the same month. He was held in Singapore's infamous Changi Prison
for 3½ years. In late 1946 Skene was discharged from the army; he became a racing steward in Kuala Lumpur
, Malaya.
In 1949 he was invited to play for England again, vs. Argentina in Argentina. The Argentines initially gave him a handicap of six goals, but soon raised that to nine goals. In 1950 he moved to Los Angeles, where he played for and managed the Beverly Hills Polo Club. At the end of the 1950 season he was raised to a ten-goal ranking (the maximum possible).
He played in eight U.S. Open Championships, and was on the winning side three times. He retained his ten-goal ranking for 17 years, until the age of 53. In 1954 he became the first foreigner to play for an Argentine team (El Trebol) in an Argentine Open. He was invited to play there again in 1956. Both times he was on the winning team.
In 1960 he moved to Santa Barbara, California
, where he became manager of the Santa Barbara Polo Club. In the early 1970s the historic club was in financial difficulty. Membership and patronage had dropped, and property developers were trying to redevelop the polo fields. Skene worked keeping the club afloat, lobbying the county supervisors against development proposals, organizing volunteers, repairing stables, organizing teams and playing, and generating greater interest and a larger membership. He is credited with saving polo in Santa Barbara.
In 1972 and 1973 he made extensive travels around the United States, teaching polo schools at various polo clubs.
In 1988 Skene was inducted into the Sports Australia Hall of Fame and in 1990 he was admitted to the United States Polo Hall of Fame. The Santa Barbara club awards the annual Robert Skene Trophy to twenty-goal tournament winners.
He died on August 24, 1997 in Santa Barbara, California
at the age of 83.
Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame
The Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame is in Lake Worth, Florida.The first inductions were in 1990.-Honorees:*Rodolphe Louis Agassiz *Lester Armour, III*Harold A. Barry*Harold L. Barry*Paul W. Barry*Roy M. Barry*Carlton Beal...
.
Biography
Skene was born in Assam, India to an Australian tea planter, Curtis Skene. His father was a distinguished polo player, becoming an eight-goal player in 1929. Charles Skene began his polo-playing career playing country club polo in Australia with his father and friends.He was a two-goal player at 18. In 1937 he was on the Ashton Brothers Australian team that won the Champion Cup at the Hurlingham Club
Hurlingham Club
The Hurlingham Club is an exclusive sports club in Fulham in southwest London, England. The club, founded in 1869, is situated by the River Thames in Fulham, West London, and has a Georgian clubhouse set in of grounds...
in London. At 25 he received a nine-goal rating playing for England vs. the United States in the Westchester Cup on Long Island, New York. Skene remained in the United States after the match, working in the war relief effort in the Bundles for Britain campaign. He played no polo until 1949.
Wanting to contribute more to the war effort, he soon joined the Indian army, becoming an officer in a Gurkha
Gurkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the Gorkha District. Gurkhas are best known for their history in the Indian Army's Gorkha regiments, the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Nepalese Army. Gurkha units are closely associated with the kukri, a forward-curving Nepalese knife...
s regiment. In February 1942 he was posted to Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
, then taken prisoner by the Japanese at the fall of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
the same month. He was held in Singapore's infamous Changi Prison
Changi Prison
Changi Prison is a prison located in Changi in the eastern part of Singapore.-First prison and POW camp:...
for 3½ years. In late 1946 Skene was discharged from the army; he became a racing steward in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaya.
In 1949 he was invited to play for England again, vs. Argentina in Argentina. The Argentines initially gave him a handicap of six goals, but soon raised that to nine goals. In 1950 he moved to Los Angeles, where he played for and managed the Beverly Hills Polo Club. At the end of the 1950 season he was raised to a ten-goal ranking (the maximum possible).
He played in eight U.S. Open Championships, and was on the winning side three times. He retained his ten-goal ranking for 17 years, until the age of 53. In 1954 he became the first foreigner to play for an Argentine team (El Trebol) in an Argentine Open. He was invited to play there again in 1956. Both times he was on the winning team.
In 1960 he moved to Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, where he became manager of the Santa Barbara Polo Club. In the early 1970s the historic club was in financial difficulty. Membership and patronage had dropped, and property developers were trying to redevelop the polo fields. Skene worked keeping the club afloat, lobbying the county supervisors against development proposals, organizing volunteers, repairing stables, organizing teams and playing, and generating greater interest and a larger membership. He is credited with saving polo in Santa Barbara.
In 1972 and 1973 he made extensive travels around the United States, teaching polo schools at various polo clubs.
In 1988 Skene was inducted into the Sports Australia Hall of Fame and in 1990 he was admitted to the United States Polo Hall of Fame. The Santa Barbara club awards the annual Robert Skene Trophy to twenty-goal tournament winners.
He died on August 24, 1997 in Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
at the age of 83.