Polo’s elder statesman

On 25 November 2013, avid polo player Adolphus Busch Orthwein passed away at his home in St Louis, Missouri. He was 96 years old. Mr Orthwein, known as ‘Dolph’, had been diagnosed with lymphoma a month earlier and was in the care of a hospice when he died. Very active until late in life, he was still playing polo at the age of 81.

Orthwein was born in St Louis in 1917, the son of Percy and Clara Busch Orthwein and the eldest grandson of August A Busch Sr. He spent much of his childhood at his grandfather’s estate, known as Grant’s Farm.

On New Year’s Eve 1930, the 13-year-old Dolph made headlines when he was kidnapped for 20 hours by an unemployed real-estate salesman. Because of that incident, he carried a pistol for many years. ‘It affected him for quite some time,’ said his son, Stephen.

Having graduated from Yale University with a degree in sociology in 1940, Orthwein gained a lot of experience in various felds: he served in the navy intelligence service during World War II, reaching the rank of LieutenantCommander, and, after the war, pursued a career in business. The nephew of August A Busch Jr – President of Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc – he was Vice-President of the company’s operations until the late-Fifties and served on the board of directors until 1963.

He was skilled in many equestrian sports, including fox hunting and coaching. Later, he became Master of the Bridlespur Hunt in St Louis, as well as an accomplished 3-goal polo player, and was inducted into the Missouri Horseman’s Hall of Fame.

His passion for sport was highlighted through his memberships of several clubs and organisations, including the St Louis Country Club and Log Cabin Club (also in St Louis), the Bath and Tennis Club in Palm Beach, Florida, and the Cooperstown Country Club in upstate New York. Orthwein’s frst taste of polo came after the war, when he was approached by various players in St Louis who had taken up the game before it had commenced. They wanted to revive their polo club and, looking for new players, offered to trade a polo pony for any horse, no matter how bad that potential prospect might have been. Having always been a horse trader, he saw a good deal and took them up on it. He was immediately hooked.

In addition to his wife, Nancy Orthwein, Dolph is survived by his sons, Adolphus B Orthwein Jr, Stephen Orthwein, Peter B Orthwein, David T Orthwein and Christopher D Orthwein; a stepson, Michael Montgomery; 14 grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

Undoubtedly, the greatest interest in Adolphus Orthwein’s life was his family, to whom he provided generously and with whom he enjoyed all of the activities he loved so much. He remained alert and sharp-minded until the very end.

Above Dolph Orthwein with his mare Spunky, at a polo-pony show in Florida in the early Sixties

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