Krenkerup Polo Archives
An extraordinary discovery from the Krenkerup archives have revealed that polo was played at the estate almost 100 years ago on the same grounds that are being used for polo today. It is believed that the owner at the time, Count Heinrich Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow and his brother Curt, who was married to the American Woolworth-heiress Barbara Hutton, brought the sport to Denmark and to Krenkerup.
Paul Butler was an American heir, businessman and polo player. In 1922 he founded the Oak Brook Polo Club, one of the oldest polo clubs in the United States. It was once the sport’s epicenter for elite professional polo and served as home to the U.S. Open Polo Championship for twenty-four straight seasons beginning in the mid 1950s and other prestigious international and national polo tournaments.
Paul Butler won six U.S. Open Polo Championships and four Butler Handicap titles.
Donald Turner has not yet been identified.
Lance Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow
Lance Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow was an American racing driver and aristocrat, born on 24th February 1936 in London, the son of Danish Count Kurt Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow and American heiress Barbara Hutton. He tragically passed away on 24th July 1972 in a plane crash in Aspen, Colorado, at the age of 36. Lance lost his life while en route to inspect a plot of land he was considering purchasing. The plane, a single-engine Cessna 206, crashed into a wooded area due to a thunderstorm. There were no survivors, and alongside Lance Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow, Gifford Hooker, Robert Wulf, and Barbara Baker also perished.
At just over 21 years old, Lance settled in Los Angeles and assembled a team of experts to build an American sports car that could rival Europe’s best. The result was the Scarab, a car named after an Egyptian good luck charm. Scarab cars were remarkable for their elegant design and innovative engineering. In 1958, he and his two teammates consistently defeated Ferrari and Maserati.
In addition to motorsport, Lance was also a skilled polo player, and he was set to inherit Krenkerup Estate in Denmark from his childless uncle, Heinrich Curt Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow. However, this was never realised due to his early death. Instead, polo at Krenkerup has become an integral part of the estate’s activities and traditions.
Having worked and played at some of the premier polo clubs in the world – I am proud to be associated with Krenkerup polo. This new and exciting venture which hosts the only full-sized polo field in Denmark has quality stamped all over it! The beautiful location and amazing field have set standards which will be hard to follow.
Having been involved with Krenkerup Polo over the last few years – I can honestly say that this new and exciting project has all the hallmarks of being a great success. The high standards, amazing facilities with a full-sized Polo field and the professional friendly approach to everything will firmly ensure their place on the world’s polo map.
The foundation of any polo club is often said to be having a great ground to play on. Krenkerup Polo has indeed got this but more importantly it has a heart and soul with the people driving it. It is already setting a standard with it’s beautiful setting, great ground and carefully selected and managed horses that will be unique in the world of polo not just in Denmark.
A polo field should have a well-manicured surface with a dense mixed sward. The sub surface should be a good friable soil to give grip and cushioning to the horse. I believe we are fortunate to have both here at Krenkerup. Also, as an added bonus the sighting of the field is amazing. Unique.
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Krenkerup is located 87 miles south of Copenhagen and 20 miles from Rødby.