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The Trophy That Couldn't Be Won

Writer's picture: Marc ViquezMarc Viquez



Imagine if Lord Stanley presented the Stanley Cup to the winners of the top amateur hockey team in Canada only to have it sent back to him on two occasions. Could you have imagined his bewilderment at seeing his contribution to the sport returned to him on multiple occasions?


Well, that happened to another man who donated a trophy to a similar sport, one that most folks have never heard of. However, it does make for an interesting story in the annals of sports history. Perhaps if the league had taken care of its business, the Horlick Cup might be better known today.



The Horlick Cup was a silver trophy presented to the winning team in the Western Polo League. It wasn’t the type of polo on horses, but the kind played on roller skates like hockey. The sport changed its name in the 1920s to roller hockey and is still played today in many parts of the world. However, the cup was created in 1904 when the sport was widely popular in the Midwest, where the Western League had most of its teams.


The cup was two feet high with two polo stickers crossed the front with a ball at the button. The tulip-shaped trophy had two handles and was supported with a base. The trophy would be kept permanently if a polo club won it in three consecutive seasons.


William Horlick, a businessman and philanthropist, donated the trophy. He made a fortune through the invention of malted milk and lived in Racine, Wisconsin, where he owned a polo team in the league the season before.


He later donated land for Horlick Athletic Field, which hosted the Racine Legion of the National Football League and the Racine Belles in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.


The trophy was awarded to the Elwood Grays, who finished the 1902-03 season with a 50-30 record, five games ahead of the Richmond Quakers. The cup arrived by train and stopped in Richmond for folks to admire before heading to Anderson to be engraved. It was on display at the Opera House drug store before being awarded to the Grays before their last game of the season.


The inscription read, “Winners of the Pennant, Western Roller Polo Association, 1902-03.” It also listed all six player’s names. The cup was displayed in the window of the Nasbaum and Mashmeyer store.


The following season, the Richmond Quakers captured the cup with a 52-36 record, one game ahead of the second-place Marion Foxy Five. The trophy was presented to the Quakers before their last game against Elwood. The Coliseum was decorated for the occasion, and small flags were provided to the fans. The cup was placed on a stand in front of the net that was draped with an American flag. 



Both teams lined up on opposite sides, and members of the Elwood teams handed silver horseshoes to the Quakers in a sign of good luck while holding the cup. A speech was given in front of a raucous 2,000 faithful in the building. 


The Quakers held the cup and skated off the floor while an orchestra played in the background. After the season, the Horlick Cup was put on display in the club room of the Elk’s Club since most of the roster were members. 


Before the start of the season, Richmond released a statement that would remain in the Western League for the season but leave for the proposed National Polo League the following season due to salary limits on players. They also intended to keep the Horlick Cup, a clear violation since they had not won it in three consecutive seasons. 


The Western League began its third season but lost two members, Indianapolis and Elwood, early in the season. After 40 games, the league was down to four clubs and announced that it was folding for the year. Marion was in first place with a record of 23-16, while Richmond was in second place with a 22-18 record. 


Marion felt that the cup was rightfully theirs and that the league managers awarded them the pennant when the league shut down operations. It also qualified them to hoist the cup regardless if the season ended prematurely. 


On the other hand, Richmond said since the season ended early, Marion was not the rightful owner of the cup. It should be kept with them until the league is reorganized, or Mr. Horlick should be consulted on the issue. Marion president Ben Larrimer said that if M.C. Henley, president of the Richmond Athletic Association, did send it to his team; representatives would travel to Richmond to take it. Henley then replied that it would be sent to Marion once the engraving was completed on the trophy.


The Marion club had joined the Central League after the Western Loop folded and became eligible for the Hennings Cup, which was created that season but finished near the bottom of the standings. However, as they were still playing regular season games, the club was still setting its eyes on Richmond who was holding their trophy.


On March 16, Marion challenged Richmond to a series of games plus 70 percent of the receipts. However, Richmond, thinking that they were the true cup champions, challenged Danville, winners of the Higgins Cup in the Central Polo League to a post-season series. However, none of these challenges occurred, and the cup was sent back to Horlick in Racine until the Western League was revised again. 


The league would be revised two years later with a smaller schedule of games. The new loop consisted of Anderson, Marion, Logansport, and Kokomo. They would play an 18-game schedule, with the pennant winner awarded the Horlick Cup. For the third time, Marion had a chance to rightfully claim the championship.



The cup was sent back to Indiana and put on display at the four different rinks. Newspaper articles once again talked about the silver cup; most folks thought Marion would be the clear favorite to capture it. After a two-year hiatus, roller polo appeared to be back in favor with fans in all four cities.


Opening night games in Anderson and Logansport attracted 1,200 and 1,000, respectively, with paid attendance figures much lower than expected. Kokomo played in front of 2,000 howling fans the next night. However, the average crowd at games could be as low as 300 fans per game in some cities.


After just 10 games and one week left in the season, Anderson called it quits due to low gate receipts and players. With only three teams left, the league attempted to add Lafayette as a fourth team to finish the season, but that fell through. Kokomo then decided to throw in the towel a few days later due to a disagreement with scheduling.


In the end, Marion and Kokomo were tied atop the standings with 6-4 records, and no decision was made on who would win the cup. Since Kokomo had quit the league, Marion might have had a claim to the cup, which was on display in town. The cup was left in the hands of the Marion club, but they felt that they did not rightfully earn it and sent the trophy back to Mr. Horlick in Wisconsin.  The local paper had this to say.


"It is some satisfaction to know that they had to break up the league to keep Marion from taking the cup."

For the second time, the trophy was sent back to Horlick. There were never any attempts to revise the Western League, although other leagues would pop up in the next few years. It does not appear that anyone contacted Horlick to ask for his cup, and after two fiascos, she probably found a better use for it. 


Whatever he did with the trophy remains a mystery over a century later.


Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter and his YouTube channel. Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com 

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