Sport at Foxbury

Early in 1927 young Henry Tiarks suggested to his father that a polo pitch be created in the grounds of Homewood in Chislehurst, acquired by Frank in 1913 and incorporated into the Foxbury Estate. Frank had been a keen player as a young man, and was immediately supportive and agreed to sponsor a polo tournament. Former neighbour Pat Nickalls and his three sons were renowned polo players, and Pat was happy to use his experience to help establish the first tournament. 

By April 1927 the ground had been prepared, and in June Pat sent 19 ponies from his stables in Rugby, to Foxbury. From then until September Frank, Herman and Henry practised whenever they could. The first Foxbury tournament was held for three days between 5th and 7th September 1927.

There were four teams at this first tournament, two from the Royal Artillery at Woolwich, one from the Cavalry School at Weedon, and one from Foxbury. Frank and Herman were on the Foxbury team, but it was the Weedon team that eventually won the Tournament Cup. The Foxbury Tournament was now to be a regular feature of the Chislehurst calendar, with two tournaments in 1928, and then annually from August 1929.

Lionel Edwards produced two paintings of one of the matches in 1935.