Skull Valley Polo

James Van Dickson, the son of John Dickson, came to Skull Valley with the Walker Party in the 1860s. John may have been one of those who referred to the beautiful valley as "Skull Valley" because of the pile of skulls found from battles between the Yavapai and Apache people.

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James, known as Van, married a schoolteacher named Pearl in about 1900.  Van had a 6th grade education, but with the help of his wife, became one of the county’s first supervisors.

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The Dicksons homesteaded their Skull Valley ranch in 1907, and Teddy Roosevelt’s secretary signed the deed. Van was a rancher, a world-class rodeo champion, and in movies with Tom Mix. Van raised polo ponies at the ranch and leased them to Will Rogers.

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C. Paul and Carolyn Harris bought the ranch in 1999. Paul, a polo player, saw a large flat area at the entrance, covered with brush, and knew he could make a polo field there. Little did he know that this area had been a polo field almost 100 years prior.  Of course, the property would be named Van Dickson Ranch.  Since purchasing the ranch, Paul and Carolyn have also created a beautiful setting for weddings, so check their website out below.

 

Every spring, summer, and fall since 2004, the field has hosted weekend polo matches. The Skull Valley Polo Club’s Annual Polo Tournament and Texas BBQ is held every October at the close of the summer season.