The Grande Dame
Celebrating the life and legacy of Elizabeth Skene
Polo great Robert Skene and his wife, Elizabeth, arrive in Los Angeles after a match in Argentina in 1949.
Written by Joan Tapper
When Elizabeth Skene passed away on January 16 at the age of 104, it marked the end of an era at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. She was a familiar figure at Sunday games throughout the season—lovely, gracious, and ever attentive to the action on the field. And as the widow of famed polo player Robert Skene, she was a link to the club’s history—to some of its darkest, most precarious days and also to many instances of world-class games and glittering renown.
Skene and teammates get the winners’ trophy after a tournament in 1959.
Born in Australia, Elizabeth was the daughter of a sheep and cattle rancher. She met Robert—son of an 8-goal polo player and horse breeder—at a country dance when they were both 16. One circuit on the dance floor led to a lifelong romance that spanned four continents and nearly seven decades.
Robert’s talent as a polo player took him to India and then to England in 1937, where Elizabeth soon joined him. They had a fashionable wedding there in 1938 and got their first glimpse of Santa Barbara the following year, when “Hurricane Bob,” as he was known, had a practice match here as a member of the English team bound for a tournament on the East Coast.
“Elizabeth and Bob Skene brought even more fame to the Santa Barbara Polo Club than the club’s recognition as having arguably the best playing fields in the world.”
Glen Holden, SBPRC trustee of distinction
Difficult days were ahead, however. Robert enlisted in India’s Gurkha cavalry, was posted to Singapore, and after that city fell to the Japanese, was incarcerated in the notorious Changi prison. A single postcard was the only word Elizabeth had of him for three and a half years.
They were reunited in 1945 and eventually moved to California, where Robert took over as manager of the Santa Barbara Polo Club in 1960. He won the Argentine Open twice in 1954 and 1956 with team El Tebol and was on the Santa Barbara team that won the U.S. Open in 1962. These were just some of many trophies and honors for a player who held a 10-goal handicap for 17 years. He left for several seasons but returned in 1969 as changes in ownership and dwindling memberships made the club’s future uncertain. Robert’s determination and tireless hard work—with Elizabeth’s help and that of three generous and visionary trustees—saved the club. When Robert died in 1997, SBPRC’s future was secure.
: Robert Skene and a British team vied against the American Texas Rangers at the Santa Barbara Polo Club in March 1939.
Elizabeth continued to attend games and hand out trophies for the tournament that bore her husband’s name. “She lived for the polo season,” says Paige Beard, a friend and longtime polo player. “It was a highlight of her year.”
“She had a remarkable life,” adds her son, Curtis. “She had kept a diary through various periods of her life and had intended to publish it.” She became increasingly frail, however. After being safely evacuated during the Thomas Fire, she moved to Serenity House on January 8 and was unaware that the house she had lived in for decades was inundated by the subsequent mudslide. She passed on as gracefully as she led her life, in her sleep, a week later.
The Skenes in 1985.
Says Curtis, “She would want to be remembered for three things: First, she lived life to the best of her ability, always guided by her spiritual beliefs. Second, she was a steadfast partner in life to my father. And third, the tremendous efforts she and my father made to save the Santa Barbara Polo Club.”
“Elizabeth and Bob Skene brought even more fame to the Santa Barbara Polo Club than the club’s recognition as having arguably the best playing fields in the world,” says Glen Holden, an SBPRC trustee of distinction. “As a polo couple, they were invited to England by Queen Elizabeth for special recognition in 1992. And when I invited Prince William and Kate for the club’s 100th anniversary, Prince William asked to meet Elizabeth. She looked beautiful that day. She was elegant. She was a wonderful lady, and we’ll miss her.”
