The Atlanta BEST Academy Polo Team made history at the eighth annual Atlanta Polo Party, not only becoming the first all-Black high school polo team to compete but also winning its debut match.

The team of Caleb Choice-Sanchez, Syncere Poole, Declan Fitzpatrick, Ryland Hammond, Mikel Banks and Quinn Ramsey edged Starr Creek Polo Club of Cumming, Georgia, 4-3 during the event, part of the 2025 Soul Symphony Weekend. 

Formed two years ago through the Ride to the Olympics Foundation, the team gives students with no prior polo or riding experience a chance to learn the sport. 

Celebrity fashion designer Miguel Wilson co-founded the program in partnership with 100 Black Men of Atlanta and BEST Academy to break down barriers to equestrian sports. 

“We are making history, and these young men are blazing a trail that we hope others will follow,” Wilson said. “For too long, a socioeconomic barrier has kept most Black people from participating in polo and other equestrian sports.” 

The foundation covers riding lessons, horse rentals, uniforms and equipment. Funds raised during Soul Symphony Weekend, including the Annual Atlanta Polo Party, support the program. 

Wilson, who helped launch Morehouse College’s polo team in 2019 — the first at a historically black college or university — said his goal now is to expand youth polo opportunities nationwide. 

Robert Williams, principal of BEST Academy at the Thomas W. Dorch Jr. Institute, credited the program with helping students grow “as leaders on campus” while learning to care for horses and compete. 

The three-day Soul Symphony Weekend also featured a black-tie gala, live fashion show and appearances by public officials, entertainers and community leaders. All proceeds benefit the Ride to the Olympics Foundation, which plans to create more youth polo teams in other cities. 

More information is available at ridetotheolympics.org.