Atlanta BEST Academy’s polo team had never played in an official match before this weekend. But that didn’t stop them from pulling off a history-making win. They beat Starr Creek Polo Club 4-3 at the 8th Annual Atlanta Polo Party, and in doing so became the first all-Black high school polo team to compete in the sport.
The six players – Caleb Choice-Sanchez, Syncere Poole, Declan Fitzpatrick, Ryland Hammond, Mikel Banks, and Quinn Ramsey – pulled off the victory during the 2025 Soul Symphony Weekend against the more experienced team from Cumming, Georgia.
The team exists because of celebrity fashion designer Miguel Wilson, who recognized a space where young Black students were being left out. Through his non-profit organization, the Ride to the Olympics Foundation, Wilson partnered with the 100 Black Men of Atlanta and Atlanta’s BEST Academy to create opportunities that hadn’t existed before.
“We are making history, and these young men are blazing a trail that we hope others will follow,” Wilson said in a press release. “For too long, a socioeconomic barrier has kept most Black people from participating in polo and other equestrian sports. My foundation was created to dismantle that barrier, providing these students with access to the skills and opportunities that come with it. It’s about more than just a game; it’s about leveling the playing field.”
Wilson has experience breaking new ground in polo. In 2019, he co-founded the Morehouse Polo Club, which became the first polo team at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). That moment opened the door to his current mission: building a pipeline of young Black polo players across the country.
The foundation covers riding lessons, horse rentals, uniforms, equipment, and other costs that often keep kids on the sidelines before they ever have a chance to try the sport. Events like the Soul Symphony Weekend help raise money to keep the program going and expand it to other cities.
Robert Williams, principal of Best Academy at the Thomas W. Dorch Jr. Institute, remembers when Wilson first approached the school. “Miguel Wilson with the Ride to the Olympics Foundation actually came to BEST Academy just before I arrived as the principal and began having conversations about a phenomenal opportunity for students to be able to participate in a polo where they would learn how to care for horses, learn how to ride, as well as to be able to compete,” Williams said.
“When the opportunity presented itself, and along with the 100 Black Men of Atlanta, we were excited about the opportunity and wanted to join with Miguel Wilson to create this wonderful event. The students have grown as leaders on campus and have really strived for excellence both on the field and off.”
Polo has always been seen as a sport for people with money, with expensive equipment and limited access to horses and facilities. These barriers have historically kept the sport largely white and wealthy. What happened during Soul Symphony Weekend shows that talent can overcome those obstacles when the right support exists.
All proceeds from the Soul Symphony Weekend go directly to the Ride to the Olympics Foundation, ensuring that the Atlanta BEST Academy Polo Team can continue operating while Wilson works to establish similar programs in other cities. For these six young men from Atlanta, winning that first match was just the beginning.