SHERIDAN — It may be known for its rodeos and ranches, but Sheridan County’s most unexpected economic engine may be polo.
According to figures compiled from the Dowtown Sheridan Association (DSA), the Goose Creek Polo Cup has generated more than $100 million in economic activity across the county between 2004 and 2023—creating nearly 4,000 jobs and bringing in close to $3 million in tax revenue.
Sheridan polo draws crowds and competitors nearly year-round.
“We get ‘em from all over the place,” said Dylan Crouse with the DSA. “Polo, of course, is a national event. So, we get people that come in. Then, of course, people who come here and stay all summer because we’ve got good polo going on in Sheridan pretty much year-round.”
Watch the full story to see how polo in Sheridan became a year-round powerhouse—fueling jobs, tourism, and adrenaline on horseback:
The local season peaks with the Goose Creek Cup, a festival-style weekend that brings in players, vendors, and food trucks—offering family-friendly festivities.
One of this year’s newcomers in the crowd is Sarah Kornetsky, who picked up a mallet just weeks ago.
“Yes, I just started learning how to play polo. That’s been fun,” said Kornetsky. “I started practicing here and I do it a few times a week.”
She said it did not take long to fall in love with the sport’s adrenaline and strategy.
“I saw something the other day that equates this to like Braveheart and the world of horses. It’s very warlike,” said Kornetsky. “You pair up with somebody and you’re at war with this person, to try to defend them and outrun them.”
For Kornetsky, the real stars are the horses themselves.
“The horses aren’t just on flat ground their entire lives,” said Kornetsky. “They do get to go out and run the hills, push cows, live a horse life—but then also get to come and be competitive players as well. They’re into the game way more than we are.”
