Shallowbrook was founded by Hal and Frankie Vita November 24th, 1962. At
that time Hal Vita and his family began operating a 17-stall stable with a light load of
four horses and two ponies. The surrounding fields offered much promise, but nothing
more at that time. On the site of an old potato farm, Shallowbrook then consisted of
22 acres.
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- The original Shallowbrook Arena was also built that year, its size an amazing 50X100 and
people came from all over the East Coast to see this great horse facility - a major
undertaking at that time. In 1963, just 15 months after it's opening, the second
part of Shallowbrooks arena was doubled in size to 50X200. The complete dimensions
for both stalls and the area was 83X210.
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- Shallowbrook's first AHSA sanctioned show was also held in 1963, a one day event which
eventually led to the Center's annual four day "A" rated Fourth of July Olympic
Committee Horse Show, which draws hundreds of riders and a number of celebrities to its
galleries.
- That same year the Vita family also added 26 more stall to the original 17.
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In 1964, Area Polo (Indoor Polo) was started here by the Vita family. In
1966 Hal formed the North East Arena Polo League and boasted eight teams from clubs like
Myopia, Sugarbush, VT, Farmington, Oxridge, Pittsfield and Westfield MA and Shallowbrook,
CT.
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- The instructor's course was also instituted during 1966. The first group of young
women were trained under very closely supervised courses involving such rigid disciplines
and educational requirements along with pratical horsemanship that the course grew in
popularity amoung the most dedicated student teachers.
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- In 1969, Hal founded the University of Connecticut polo team with Duncal Peters, John
Bennett, Bob (Red) Parks, Bill LeRoyer, and Joe and Frank Vita. Hal gave them
horses, grounds, and coaching and lead them to three National Intercollegiate Polo
Championship Titles.
- That year Shallowbrook felt growing pains and to relieve the ever present need for
expanded facilities, the Center purchased land enough to lay out the Giuseppe Vita
Memorial Polo Field and an exercise track, adding much needed outdoor facilities and
bringing the area comitted to equestrian training to a formidable 50 acres.
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In January 1974 the new arena was built - it measures larger than the
Hartford Civic Center, at 120X225 and 4 stories high in the middle. Today it is one
of the leading Polo Area Centers in the world. It is not unusual to see a player
from Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Pakistan, Australia or Canada.
In 1980 Hal put on the Pro/Am Challenge Cup bringing together a Pro Team
and the winners of the National Intercollegiate Polo All Star Team. Both teams were
at the same handicap level. This game was shown on 106 stations in the U.S. and
Hawaii.
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- In 1988 Hal started to put together a high school Polo Team. It included his
grandson Tony and two neighborhood boys, Dave Archambault and Mike Landry. One of
his players was a deaf boy who was encouraged to play under Hal's coaching.
- In 1989, Hal formed an Interscholastic Polo team which rapidly became a formidable
fource, winning several National Interscholastic Polo titles.
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| The High Goal Polo series started in December of 1993. |
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