Delmer W. Carroll (October 30, 1919 - May 9, 1982) was an American champion

polo Polo is a stick and ball game that is played on horseback as a traditional field sport. It is one of the world's oldest known team sports, having been adopted in the Western world from the game of Chovgan (), which originated in ancient ...

player,

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

owner/ trainer, and soldier during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Biography

Del Carroll had begun riding horses as a boy of ten which led to him serving in the US Army

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

during World War II. He rose to the rank of

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

. According to a 1945

Pennsylvania Military College Widener University is a private university in Chester, Pennsylvania, United States. Established in 1821, the university was known as the Pennsylvania Military College until 1972. Widener enrolls approximately 3,500 undergraduate students across s ...

article, he "was a member of the mechanized cavalry group that did the dangerous advance scouting during the German campaign." Carroll's knowledge of horses led to his participation in the game of

. One of the top twenty-five players in the world during the 1950s and 1960s, he became an eight-goal handicap player. He remained active in the game throughout his life and at the time of his death at age sixty-two still had a four-goal handicap.Amdur, Neil & Mifflin, Lawrie (July 23, 1982)
"Scouting; Polo Tribute"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. His interest in horses also led to a career as a professional horse trainer, conditioning Thoroughbreds for friends and fellow polo players,

William S. Farish III William Stamps Farish III (born March 17, 1939) is an American businessman and a former US ambassador to the UK from 2001 until 2004. Family and early life Farish was an only child. His father, Army Lt. William Stamps Farish Jr., died in a tra ...

and

Michael Grace Phipps Michael Grace Phipps (January 10, 1910 – March 13, 1973) was an American businessman, champion polo player, owner/breeder of racehorses, and a philanthropist. Biography Michael Phipps was the son of John Shaffer Phipps and Margarita Celia ...

1972 Preakness Stakes

Del Carroll had four horses run in the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

with his best result a fifth in 1966 with

Blue Grass Stakes The Blue Grass Stakes, currently the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes due to sponsorship by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is a horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky. The race is ru ...

winner, Abe's Hope. He had had a sixth-place finish in the 1969

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...

but on May 29, 1972, he earned the most important win of his career. In that year's Preakness Stakes, run on a sloppy

Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of O ...

, Carroll's colt Bee Bee Bee took victory in the prestigious U.S. Triple Crown race. During his career, Del Carroll won three training titles at

Keeneland Race Course Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for it ...

, one at

Oaklawn Park Race Track Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, formerly Oaklawn Park Race Track, is an American thoroughbred horse race, thoroughbred racetrack and casino in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is the home to "The Racing Festival of the South", a four-day series of races t ...

, and was one of the top trainers at

Arlington Park Arlington Park (formerly known as Arlington International Racecourse) is a former horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Once called the ''Arlington Park Jockey Club'', it was located adjacent to the Illinois Rou ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

where he won 262 races. Alone in the early morning of May 5, 1982, Del Carroll was galloping one of his horses on the Keeneland track when he was thrown by the horse and suffered severe head injuries. He underwent surgery at St. Joseph's Hospital in Lexington but died four days later.

Legacy

His son, Del Carroll II, who was his assistant from 1970 through 1979, is now a trainer at tracks on the US East Coast. His daughter, Robin Ann Carroll, who grew up with her father on the race track, is now the owner of Magazin Farms and an established Thoroughbred breeder in the sport of polo. Her son, Del Carroll Walton is an established polo player and horseman. His youngest daughter, Larkspur Carroll, studied veterinary medicine at Ohio State University, became a doctor of veterinary medicine, is a practice owner/member at CORE Therapies - the Veterinary Acupuncture and Chiropractic Clinic. She is also the mother to Aurea, Del W. Carroll's granddaughter.

References

External links

"Give An A-plus To Bee Bee Bee"
''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

''. May 29, 1972.
Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame

''The New York Times''. May 11, 1982. (obituary).

''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

''. May 24, 1982.
1945 Pennsylvania Military College article on First Lt. Del Carroll

Findagrave memorial w/ tombstone photo for Delmer W. Carroll
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carroll, Del W. 1919 births 1982 deaths United States Army personnel of World War II American polo players American racehorse trainers Place of birth missing Deaths by horse-riding accident in the United States United States Army officers Sports deaths in Kentucky