Croquet in August: A Buffalo Tradition Continues To Swing

You know it’s August in Buffalo when the white-attired women and men adorn the croquet lawns of Delaware Park for their annual tournament and tradition. The 6th Annual Buffalo Croquet Club 6-Wicket Invitational brings some of the top American croquet players to the city every year to compete for cash and a chance to have their name inscribed on the legendary “bronze buffalo.”

U.S. Player Tim Rapuano, of Seattle, will return this month to defend his crown that he has held now for nearly four years. But last year’s runner-up and Hall of Famer Rich Curtis, of nearby Rochester, is hoping to finally swing his name onto the list of regional champions.

The four-day competition begins Thursday night, Aug. 18, under the lights, on the park’s croquet lawns adjacent to Parkside Avenue, just north of Medaille College and the Scajaquada Expressway intersection. Locals will witness some the biggest names in the historic sport battle one another on the manicured-grass lawns, armed with custom-designed croquet mallets.

Among them, the grandson of one of the sport’s founding fathers, John Young III, will be flying in from Bermuda to try to reclaim the title that he once held years ago. And top-ranked Dr. Chris Patmore, of Britain by way of New York City, certainly does not keep returning to Buffalo every year to lose.

“It’s really anyone’s game,” Buffalo Croquet Club President Bob Gannon said. “And this year, we also have one of the best women players in the sport’s history coming to Buffalo, so maybe we’ll get our first female name on the Bronze Buffalo.”

Jodie Rugart, 63, of St. Louis, will look to win her inaugural entry into the Buffalo tournament. Rugart is the number two ranked female in the country, and perhaps highlights the uniqueness of a sport that has no divisions based on gender or age.

“No one cares who you are in this game once the balls are in play. You could be a teenaged superstar or an elderly legend who has been playing for half a century,” said Tournament Director Ryan Thompson, who helped bring this competitive version of American croquet to Buffalo. “The unforgiving rules and inherent savagery of this genteel sport are what makes croquet so special and appealing to such a diverse crowd.”

Players begin arriving in Buffalo several days before the tournament, many of them playing in the previous weekend’s nationally sanctioned tournament in Rochester and then touring the Western New York attractions. Spectators are welcome to attend for free and watch the games, which continue through Sunday, Aug. 21, with playoffs and a trophy presentation in the afternoon.

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What:                 
Buffalo Croquet Club 6th Annual 6-Wicket Invitational

When:                 
Thursday, Aug. 18 (6 p.m. – 8 p.m.) Under the lights!
Friday, Aug. 19 (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
Saturday, Aug. 20 (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
Sunday, Aug. 21 (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.)

Where:               
Delaware Park croquet courts, adjacent to Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy Lodge, 84 Parkside Ave., near Scajaquada Expressway, Route 198. 

Cost:                    
Free for public to spectate

Club Contact:    
Bob Gannon, Buffalo Croquet Club President, (716) 432-1500, thehangmen@msn.com

Media Contact:
Ryan Thompson, Tournament Director, (716) 697-4111, thompson77@gmail.com