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MIDLAND, APRIL 29, 2025 ¨D Â鶹ӳ»­ MD Anderson Cancer Center presented its annual Polo on the Prairie fundraising event on April 26 in West Texas, raising nearly $1 million. Now in its 39th year, Polo on the Prairie is MD Anderson¡¯s longest-running fundraising event and has raised $12 million for numerous education, care, research and prevention programs across MD Anderson.

This year¡¯s event drew more than 1,400 attendees to Rancho Verde in Breckenridge, Texas, for a day filled with activities, including a polo tournament ¡ª with the Mayer Ranch team of Kenneth Mayer, Clark Mayer, Vance Miller and Robert Stenzel winning the championship trophy ¡ª a chuckwagon barbeque provided by Joe Allen¡¯s Pit Bar-B-Que, a private concert by Charley Crockett and a fireworks show by Pyro Shows of Texas.

¡°Polo on the Prairie is more than just a polo match,¡± said Henry Musselman, long-time event host and member of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors. ¡°It represents the heart of our community by honoring and supporting those who have been touched by cancer. This event is a movement fueled by generosity, hope and an unwavering commitment to saving lives.¡±

MD Anderson provides life-saving care to West Texans
MD Anderson has a strong presence in the West Texas area, with many local supporters and patients. Since MD Anderson¡¯s doors opened in 1944, more than 10,000 Midland/Odessa-area residents have sought care at the institution ¡ª with more than 1,000 of those patients seen in the last year alone.

With cancer incidence estimates in this region increasing across all cancer types over the next 10 years, MD Anderson¡¯s work to expand its clinical reach, to elevate the patient experience and to expedite scientific breakthroughs is ¡ª and will continue to be ¡ª crucial to the health of community members in the Permian Basin.

¡°I extend my deepest thanks to the Musselmans and to the West Texas community for making Polo on the Prairie so successful, year after year,¡± said Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of MD Anderson. ¡°This event provides crucial funding for programs across MD Anderson that support our patients and their loved ones. Together, we are making a difference for the people of Texas, the nation and the world.¡±

Polo on the Prairie is deeply rooted in West Texas tradition
For nearly four decades, MD Anderson¡¯s Polo on the Prairie has signaled the arrival of spring in West Texas. The Texas-sized event combines equestrian prowess, top-notch entertainment, mouthwatering chuckwagon barbecue and dazzling fireworks in support of MD Anderson¡¯s mission to end cancer.

Now a cherished philanthropic tradition, the event was inspired by the late Mary Anne McCloud, of Eastland, and her son-in-law, Henry Musselman, of Midland. Together with the late Charles LeMaistre, M.D., former president of MD Anderson, they cultivated an idea for an event to raise awareness about groundbreaking cancer research and care at the nation¡¯s leading cancer hospital while also honoring and supporting those affected by cancer.

Musselman transformed a sprawling pasture on his family¡¯s Albany ranch into a regulation-sized polo field, enlisting the help of family and friends to bring this vision to life. What began as an intimate gathering on the family ranch has turned into a legendary, can¡¯t-miss annual event at Rancho Verde in Breckenridge, drawing hundreds of MD Anderson supporters, polo enthusiasts and athletes.

MD Anderson extends special thanks to event sponsors Melinda and Henry Musselman; event committee members Michele Arnot, Suzan Cook, Pat Everett, Liz Green, Prissy Harvick, Michelle Jones, Virginia Musselman and Marci Pearson; and the many individuals and sponsors who contributed to the success of this year¡¯s event.