Jerry Jeff Walker to headline April 29 Polo on the Prairie in West Texas

Texas country music legend joins forces with MD Anderson to help end cancer

MD Anderson News Release March 21, 2017

The 31st annual Polo on the Prairie, a U.S. Polo Association-sanctioned event benefiting cancer research and patient care programs at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, is expected to attract nearly 1,000 polo enthusiasts, cancer fighters and fans of Texas country music legend Jerry Jeff Walker.

Gates open at 4 p.m. Saturday, April 29, at the Musselman Brothers’ Lazy 3 Ranch in Albany. The championship polo match kicks off at 4:30 p.m. and will be followed by a chuck-wagon barbecue dinner by Joe Allen’s Pit Bar-B-Que of Abilene. A private concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. as Walker returns to the Polo on the Prairie stage for the first time in 20 years. The evening will conclude with a spectacular fireworks show.

“Polo is tradition for us,” said Henry Musselman, a longtime member of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors. “It’s phenomenal to see more people come out every year to support our players and, most important, help researchers and clinicians find a cure for cancer.”

Texas country music singer and songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker first performed at Polo on the Prairie in 1997. Best known for writing the song “Mr. Bojangles,” Walker has enjoyed a prolific music career with widespread musical influence, making him an iconic fixture of the Texas country music scene.

Musselman and his family have hosted Polo on the Prairie since 1986, welcoming thousands of West Texans who share their commitment to MD Anderson’s mission to end cancer. Over the past three decades, Polo on the Prairie has raised more than $5.4 million for key cancer research and patient care programs at the institution, which is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 center for cancer care in the nation.

“Polo on the Prairie is a force to be reckoned with,” said Debbie Schultz, director, Volunteer Services and Merchandising at MD Anderson. “Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with dozens of patients and their families who’ve attended the event and countless other patients who’ve benefited from the funds raised at Polo. We’re forever grateful to the people of West Texas.”

Team sponsors include:

  • Hedloc Investment Co LP
  • Sewell Ford, Odessa, Texas
  • Texas Monthly
  • Warren CAT

To date, the 2017 Polo on the Prairie already has raised more than $310,000.

Individual tickets, $100, are available at 866-262-9029 (press 1 to leave a message) or at events@mdanderson.org. Tickets will not be available for purchase at the event.