The Vanderbilt, the premier event at the Spring NABC, wrapped up last night at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis TN. The Vanderbilt Trophy has been contested annually since 1928. Like most things related to the game of bridge, it has some stories.
Currently the trophy is safely housed in the Bridge Museum at the ACBL Headquarters in Horn Lake MS, but that hasn’t always been the case.
In the early days of bridge, the trophies were taken to the tournaments and set out on display for everyone to admire. On June 4, 1964 the Vanderbilt was stolen from a display at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. It was recovered the following month when the thief tried to sell the 11 lb. trophy to the Newman Silver Shop in Reno NV. The man, John Hadreas, an Ambassador employee, was arrested and charged with possession of stolen property. His bail was set at $2,500.00.
After that incident, the trophy continued to travel to the Spring NABCs, but was kept tucked away until presentation to the winning team.
To read about the 2012 Vanderbilt and the winners click here.