Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-26
THE GAME. OF POLO
Something Of Its Early History and
Its Present Condition.
THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION
Lively Interest in the Sport Taken
in Washington.
COMMENTS OF AN ENTHUSIAST
Written for The Evening Star,

| Written for The Evening Star
| One Of the chief attractions of polo is
that it is almost equally Interesting to
either player or spectator. This 1 have
learned to appreciate, owing to the fact
that about year after had begun the
| game IN earnest an accident in the hunting
neld obliged me to give up riding entirely.
have followed carefully the development
Of the game and have become as enthusi-
astfc spectator as I originally was a
| player, and look back with almost as much
| pleasure to the great matches I have seen
at birmingham and Ranelagh, which in
| Guided such players as the famous Peat
brothers, John Watson the officers of the
| tenth lanciers and other noted poloists, as
l took In the game when a participant.
Its First Appearance on This Side.
| Polo first made its appearance on this
side in Mexico City, in 1880, and soon after
ward found its way to the states, where, in
! 1856, 1t had become so popular that a Hur-
| lfr CHAM team was challenged to come over
and play representative American team at
Newport Our English cousins proved,
however, the value of long practice, perfect
| team work, and fast ponies, and the Ameri-
| ca cup was taken to Nottingham. There is
cor siderable room for doubt as to this be-
ing repeated should another International
the game, and the number of clubs all over
the country, and excellent players speaks
ior ITS popularity on this side. to say moth
| ing of the proof that we lose no time in
gaining proficiency in any manly sport
whatever its origin.
| Ancient Origin.
But little is really automatically known OF
the exact origin of the game, yet legends
OF the orient give proof of its antiquity
Chaugan "a name probably derived from
the stick used in playing was the Persian
title Of the game mentioned by Firdusi, who
lived about the end Of the tenth century, IN
| poem. which contained description of a
game between the Persians and Turks. and
| abounos in howery rhetoric and flights of
| Wild imagination. The game in its principal
features resembles greatly the game of to-
day, and was extensively patronized by
| royalty. However, other eastern writers OF
| the ninth and tenth centuries give the game
still greater antiquity, and 1t is alleged that
Persian king, Dara, who lived 525 B. c..
| was Chaugan player of no little distinc-
ton. In the twelfth century the Greek EN-
peror is reported to have played a match
with Byzantine princes and mobiles.
In India.
| The present title polo is derived from
pull. Thibetan word meaning ball of
| willow root. To India are we indebted for
having brought the game to the stage of
perfection which induced the British cav
airy to adopt it, and it is supposed to have
found its way into the state of Munnipore
from Thibet about 1900 AID. The Munni-
| pories, as des cribed by various British eX-
| plorers and officers. about the middle of the
| present century, were a nation Of polo
players, whose daring riding and skillful
playing was the wonder Of the Europeans.
| Children practiced the game from early in
| fancy, and professionals were even more
| highly paid than our base ball players.
| The British officers stationed in India be-
came fascinated with the game, and about
1854 IT was taken up by them and played
in British territory. Thus 1t found its way
to England. end not long afterward TO
| America
| Polo I'm America.
There are at present eighteen clubA
which are members of the Polo Association,
and great number of others lately organic
| ed, or of less importance, probably thirty or
| forty in all. The Myopia Club of Hamilton,
| Mass; the Westchester, Meadow Brook and
Reckaway clubs of New York are among
| the most prominent.
| The season ending the beginning of this
fan was one of the most brilliant in the
| history Of the association. The Myopias,
| by their team work, proved the champions
over the former invincible Rockaway quar-
tet in match Astounding in brilliant work,
| played in Brooklyn the latter part of Sep
TENDER.
Team work is the science of the game.
| This Is the strong point of the famous
Nottingham team. composed of the three
Peat brothers and John Watson, who, be-
sides being rema rkable horsemen and heavy
hitters, have played together for over fif-
teen years and know perfectly each others
| every move. Though possessing great fas-
| cinatfon even for beginners. polo is a most
difficult game to introduce in any locality,
| for 1t requires the indefatigable efforts OF
| several most enthusiastic sportsmen. The
growing popularity of the game in WASH
ington is due to the small band of enthusi.
asts who have persistently encouraged 1t,
| and whO have Tins founded that
| full organization, the Chevy Chase Club.
| The nucleus for good team here is so
sn s.' n that 1t seems surprising that
ly met one of the originators and pro-
motors of the game here who explained
that this was the plan that the club hoped
Chase and the Fort Myer players and form
ing the Washington Club.
| Upon inquiry of this enthusiast, who had
Just been coaching his team, as to the ORR
gin Of polo in Washington, he replied:
| lowing to bad health I took up physical
| culture, and having natural taste for
athletics. in turn tried every outdoor
game, including track athletics. 1 could
! find. had ridden since could remember,
| and as 1 had moved into the country near
Washington on account of my health, and
to take up polo. A fairly good field was
| found. and from beginning by knocking the
| ball around, I soon found 1t fascinating
pastime. and managed to get several others
| Interested later on q match was played,
| and thus polo was started" Here noticed
some typical ponies. and was led to inquire
| If the expense of the game was not a draw
back to its popularity. Frequently" an
swered the player. at is urged by some of
my friends who would make good players
that the expense is too great, but this is
| because they do not consider the question
carefully. One may spend thousands of
| dollars on the game IL he can afford 1t, and
| on the other hand he may fnd-as. in fact.
| We have-that with very small outlay and
| a little economy in other directions he may
| keep one, or even two, ponies, and have
not only a deal of fun, but improve his
| health to such degree that he would find
| himself in far better condition to stand
| any amount of hard work that he may be
| called on to do"
Polo in the Army.
It ia gratifying to the lovers of out-ot>