The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-12
POLO MEN TRYING PONIES.
EXPERTS PREPARE FOR MATCHES
AND TOURNAMENTS.

Ratings or the Players In the first or the
Scnson'- iItnndicnpr- Thirty PsnaiiEsa
fiNc Goals or Ovcr-ChampioA-hips
Aaniu az the Prospect Park erounas.
In these days, whenever the jewellers dowu
Hampstead way, during their walks or drives
along the roads arc passed ut racing speed ~ =
dimluutive, hnnRcd-taIl pony. carrying q young
man In swell riding gurb who seems Ill at ease,
they smile and make JestIns remarks about
amateur bronco busters" The spring vista
tion OF Western ponies to the nelghborhood IL
the annual advance notice that the polo season
is at hand.
just now there arc drovcs OF ponies fresh from
the ranches Mt Cedarhurst, Hampstead. Woods
burgh, and East williston, and. doubtless
Others are on the way. Some have been brought
East by dealers, others by the players. but with
the one object, to make desirable mounts in polo.
Many have been ridden By experts on the
ranches and accustomed to the swayinR of the
mallct and to swerve quickly in following the
ball. They nre often a bit wild, as the polo men
who come from far and near to try them soon
learn, but the ponies OF to-day are better far In
breeding and manners than those Of a decade ago.
Speed, soundness in wind and limb. and small
siar are the three cardinal points. A polo pony
should not be over l4.2 hands. The freeh
ponies, as n rule, can all run a quarter mile.
carrying from 100 to 100 pounds, In twenty-siH
seconds. and some can make better time. Those
that do not show an aptncss for the game are
In demand for light driving and ordinary saddle
purposes. A green pony can usually be bought
at n reasonable price, the value mounting up.
ward with the proficiency displayed In actual
clever ponies are a necessity for quick and
accurate play, yet n good man will do better
work ON an ordinary mount than IA duffer can per-
form on II $1,000 Importation with q reputation
that the Long island and westchester players
will he better mounted this year than in recent
Gauann. lIlV, Il lNntRIIn - aull a. lnNfA 3~r-A
blinking green ones; f.. C.. Potter and the Water
bury boys have some good material. and Fox.
hall keene, who spent some time ut Colorado
springs. has brought on n string of ponies that
is saId To include some remarkably fine and fast
individuals.
AT this early season all polo ponies. like the
two-yenr-olds at, the race tracks, get the benefits
of the doubt. and are hailed as coming mhrvels,
The tournaments that begin two months from
now will be the actual tests Of ability for the
II. l.. Herbert. Chairman of the Polo Associa-
ton. has sent out the first handicap list for 90,
,hs M, wan an Soy yens the sSr Ta.'n si,s of w .G1 PSIa iSs m fos
will be handicapped anew. There are now
twenty CLUBS In the Union. an increase OF one
Warrington Polo Club; colors. black. red band
and cap, with the following members; Lieut..
Moore, u. y. Turner, Henry NJ. Earle. David
Porter. Il. {. Broome. and Lieut.. Niblack. AL
though the army officers have played the game
to some extent when stationed in the West, the
'Washtngtonians start III the tournaments un-
In all 27l players are on the handicap list.
The other clubs, aud the number OF landscapes >
men IN each. follow:
country Club OF BrooKline, 8; Buffalo Country Club,
~, chicago Polo Ciun. q nedham. Mass, Poi9
Club, -, Devon, Pa. Polo Club. ~; Grnesee Valley. N.
y, Polo Club. lli Karvtri Polo club, 10; Bingham,
Mass, Polo club. 10; Meadow Brook Club, ~; Mon.
mouth County PoiJ cub. y; Morris County Country
club, ~; .Myopia Hunt club. 49, Philadelphia coun.
try tiuu. IL; Point judith. X. l.. Country club. lUj
Kockaway club, rs: Country. club OF st. Louis, l8i
Of os'Eg; r. GSan1ry Cyl! y; vessel %".,ehis sTs1. H K. E. roiC cciIn SS
tmcmbtrs handicapped In other clubsE
This season none OF the players are penalized
nj tho latIipun Imif Of ian gnnlE The fplinW.
ing list shows the men handicapped at five
goals or over. the material from which the
crack club teams will be formed. For purposes
OF comparison their ratings in the March handi-
cap OF 90 are appended: