The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-19
BRILLIANT POLO PLAY.
OPENING OF THE CHAMProNsHp
SERIES AT PROSPECT PARK
Thsusands Gather Ga the Parade Ground to
see che sport-Country Club % wsstchsstsr
wins from Rorhaway After = stubborn Com
teut-The issue In Doubt to the last Moment

All buhuNltllnllE CIuNls hAllhn AAhAs
at from $4,000 to 90. 1000 persons. saw the OPEN
ing game for the Polo Association championship
NJ Prospect Park, Brooklyn. yesterday after
noon. The event proved worthy Of tho liberal
patronage extended, and there VIVA not q dull
moment during the three periods Of play.
Victory perched on tho banners Of the
Country Club OF Westchester team. bus
not until after an uphill battle. in
which their rivals from the Rockawny Club,
Cedarhnrst, looked like having the better OF
tho argumen several times. Tho Westchester
boys were handicapped considerably by tho
change Of their back at tho last moment. This
Affected their team combination SO severely
that only their most s~nnguine followers believed
they would win. As matters turned out they
would have been victurs by the safe margin Of
8 goals to ), but their total was dangerously
discounted by three h-uoint safety penalties
and L1-point dne for a foul.
The original schedule called for the opening
match on last Thursday between the Meadow
brook Club and the Myopia Hunt Club Of Ham
ilton. Mass. winners Of tho 30 championship.
The latter team Withdrew. and tho Meadow
brooks ara eligible to play in the fnnl tie aga!nsn
the Wcstchester team next "Wednesday after
noon. Despite the many counter attractions
yesterday AL roads seemed to lead 20 the Pros
peGt Park Parade Ground. and long before $50
- N'NNh- sAN -.ahS W va NANN NA''4A-4~ "a fi'sN So
the vantage points were being scrambled for in
n good naturad way by a holiday crowd repre-
sentative OF all classes. The Held nf play, 80
feet in length by 500 feet IN width. wAg CLEARLY
defined by 4 wnitewashed guard rail ten inches
high.
This space and dfty Feet extra IN tho sides and
ends wns fenced of by n guard rope and well
pniced so chat any possibility Of collision re-
tween players and spectatdra was rrtUrad 20 !
minimum. This rope fence was said to 90 5000
tee5 N extent. ami on eaGh side IL was lined
DOZENS deep by spectators, who poured into tho
park from every Traction. one side nj tho
ground was lined with coaches. irags. Iuhsi-
Iiaod Fifth Avenue stages. AMI vehicles OF prnc-
tlrally ali uthcr known patterns. Cyciists
Of both se~es were an ldnd IN thuusan,!s
and The people who rely On trolley transit
monopoii2od The rest OK Tho space. Democracy
and society rubbed elbows and TO some extent
traterniZed In The genera! iesir- 70 see a.! tho
good points OF the anne anu 40 line could be
drawn in point Dr enthusiasm whGnaver occasion
arose for an outbreak of applause. The West
chester and RoCEaway club men AMI women
were present in force amt Coupled mCst CT the
fourteen coaches. which secured the GaC!Ccst
positions near tna cGmpGLitors tent IN tAn ilae
line.
The two teams turned out promptly on
schedIlGd time and prasGntat "A piGtlresUue AZ
perrance. The Westcheater men wearing bright
scarlet Jackets anu white caps, white JAelr
Rorkaway rivals suur.rd dark hue, an effective
contrast. l. Waterbury,. who was slated q play
back for Ehe Country Club. was Unable % 81 no
engagement, ana his piaco was taken by W. l.
Baerkman. Tho lineup was:
Country Club Of westrhc-ter- i. Joseph : Stergns;
RorEawa- Club. ceta-nr-yt-i. W \. Hazard. =.
F. s. Conuver. Jr ), Albert Francss; BACK. Georse L
Aysrs.
Ollie ". Bird nf ~Msadowhrook. mounted on a
serv'cen Die hack. ulurrtaok The hnnrous DUTIES
Of referee. and With l!tt!e loss dt time put Tho
ball n play. The ROcHlways got possession 1t
once. and with | furious although discontinued
rush brought the sphere opposite the est
chester goal. wher. Myers got the range
and shOt the Dall through in clean-cut
style. The whole play took only thirty
the spirits u The WestchnSter party. Stimu-
!ntec nv their success. the Ruckaways pressed
hart and forced their oppnnents % a safety. On
rcsuning R~ocSaway again assumed the aggrts-
siva, and AFTER scne pretty team wors Conover
Rockaway Sc zed tho Opportunity 10 wake
the echoes and 70 predict that tho club
Nothing taunted the Westminster players
settled down 20 block any coming PUSHES. BY
This -ime they bad got a tribe better cogether,
and when the Ce'tarnurst continuation swnupst
down once wore !!leerkman stopped q shot at
soa4 neaIiy anu me crimson racksts dashed up
like a retriever. and his rider broke the len for
Westchester with q grand shot oetween the
postA.
S0cn after Stevens. who was playing No. ! po-
sttion for Wastchester, turned short round IN
centre field. and his pony crossed his legs and
fell. Fortunutely no damage was done, and
play went or hrisk!y. The Rnckaways again
forced matters ana WssJchaster resorted 20 a
second safety stroke. R~ockaway chen got away
AZ racing pace ana Hazard shot a beautiful goal.
The Country Cllh men then rallied and drove
tho ball from one 10 another down The deld until
Cowdin found m opening and shot the ball
through. This ended Inc drst period, with the
gross score, , 20 .. in favor II ROCkawpy, while
two satellites reduced 5hs WesLchester dgures To
liz goals.
In the second period the teams we're bsnutt.
fully matched, and tho rivals Kept the ball in
the open Held for 4 long spell Or exciting give.
dnshing nnslaughis On the opposing goa. and
after almost fifteen minutes Stcvcns scored.
Cowdin's ' nursing play hai The kockaNyays
guessing AZ thIS stage. mt COnover cut iooSs with
a grand run. which aG aeat4y converted Into l.
goal Play then became fast and furious, and in \
tribe over a minute J. IL. Waterbury, IT..
scored for " estchcster. The period ended with
out a further score. except that W pstChesrer
was forced 10 another safety. This made the
gross score for The two anriors 1 goals Il. but
with the penalties deducted from ths Country
Club men the net figures read: 2oCka Hrg, 4;
Excitement was at fever heat ~ the teams
lined up Tor the third lnd GcrialTe period, each
man astride his Lest mount ana determined 10
DO his p~retEicst. WestCacster startnu in with
rushing tactics. but the RnckaTaya cleared N
hne style. The Country Club men again got 20
ing at a racing elm. and by some, clever con-
certed play managed 10 ret the GAL TO stevens,
Club cracks in front Tor thu arst time and tho
significant change On the bu4lntln hoard
was the a:gnal for a 0Ig Westminster demon
s~trht!Gn. Cdwdin had been playing like a past
master M 20 this stage. mt n his anxiety -
convert the naxt rush into u goal he foulcd a
ROrkawly player ami was hned ha.r a goal.
Nothing dannted bv th!s unexpectGd, handicnp
the Westminster men again charged through
their opponents ana young Waterbury, sent the
ball humm!ng bGtwGen tho posts by 4 long,
clean shot
The ROckaways played up {nilnntly, INT heir
opponents had got u t~GretaEtH N Victory and
we're not 10 IA denied. COwu.n soon got one Df
hiA tavnrite chnnreS. and despite clever iefance
he 4nOu one through for "estChestcr. This
etfertuHlly rOUBeu 5ha E~Ockawavs, and for a
compile Of minutes they seemed ubiquitous.
They nur4ed ami smashed the sphere by
mrria. and finally charged straight LOr the
Westcnrafer goal, through which Fralcke
smashed the bAI! like Il 5haTpshoOter. The
brilliant effort was not sustained, however,
and the Wesrchester mon again got possession.
They played together rs one mnn, and after
some line team work Waterbury sent tho ball
Through. With only a few minutes more 70 play
the speed Of the game became terrific and tho
goals we're invested alternately, but neither
side could score, ana time was called witt Lhe
gross figures : TO 5 IN favor NJ Wostchsster,
while the official score, with penalties deducted,
read: Westminster, 81; RockAway, 5. sum.
mary:
FIRST PERIOD.
G;1dIs. PuVsrS. n. e.
IL Aaa n m