Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-07-25
8fsi<ing Ones Life Tor Pleasure.
Luxury of the Game.


RfsfSing Ones Life Tor Pleasure.
Luxury OF the Game.
"As rule the polo pony comes from
Texas, where he may have been the
property OF desperate or cowboy,
for such persons need a fleet pony, one
that is more or less of an acrobat"
says Allen Sangree in Ainslee's. "a
polo player needs the same kind of
pony. Northern millionaires according
ly send their experts down south to
pick the fieetest, gamest and quickest
ponies that can be found. When a
squad has been chosen, they are
trained out west for two months and
then brought to one of the great polo
stables in the east. These animals cost
from $3.50 to $1,000 and are difficult to
procure, as a Texan loves his horse.
quite often more than money. The as
tonishing thing about a polo pony is
its ability to carry heavy men like Mr..
=. L. Collier or Mr.. George Gould and
still enter into a game with heart and
soul performing all sorts of feats.
Even with weight of 30 pounds q
good pony will leap with one bound
from standing position to a gallon
or stop and turn so short that, as polo
players say, he runs under YOU
I'm the heartrending rush down the
turf field, when both sides are speeding
to drive the white ball goalward, pony
nnd rider must keep their wits. Life
and limb are risked every moment in
polo game, and many doubtless think
this curious sort of luxury for n rich
man. On George Gould's polo field at
Lakewood, n. (which, by the way,
is the finest in the world. costing $500.
OOO-during recent game one of the
players was struck in the eye with the
ball. A chorus of explanations came
from the side lines. some of pity, 9th
ers Of anxiety for fear the game would
be stopped One well known society
woman languidly inquired whether
Mr.. - was hurt I do hope they'll
continue she said. because Mr.. Wa
terbury is making such beautiful line
drivesr
THE unfortunate man was injured
badly enough to be removed in an am
bulanee, but no one paid any attention
to him, and the game was resumed,
with Mr.. Gould and his two boys play
ing on opposite sides. In polo the play
is so furious that the players change
mounts every fifteen minutes, in
which time the pony has galloped five
or six miles. This involves ownership
Of more than one pony, and, though
one could get along i'm a game with
two mounts, every young millionaire
polo player has string of ten or
twenty.
"Mr. Gould keeps nearly n hundred
In his stables ut Lakewood. noticed
that about thirty were used during the
afternoon. After goal two or three
players would tear across the field.
leap the low barrier and plunge
through the crowd unceremoniously to
where n score of grooms were exer-
cising the string. The onlookers-and
1t is part OF millionaire's luxury to
have his skillfuness observed by the
palpitating populace-would scatter
like birds rising from covey Each
drew his breath with very wonder
ment that man who had such an
easy life, so much to live for, should
fiirt with eternity in that reckless, des-
perate fashion. The rider only swept
the mob with one glance of indIffer-
ence, but it is safe TO assume that he
loved the moment and slipped from it
the luxury of appreciation.