New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-29
DANGER IN POLO PLAYING
The Recent Fatal accident Directs
Intention to 1t.

Fatalities I'm football have for many seasons
furnished no small amount of discussion and
called for frequent declarations that the game
was too rough and dangerous. and should De ma
terially modified, If not abandoned entirely II IS
not strange. therefore that the unfortunate acct
dent the recent Princeton-YaIe polo game.
which resulted ~ the death Of Henry y. Bah
cock jr.. the Yale freshman. who received au ac-
cicoDtal blow OLA Tho head from the malet OF ".
L.. DeveroauX. should set afoat similar criticisms
o. the game of polo % is interesting also TO note
that this criticism has brought out a spirited de-
fence. entirely analogous tu that advanced ly TIE
champions OF football
Harmless as the same appears when carefully
explained - the polo enthusiasts 1t requires only
q hasiy glance ~ the records OF The sport r--
veal the fact that accidents Ike that which cost
young Babcock hts life are by no means rare or
infrequen'. The fun swing OF tho malla. which
struck the young Yale player in the head JUS at
the close Of "a brilliant dash down the field is peg
haps unusual bot s!ighter blows falls from ponies
and similar accidents are common Incidents OF
the game. and it may be fairly doubted &, any
polo PLAYER OF note has escaped his share
The unsympaiheuc critic OF the game. who as
seTts that 10 is dangerous sport has severa!
arguments 81, hand before ne falls back on stats
ties. To The observer who knows little OF tho
rules ard less OF the methods OF the game polo
ou horseback certainly seems n reckless sport
To his eye the first mad dash up the field. when
the rush II ponies suggests the attack Of two
squads OF opposed cavalry. or the tilt OF some
medieval joust, seems to promise destruction The
meeting 81 the tWo little squads. the scrimmage
the ponies careeriug over the field. the Inallets
ana tie ball flying through the air make the
game seem. 20 him al least, perious to He and
limo.
Moreover. when, as result Of such scrim-
mage, "a chance blow lays rider low. as dld
the unhappy stroke of Dcvcreaux. and he is car
rled from the Held u die some hours later even
less capuous critics Inclined TO regard this
sport as dangerous. To support this BELIEF they
may subpoena the players themselves. not 70
actual court for the polo players would be sure
to follow ilustrious precedent and defy tho court
rather than njure their beloved sport but through
the medium OF the records Of famous matches
recount the injuries Of wei known players.
Notable among the injuries 10 polo players Is the
mishap that befeu George J. Goud's son Kingdom
a. Saratoga two years In the midst Of a sharp
scrimmage young Gould encountered the mallet ot
Rene La Montague. receiving blow similar 10 that
which killed young Babcock. Stunned as he was
By the force Of the blow young Gould kept his seat
rode 10 the end Of the field. his covered with
blood, and dismounting. left the game but so slight
was his injury that he back the field the
next day. 1t in the same season that August
Belmont. IN the accidental manner struck
Robert 5. Stevens a blow IN the forehead with his
mallet.
At Lakewood the year before, Robert Collier re-
ceived sharp blow under his right eye. but sur
fered serious consequences. In the international
tournament in 1902 when the American team won
laurels In England j. E Cowdln was forced from
game by bad blow In the mouth, this time
from the ball. Similar accidents are frequent.
Perhaps the most striking counterpart OF the