The San Francisco call., 1907-02-10
OF POLO
PREPARING E0R
TOURNAMENT

The poloists of Burlingame Country
Club and their friends will be out in
force today after an absence of some
weeks from the field owing to the un-
favorable weather conditions. The
players are anxious to get all the prac-
tice possible in order to be able to cope
with the strong teams from the south
which will play in the fiesta at Charles
w. Clark's country place during the
Washington birthday holidays. The
southern representative are coming
with the intention of wiping out the
defeats they have Suffered in the past
at the hands of the clever horsemen of
Burlingame.
The tournament will bring out the
strongest representatives the south has
ever had here, both in the number of
visiting players and in the quality of
the ponies they will ride. While the
Burlingame men have suffered from a
lack of opportunity to play, their ponies
are pronounced to be in the best of
condition, as they haveebeen exercised
regularly on the road by grooms-
Rudolph Spreckels has a string of
seventeen polo ponies at Tanforan
racecourse, in addition to four race
ponies. Four of the polo ponies will
be seen in action in the game today.
Mr.. Driscoll and others having offered
to play them to test their cIeverness
and their speed. They have been thor
oughly broken with the "hackamore"
and are expected to show a lor of quail
ity on the field. If any of the southern
players are undermounted. Mr.. Spreck-
els has expressed his Intention of lend
ing the ponies in his string to them.
George p Messeryy. an Eastern
player eff note who winters in the
South. will reach BurlAgame on Feb
ruary 20.
The Southern ponies will be brought
up here in four special horse cars and
will be on hand several days before
the tournament opens. Charles w.
Clark, who will play the part of host
during the fiesta. is away on business
trip, but he will arrive home on Feb
ruary Isl
Frank Skinner. who has been pro-
nounced the cfeverest of the gentlemen
riders on this coast, has been ill for
a week. but he expects to don the silks
at San Mateo- DR.. w. j. Smyth of Oak
land, who rode brilliantly last year,
will be seen in the saddle again. He
has a thoroughbred pony of his own
which will carry his colors some day.
DIR. Smyth will ride at Coronado also
when the scene of racing shifts to that
picturesque resort in Southern Califor-
MIA.
VIII Ashe Jr. will uphold the racing
traditions of his family by blossoming
out as an owner at the forthcoming
meetings. AS he will ride his own
ponies, he will know that they are
handled to his satisfaction. He may
not have a second Geraldine in his
modest string, but he can always hope
to deserve such mare.
Charley Dunphy is due from Mexico
before the meeting and has promised
that he will ride in some of the races.
/ Frank Mcmahon will start Rusticate.
the diminutive son of Russell. which
has been seen in action on the big
tracks. He should make some of the
others step lively to lead him past
the judges stand.
A time has been fixed by Secretary
Robert Leighton for the running Of each
race, after the manner of the big
tracks, and an effort will be made to
adhere strictly to this schedule, in
order that the programme be not
drawn out too long. An effort will be
made to have the polo teams on the
field promptly at 2:30 o'clock, so that
the games may be completed before
dusk. This will be a decided advantage,
as at times the spectators want to
catch a train and they must leave the
grounds when the play has reached it's
most exciting stage.
The polo game today will be played
at F. J. Carplan's private field at
Crossway's FaEn. Burlingame. The
ball will be put into play at 2:S0 p. m
The teams will line up:
Reds. Whites.
E. J. 4obin. George Parsons.
T. Howard. p. J. Carolan.