El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-10-31
Polo Grows in Popularity in West
Midland, City Of the Plains,
Is Source Of Polo
Pony Supply

Do you play poIO7
II not. HE yourself at once. atop
some four legged animal, to a 10 acre
lot and get In the game
No one can consider himself up to
date in the world Of sport who does
not play.
When Harry Payne Whitney and his
mates wiped up the turf with the team
from dear old England" at Meadow
brook last June, polo at last came into
its own
No longer is the game the exclusive
pleasure or the rich eastern millionaire
and played only at swell country clubs.
The Impetus given by the International
match has swept polo into nation
wide popularity, even to small hamlets
and remote sections the fever has
spread.
This sudden popularity has been &C
companled however, by some queer
notifications In the game. For in
stance, over in Indiana being shy the
necessary paraphernalia, some new en-
thuSiasus employed crOquet balls and
mauets. while down in Texas on the
Rio Grande" a bunch Of Cow punchers
were discovered driving a baseball
across the plains with the limbs OF mes
quite trees.
Winter resort managers, ever alert
Tor the newest lad, are advertising polo
fields along with golf grounds, as a
bait for the idle tourist.
Army Plays the Game.
Probably the most potent influence
In pOpularizing the game has been the
United states army. At all the cav
airy posts each regiment has its crack
Team, and polo tOurnan eutS are the
sporting and social events Of chiefest
interest Fit sam Houston, at san An
tonic has three teams composed OF eI-
pert players; there are also excellent
teams at Fl Bliss. TT. LeaTenWOrth, Fl.
Riley, Fl Sill, in Oklahoma, and at
many other posts
No Game for WeakIlnEs.
Polo is no game for the moIIycoddle
or the tenderfOOt, and the man whose
equestrian experience is confined to a
daily canter In the park had best be-
ware its fascination. The game Is
strenuous, at times even deliriOus, and
frequently bloody. It is o kind Of com
binatiOn Of football, crOQueI and hOcky
on horseback 1t is a rough game, TO
put it mildly and those who have tmid
scruples regarding the safety OF their
arms and legs not to mention necks,
never make good players.
Good riding is the absolute requisite
for polo in addition abundant nerve
and daring are essential, for when
eight horses charge at breakneck speed I
upon a small white ball the resulting
miXup is liable to spill the best OF rid
ers.
How to Play.
Polo can be played on any. open, level !
field the correct size being 500 by $50
Geet; there is no crossbar between the ]
goal posts. Long handled mRllets are I
used to drive the bali, which Is made Z
OF willow wood painted waite. The I
limits Of the field are marked by white I
washed lines as in football. The team /
IS made UP OF four players, three for Z
ward and one back, and the game is I
usually divided into eight periods OF I
seven and one-half minutes each with I
three minute intermission- Between (
the fourth and fifth period a longer in /
Permission is taken When the teams I
line up facing each other and the ref I
cree losses the ball between them the /
game is on. All polo experts viii tell /
you that the only way to learn 10 /
play polo is to play it; It can never be
through the correspondence [
schools
How Ponies Are Trained.
Although horses are trained in Tari-
Gus parts Of the country, the best polo
ponies in recent years are acknOwl-
edged to have come from west Texas