Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-07
FOXHALL KEENE
DISCUSSES THE
POLO CONTEST
By Foxhall Keene.
Captain Of the American Polo Team

Captain Of the American Polo Tean,.)
n Jew YORK. June before l
N take up the discussion of teams
which will meet in the approach
ing contest l want to repeat what
I have said in recent interviews
that the changes made In the lineup
of the squad were not due to fric-
ton or 20 trouble Of any sort. and
rumors to that effect are absolutely
without foundation.
The changes were made by those in
charge not only with the consent, but
at the urging of the parties concern
ed, in the belief that II will further
the common cause and we know all
are working together with the one
hope and ambition to keep the polo
cup in America
Speaking for myself can say that
did not want to have anything to do
with the game at this particular time
on account OF the recent death of
my father. but Mr.. Whitney and the
other members OF the team finally
prevailed upon me to re-enter the lists.
and now that ! am in I shall do my
best TO bring about the defeat Of the
English.
Will Put Up Hard Fight.
hope and believe that our team
will be able to give a good account
of itself in the match and II we are
defeated I am pretty sure the Eng
lishmen will know they have been in
a fight.
I am inclined to believe that the
old team was not up to the form II
has shown in past years, and per-
haps Mr.. Whitney held It together
on. account Of old friendships longer
than he might have done.
Mr.. Whitney is one OF the greatest
players the game OF polo has produc-
sd In 20 years and his passing from
the team at this time must be viewed
with real regret.
Larry Waterbury was certainly as
good a back as the world has ever
seen. He played No. / on the team
that Mr.. Whitney took to England,
and he played It brilliantly, though
the English team at that time was
rated rather poor.
Monte Waterbury has not been we'll
for some months and his game has
not been the phenomenal game Of past
years
Betting Fsvors EnsIisbren.
The betting is against US and the
popular feeling seems to be that the
Englishmen have the stronger team
but in spite of that and in spite of the
fact we have been given a very short
time to prepare ourselves, ] am COM
fdent that America will not be-
ashamed Of her representatives when
we take the field against the mother
country.
The English squad have an extraor-
binary array Of ponies. We can
not deny that they outpony US TO
some extent, but in addition to MI
Whitney's string, Mr.. Prince, Of Bos-
ton, who owns a very fine stud, sent
his ponies to New York by special
train and we will all have them TO
depend on.
We have but a small handful Of
polo players In America, by which
I mean only a few men who have
gone in for the game strong enough
to become experts; whereas England
not only has England, where the game
is older and more popular than here
to draw upon, but India as well, and
in India every other man is a good
polo player
1t is therefore great credit to our
small handful that we have been able
to produce squads that have at times
beaten the best teams produced by
the British and that have always CIV
en- a good account Of themselves.
English Ponies Are Good.
From what have seen OF the Eng
llshmen l might say that their hit
ting Is uniformly fine and the ponies
are very good, but they were not be-
ing tackled, and a team always looks
pretty good when It is not being op-
posed.
In drawing a comparison between
American and English methods of
playing polo II seems to me that the
Americans have been more ambitious
for the past 20 years. The English
men are rather orthodox in their gem
eral style, while we have all kinds Of
strokes. They have some that they
play best, but there is always more
variety to the Americans
There are really no new ways of
playing polo and few new angles to
be developed. Naturally I have Ger
tain theories Of my own in connection
with the game as has every polo
player, but this Is hardly the time to
exploit them.