The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-17

Til, remark was made to Lawrence |
r.lp,trlck, the trainer of the 100000
worth If ponies that will be used by
IN. american team in the international
no.. matches against the British four
af 50 ldow Brook. The scene was the
sid. mes If George ]. Goulds practice |
d..f at Lakewood, y. j., on an off day. |
OIL. captain Of the American team
VI. referring to Sizzler, a very wise
looking little polo pony. battle Scared
and the hero Of many n hard fought |
match. As Slzzler refused absolutely !
=, GO out on the field and play there
v.,. ra,hing for Mr. Waterbury Ia do
lut get another mount.
why wouldn't Sizzler play? I put |
the question to the trainer perhaps
IN, most experienced and successful
handler IF these temperamental ana
l.gh strung little animals in the world. |
81. .r wouldn't bulge because he knew
-hl, no was simply being asked To tear
no and down the field and get himself
irt, a luther in order tn give his mas
for a ll,tle practice at knocking "A ball
al,u,. The idea Had a real game
HON I'm progress he would have jumped
r.ght INTO the fray and been ready TO
rid, IF all corners and take the hard |
est knocks from balls and sticks with
ont n.uChing The proud little beast
wasn't born for the kind of hack work
proposed. such jobs were for ponies
with less Of the thoroughbred strain
in their makeup.
You ask: What is a polo pony, and
how came he by this almost human in
t,,l.rurr? \ polo pony Is a pony
that pllys polo. lie may be broncho
from the Western plains; an English
or Irish cob or galloway; an Argentine
pony from stock derived from those
native. or cr,n,lo. mares which for gem
era'lprs have run wild ON the South
American plains: a Waller from Austria
La or pony bred for his llfe's work.
Almost invariably q polo pony Of So
called international calibre is dwarfed
th1rou.hhrcd lie must be exceed
ingly quick at starting and turning,
have terrific speed. and possess that
do or die spirit at the last gasp Of eff
fort. only animals from thoroughbred
stock have, as rule, this kind of cour-
age
And yet look at Carry the News, the
most highly priced pony in the string
team. Carry the News, who is consid-
cred by Harry Payne whitney to be
the equal Of Colonial, now retired,
and probably the best polo pony that
ever lived, was bred in Hawaii His
ancestry Is unknown. There Is no ma
tive breed in Hawaii.
This famous light chestnut seems to
have some If the old Spanish strain,
and for this reason is believed by some
to he a descendant of pony taken out
60 the South Sea islands from Cali
fornia. Others are sure that he must
have come originally from Australia.
But the lack Of pedigree has not
handicapped Carry the News in his
work IN the polo field. He has courage.
nerve. speed and other necessary play
ing qualities. and his owner. w. a.
Baldwin. Of the Hawaiian Polo Club %
Honolulu, would not part with him for
$4,000.
And then there Is the bay Helen c.,
who has also been brought all the way
from Honolulu to help defend t. in
tcrnatonal polo cup This pOlowise
llttl" mare looks something like a Tex
an She shows the lines of a Texas
quarter horse, although she is supposed
t. be California bred.
a lot has been written about ponies
playing the game. They have been cred
tied with knowing as much about polo
as the riders. They are believed by
many to have So much sense that they
Will kick the bali out Of danger when
the rider cannot reach 1t or misses il.
This is pure nonsense. The pol)
pony has brains, but his thinking pow
ers are very limited. He learns by ex-
perirnce when real game is on, just as
racehorse gets to understand what he
has to do when he is lined up at the
gate with a number of other horses
at a track. The racehorse is always
more excited in a race than when cam
terlng leisurely in a field. So Il Is with
polo pony. The polo pony may be
cold IN the stable and yet show signs of
being anxious for the fray while walt
Ing 10 get into a match.
A polo pony Is a triumph of animal
training. He must be obedient 1t is
not case of what a pony wants to do
but what the player wants him to do
Players would be killed in every game
II the pony were allowed to play the
game, If the pony had his own way
he would probably go over the side
lines and get out of the battle as fast
as he could Many hard knocks and
bumps must he taken in fast game
first class pony must necessarily
be pIuCky. Like footballer, II he
be deficient in pluck he will quit as
soon as he begins to be buffeted about
and hurt No matter how handy a pony
may be in practice, unless he is coura-
ge"us in riding of and Is not afraid
OF taking the risk of "A head-on COLI
sion az top speed he has no place on a
POI" field. 1t Is not a matter OF breed
in-. \ we'll bred pony Is just as likely
To- he coward as a nondescript ranch
pony.
II Is popularity believed that a pole
pony j. taught to follow the ball. Thi:
Is MT so, The pony goes in the
direction in which the player guide:
him. As a matter of fact, years age
It "ls the practice, though to tn,
credit If the game not common one
70 Destroy the eye of pony on the
s.ek side. This, of course. was don'
10 n0im2e the risk of the pony!
shy,nS at the swing OF the stick, bu
at Oh" same time it would have mad'
II CNC"cdlngly difficult for him t
io'Io" the ball If that had been hi
duty