Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-12
urges POLOFOR
Army OFFICERS

The chairman Of the Polo AsSocia-
ton, II. L. Herbert, is firm believer
in the polo pOnv. and considers. that
the United StJtes government would
do well to cultivate the breeding OF
these mounts for use in the regular
army. n speaking of the subject a
few days ago he called attention to the
fact that the polo pony is now Iass-
er animal than formerly, the standard
of eligibility having been raised about
five inches in the last three or four
decades. According to Mr.. Herbert, a
number of the army offiC ers are in. IA
vor of the polo pony fer a light cav
airy mount In discussing the sub
ject, ne says:
Certain facts demonstrate the nh
portant value of men and mounts ex-
perienced in POLO in the military af-
fairs Of every &C rntry where the sport
is practised As long ago as the war
in the Soudan, Lieut. de Montmorency
was awarded tie Victoria Cross for
gallantry at the battle of Omdurman
After his charger had been incapaci
tated by wounds he went into action
mounted on his polo pcny-they were
ponies in those days--and owing to
the extraordinary quickness and alert
ness of the pony be was enabled to
lift wounded brother officer, Lieut..
Grenfell, across the pony amid heavy
fighting, and cac-y him to the rear for
treatment.
This occurrence gave rise to dis
cussion in British military circles
- ; Il rf 20 n OF
all cavalry horses as far as possible a
polo training, Or falling that, to mount
some of the cavalry on stout ponies.
"The January number of the English
Polo Monthly reports Gen. Sir Doug
las Haig, now Ccmnander-in-chief OF
the British forces in France, as very
keen believer in the value OF pole
training for the cavalIyman. In his
report on operations at Salisbury
Plain some years back he attributed
great Importance to yoang officers be.
ing encouraged to hunt and play polo,
and urged that they should be helped
to do so in every way possible. He
said: These pursuits have real value
as training for war, and 1T is partic-
uiarly desirable that officers with
private means should be encouraged to
spend their money in this way
Another example OF the polo-Eiay,
ing soldier is Col. Theodore Roosevelt
who was active in polo for some years
about 1892 to 1894. He used to
ride from Oyster Bay to the Meadow
Brook Club, is miles, mount fresh
ponies and play holly contested games
for an hour or more with the dash and
determination which he has displayed
in all his under iakings. After this
strenuous polo he would ride the 10
miles home in title to dine, and think
lightly of such vigorous exercise.
When governor OF New York state, in
reply to a letter f,om me, he expressed
the opinion that body of light cav
airy could be mounted on stout AZ
ponies with advantage
'The polo mount now eligible under
the revised rules of the Polo Associ-
alton is five inches Ligher than the
pony used when | first played the
game. Polo mounts are no longer
ponies, but horses OF sufficient size,
strength and hardness to be the ideal
mount for the Officers OF the army,
as III ~ have so often proved them
selves to be.
col. (now Brlgadier GeneraD
Charles G.. Tre8t in 1905 with the
army of Cuban pacification stationed
at Havana, established polo in Cuba,
where it is now flourishing. His belief
in the combined polo and military
mount is verified By the fact that
when his son embarked to join Gen.
Parshing's forces in Mexico he took
with him as his permanent mount Il
Isl Texas-bred horse, which had been
Gen. Treats fayoritc polo horse.
81 have been informed that the Pinto
pony. ridden by Lieut., Meyers, eth
Cavalry, in Mexico recently in his
dash across country over all sorts OF
natural obstacles to carry the inform
alton of the presence of bandit de-
tachment from one of cur cavalry col
umns to another, was polo mount,
selected for its efficiency. The ride