The New York herald., 1920-11-07
INTERNATIONAL CUP
POLO DATES FIXED
Americans to Meet British at
Hurlingham June 18,
% and 25.
By SAMUEL j. BRooKMAN.

Although America as yet has cabled
no official challenge, Hurlingham Club
OF England has fixed June IS. % and 25
as the dates for the international polo
matches of 1921. In announcing the
dates yesterday from local headquarters
the Polo Association made II clear that
the American challenge was certainty
and that the delay in transmitting It to
the English polo authorities was due
merely to the fact :ha. there has been
no executive committee meeting OF late
The challenge will go forth within
short time.
English and American polo officials
have understood right along that the
United States was TO send a team to
England next year. There has been con-
siderable correspondence between them
and both countries have been active in
preparations. Americas leading candi-
dates for the international team have
been practising several months at
Meadow Brook and some of them are
still at II. So strenuous. in fact, has been
their preparation since the summer
season that they are being advised now
to curtail their work for fear OF over
doing It. To avoid going stale the inter
national candidates probably will pass
up the winter tournaments in California
and wait for the spring events in the
South. Al that they will have very
little time for further play here, for II
is the intention of the Polo Association
to send the team abroad in March.
Fifty OF the finest polo ponies in
America are to be shipped TO England
early in January. Like human beings.
ponies have to become acclirnated to be
Mt their best. and they will have to 60
through period of training after reach
ing the other side How long that period
should be is matter over which opinion
difRs. In 1913 when the British sent
team that failed in its quest OF the polo
cup. the English ponies were shipped
here months I'm advance so as to assure
their being in perfect trim when the cup
matches came around, but when the
matches were played the animals were
far from being in satisfactory condition.
Early Polo Shipment.
The following year, when the British
finally succeeded IN winning the coveted
trophy. their ponies did not reach this
country until few weeks before the all
important matches. II may be wrong
however. TO draw any conclusions from
second lot OF ponies may have been bet
ter than the first or may have encoun-
tered weather that was more helpful
toward the attainment OF condition. Be
that as II may. the American ponies this
time are going across five months before
the cup rnatches.
AZ on the occasion OF the last visit
OF the American challenging team TO
England the United States poloists will
participate in several Of the open tourna-
ments preceding the cup event six or
seven players will make up the Ameri-
can squad, and every man will be given
chance TO play in the preliminary tour
neys to prove his right to a place on the
team that will face the cup holders.
1t has been fairly definitely established.
although nothing has been announced
officially. that the six or seven players
TO make the trip will be chosen from
among the following: Devereux Mil
burn, Louis T.. Stoddard Thomas Hitch
cock. Jr.. Earl w. Hopping. c. c. Rum
sey. J. Watson Webb. j. Cheever Cow
din and IT. S. Won stade or these only
Milburn and Stoddari have had interna-
tlonal team experience.
The cup matches are to DO played
under British rules with the exception
that there Is 10 be no restriction on the
height of the polo ponies. Recently the
English association adopted a maximum
limit OF Is hands Il inch. but THIS ruit
will apply only to home tournaments
The American association. by the way.
has adopted the polo penalty amend
ments suggested by birmingham n year
ago. but there still exist minor differ
ences I'm the playing codes OF the two
countries These differences may be
eliminated when the officials of the two
countries get togther in a rule confer
ence in England next June. as they
likely will