The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-06-18
SPORTING NEWS
International Polo
Matches Started To-Day
Webb, Member of Last Vt
Legislature, on
u. S. Team

regarding the outcome of the internation
al polo series beginning today failed to
shift from the $3.50" basis of specula
ton as the opening game drew near
With the opening whistle only few
hours away, Its tOss-up," was the IN
variable view of well informed polo men
Polo always the sport of kings" Is
that and more, judging from the gath
ering crowds which promise to bring to-
gether one Of the greatest throngs that
has ever witnessed a polo match In
Great Britain.
Opinion does not veer from the belief
that the/eXperience sand polo knowledge
of the Englishmen will be pitted against
the more dashing but possibly more err
ratio play of the Americans. Three of
the English quartet. Lieutenant Colonel
Tompkins, Major Barrett and Major
Lockett have played before against
United States teams. Lord NOdehOuse
is the most experienced of the four and
he is commonly thought to be-the hazard
Gus link in the British chain. England 5
reserves. however. are strong with Lieu
tenant Colonel Melville, Major Harrison
and Captain Palmes available. All are
experienced and skillful.
Tom Hitchcock and ]. Watson Webb
are the Americans playing their first in
ternational polo. The experience of
Louis +. Stoddard in international com
uotition also is limited but DevereauX
AIilburn. playing his fifth tournament,
will go far toward offsetting any ten
dency the younger Americans may de-
velop toward unsteadiness.
Today's match opens the eighth
international polo series between Eng
land and America. The first series was
played at Newport. r. l., in 1886 when
the Americans. defending the cup. were
defeated in straight games, 10 to t and
II to >. England won the only match
PLAYED i'm 1900 by score of $ to >.
In 1907. the American team which
went to birmingham again was unSuc-
Cessful. Although winning the first
game. the two succeeding contests were
American defeats by one-sided scores.
6 to l and to l. The American quest,
however. was rewarded in 1909 when the
Big Four Lawrence Waterbury. j. NJ.
Waterbury, II. p. Whitney and Dever-
eaux 8Iilburn captured the trophy in
straight contests. The Americans sue
ceedcd in defending successfully through
two English invasiOns of Meadow Brook
but on the third trip to this side. the
BritOns were successful in 1914 in
straight games, So to and to 234.
Were not the financial requirements of
the game So stringent there is no doubt
that it would be one of the most popular
of sports. The cost of polo, rather than
the desires of its patrons, makes the
game ''exclusive.'
Polo is played on field 300 yards long
and 200 yards wide. with the players
mounted on thoroughbred ponies. To
the observer the charging, Swerving, side
stepping skill of the ponies is more than
half the game. The four PLAYERS on n
team are designated No. !. No. >, No.
; and Back. The positions of the indi-
viduals vary with the progress of the
ball.
An off-side rule requires that one man
of the opposing team MUST he between a
PLAYER and the goal. CHARGING. in polo,
takes the form of riding off" an oppon-
Ont. attempting to prevent him from hit
ting the ball or getting it.
4 goal is scored when the ball is driven
between two posts set eight yards apart.
The height at which the ball passes the
posts is immaterial. \ goal counts one
point
OF the players. the No. I. on attack.
IS to watch the opposing back. clearing
the way for his own side. The position
is one of self-sacrificc. He seldom gets
the opportunity to ride through" but
usually STAYS close TO the opponents
back No . has the enviable position of
runner and goal-ScOrpr and gains most
applausr from Spectators who appreciate
chiefly ''fashy" work He is often
termed the flying man" of the team
The duties of No 3 are divided almost
equally between offensive and defensive
duty and his is one Of the most strenuous
posing forwards aiding his back and
feeds his No >. The back. usually the
teams most experienced PLAYER. guards
his goal and places the ball for the for
wards. His position of observation makes
him naturally the strategist of the team
Penalties mainly are exacted for the
dangerous practice of cross riding. the
crooking of mallets or Workmanship of
any kind which may be dangerous to an
opponent. 4 system of penalties similar
to that used in England. was adopted by
the Polo Association of America last
wear and viii be used in the matches at
birmingham next month. This code pro-
vides for free hit for goal by an Op-
ponent of the rider on whom the foul is
called. the distance from the goal vary
ing invPrsey with the seriousness of the
rule infractiOn. Formerly fouls were
punished by the deduction of a point or
fraction of a point from the score of the
offending team. A referee is the arhiter.
He. like the PLAYERS. is mounted There
will be no height restrictions so far as
the mounts are concerned in the coming
matches Formerly, the Nottingham rule
limited the ponies to 142 hands