The New York herald., 1921-04-10
The Polo Championship.

The Polo Championship.
With all the American poloists
who are to play insthe international
matches, with the exception Of Dew
EREux MILBURN, either in Eng
land or on the Atlantic, interest in
the series is increasing. There will
be time enough to get men and ponies
into condition before the opening.
They should be thoroughly acclimated
when the first game begins. One OF
the best players is THOMAS HITCH
COCK, Jr., who is student at Oxford.
He has been in England for some
time and has earned the praise of the
British polo critics, who predict that
he will be tower of strength to his
team.
This is the same THOMAS HITCH
COCK, Jr., who, when refused permis-
sion to join the American air forces be-
cause he was only II, went to France
and before his eighteenth birthday
had accounted for two German ma
chimes and earned a money prize and
the Croix de Guerre with two palms.
He was captured by the Germans and
held prisoner for several months. He
made his escape and reached Switzer-
land. His father, Major THOMAS
HITcHcocK, ST., was in the air SER
vice of the United States and was for
q time in command at Roosevelt
Field. He is said to have been the
oldest aviator in the service, flying a
scout type of machine. and he won
the admiration Of his associates by
his skill.
When his son was taken prisoner
by the Germans Major HITCHCOCK
had difficulty in finding him. His ap-
peal to kinsman, M. A. DU Bos, a
prominent French sportsman, brought
information of THOMAS, Jr.'s, where
abouts. Then came the matter of
getting into communication with the
young soldier, and this was done
through the kind offices of King Al
FoNso of Spain.
THOMAS HITCHCOCK, Jr., comes by
his horsemanship honestly. His
father was daring rider cross coun-
try and on the flat all through the
period when amateur sport was at it's
highest. He was contemporary
in the old Meadow Brook and Cedar
hurst days Of GEORGE Work, HARRY
NORRIS, FoxHALr. p. KEENE, JOHN +.
CowDIN, STANLEY MORTIMER and
JAMES E. KEsNocHAN, and when
there was nothing else in the way
OF excitement he did not hesitate to
ride his own horses against the best
of the professionals, all of whom de-
clared that he was quite their equal
In the saddle.
He was fair polo player too and
was a member Of the best team in
the early days of the game here
abouts. The junior HrTcHcocK's
mother, who was Miss EUsTIs before
her marriage. is an intrepid horse
woman and rides to hounds at Aiken
every winter besides showing her own
thoroughbred hunters in the jumping
classes at the Long Island horse
shows in the autumn. If there is
anything in heredity the youngest
member of the American polo team,
who has been playing ever since he
was able to swing mallet, is destined
to make name for himself in this
best Of all outdoor games.
The quality Of the mounts which
will be used by both the English and
American players during the coming
test will be OF the highest. Nearly
all are thoroughbreds, and many Of
them were bought in England, where
the breeding of polo mounts is an
established industry. Small thor
oughbred sires are employed in the
work and there is a. stud book in
which the lineage of the various fam
lilies Is recorded.
The employment Of such mounts
means faster game than ever be-
fore. The element of bottom will en-
ter into the contest also and out Of
this great test Of horsemanship, no
matter which team wins, will come
results that must be beneficial to the
horse breeding industry Of Great
Britain and the United States.