New-York tribune., 1922-10-05
Dazzling Play
Of Hitchcock
Features Match
Local Four Displays Hardest
Hitting Polo Seen in Years
in Beating Champions
By Fred Hawthorne

Brook big four" minus the services
of Louis Stoddard, its No. /, whose
place was ably filed by j. c. Cooley
defeated the supposedly invinciblc Ar.
gentine team yesterday afternoon by q
score of 2 goals to 4, on International
fteld, at Westhury, l.. /.
This was the first of the two special
international matches arranged to de-
eide the supremacy between the all-con-
quering -four horsemen of the Argen-
tine who had swept all before them in
England and won the American open
title this season, from the Meadow
Brook team, led by Devereux Milburn.
The second game will be played on In
noon, and should Argentina win then
a third and deciding game will be
played, probably on Monday.
While no title hinges on the result
of these games between the two great
est polo combinations in the world, and
the Meadow Brook has particularly
stressed the fact that it is not COM
peting as the four that defeated the
British at Nottingham last year, but
simply as q private team, the fact re-
mains that the winning four will be
rightly regarded, as the champion polo
team of the world
When Stoddard was so severely in
iured by fall from his pony last
Monday that he had to remain out of
yesterdays game, it was felt that his
absence would prove a fatal handicap
to the American four. Little Cooley,
leader of the Flamingo four, and a
veteran of wide experience, eagerly
volunteered and was pressed into SER
vice.
Cooley Fills Stoddard's Place.
Without in any way detracting from
Stoddard's value to the Big Four,
for he is recognized wherever the game
is played as one of the greatest for
wards who ever swung a mallet, it must
be said for Cooley that he filled Stod-
terday. 1t was part of Cooley's duty
TO cover Capt. Luis Lacey, leader of
the Argentine four, and to ride him
off on occasion, and Cooley stood up
10 this imposing task surprisingly we'll,
besides scoring one of Meadow Brooks
goals.
Viewing the match as whole, II
Was Argentine's failure to hit accurate
ly that proved fatal to the South Amer
cans hopes of victory. In horseman-
ship, in combination play, even in
dribbling the ball, Argentine. as a
Team, held slight advantage over the
american combination. When it came
10 long hitting and accurate shooting
-or the goal, however, the South Amer
Icans were extremely erratic, the for
Yards passing up many chances on
%hat appeared certain scores by either
missing the ball entirely or landing
vide of the mark.
This was in large part due, undoubt-
'uly, TO the tremendously aggressive
rlaying of Milburn and si1 team mates,
no were in there fighting every min
,te of the time and forcing the Argen-
tiaians to hurry their shots. The play:
.Ng of Meadow Brooks "big four" was
l'ore individual in character than that
81 ITS opponents, and in a majority Of
lushes up and down the field in pursuit
81 the ball the American ponies ap-
po&red to have the edge on speed.
lfor Meadow Brook, young Tommy
hitchcock fairly rode himself into glory
yesterday. The Meadow Brook No. 2
vas source of constant worry to the
argentine team, vieing with the mighty
Miiburn in the power of his hitting and
ranging the field from end to end in
the reckless dashes over the broad
stretch of turf. Superbly mounted in
every chukker, Hitchcock accepted
every challenge by an opposing pony
and generally showed in front in these
duels of speed. He was the highest
seoring player of the day, making five
of Meadow Brooks seven goals, with
'ooiey and Webb making the other two
webb played his position at No. 8 in
mastery style, and while his was not
me scoring position, the brilliant left
handler always made his presence felt
both when it came to riding an oppo-
nent out of the play or preventing an
Argentine score by daring saves.
Mhourn, at back, played in the man.
ner that has earned him the reputation
OF being one OF the greatest PLAYERS
VINO ever filled the position From the
first period to the end of the match
his herculean hits outshone those of
every other man on the field, md many
1ines these tremendous drives saved
the day for Meadow Brook by Carving
me ball out of the danger zone after
argentine had thundered down the
tield clear up to the portals of the
American goal.
captain Lacey was the star for Ar
gentine, being only a shade behind
Miiburn in the distance covered by his
hits. The South American leader was
tower of strength to his team, not
only playing the back position magnif-
Gently but frequently leading the Of
Tense in the daring Argentinian as
sauits on the Meadow Brook goal, and
Tor superb horsemanship I do not be-
heve Lacey's equal was on the field
yesterday.
The Miles brothers and Jack Nelson
were brilliant In all but their hitting.
frequently taking tho bali almost the
length Of the field on splendid pass (
ing, only to fail when the road was
open Tor score. AS have said. these
misses were often caused by tho furi- |
Gus aggression Of Hitchcock, Milburn, |
webb and Cooley, but there were nu- |
merous occasions when the Argentine |
forwards should have scored and failed |
IN the pinch.
Miles and Milburn Clash
We talk of the players and Of how
they played the game, but the ponies |
deserve separate niche in the polo |
Hall OF Fame to themselves. Combin- |
ing the three cardinal virtues neces-1
sary In polo pony, speed, intelligence |
and courage, TO an extraordinary de- |
gree, they appeared to enter into the |
game yesterday with every whit as I
much interest and fighting determine /
tion as their riders, and to leave the |
field of battle at the end of each chuk-
ker with real regret.
A soul-stirring demonstration of this
came in the final period OF play, when
he teams were fighting desperately,
Meadow Brook to increase its lead and
Argentine to pull victory from the
avs of defeat. In wild rush down.
he field toward the Argentine goal
David Miles and Milburn crashed, al I,
nest head on. and both riders and