The New York herald., 1922-07-09
RUMSON POLO GALA
CARD is CROWDED
Officials Will Have a Hard
Time Getting Through as
Scheduled.
AMERICA VS.. ARGENTINA
AMERICA VS.. ARGENTINA
international Match Is Urged
Valuable Mounts Com
ing Here.
ny CAPT. H. HI. HOLMES.

WueH tIle StedmSnlp MdHndttdH
leaves the docks at London on August
with the Argentine and English polo
ponies it will have very -a1uable con-
signment of live stock on board. There
will be at least fifty ponies on this ship
for the two teams. At conservative
valuation of $4,000 each this collection
of mounts aggregates s150.000. The
Eastcott ponies, numbering about TWEEN
ty-five. are not included. as they are
leaving England some three weeks pre-
vious to the Hurlingham and Argentine
shipment
The special polo committee appointed
by the Polo Association, consisting Of
l.. E. Stoddard chairman; Devereux
Milburn. Meadow Brook: ]. Ford John
son. Rumson. and r. E. Strawbridge.
Philadelphia. will need favorable
weather conditions to be able to con-
clude both the open championship and
the H. L. Herbert memorial cup in the
two weeks allotted to the Rumson Coun-
try Club. Each tourney will require
five matches. Valuable replicas of the
trophy will be given the members o.
the winning team.
1t has been suggested by many poloists
that the eight best players be divided
into two teams for a farewell game
during their visit to Philadelphia. This
~A~yt WiiiSi Iido always IdQ eXtTdOfQl-
narily large and enthusiastic gatherings,
deserves to be treated to such rare tiu.
bit. 1t would abviously be productive
of an exhibition Of polo the equal Of
which has rarely If ever been seen be-
fore.
want America VS.. Argentina.
There is a countrywide hope that the
Meadow Brook four-Milbur Stoddard.
Webb and Hitchcock-will al the con-
clusion of this series of tournaments
agree to play as unit against the Ar
gentfne team or che aggregation that
has survived the season with the great
est measuer of success
If this should happen to be the repre-
sentatives from South America, the
game would cause great interest in Great
Britain, as they are curious to know 4
these visiting players who have beaten
ell the combinations opposed to them In
England can lower the Meadow Brook
coiors. Naturally. the Argentine skip
per will be unlikely to suggest the game
much as he would like doubtless to put
his team to the test. 1t is an issue that
the Meadow Brook international team
will have to meet, and it is to be taken
Tor granted that players and followers
OF the game from coast to coast will be
exceedingly disappointed If Mr.. MIL
burns team refuses this opportunity to
cross sticks with such worthy opponents.
Such game would have no bearing on
the American or International Cup now
In this country. Incidentally Temple
ton, Shelburne House and Eastcott are
respectively names OF teams. not clubs.
1t is a little unfair to criticise polo
committees that have SO much RESPONSE
blity thrust upon them during the sea-
son, but great many players are of
the opinion that there have been entirely
too many games postponed because of
the possible damage that might be done
playing fields II used when in soft
condition. Undoubtedly this has been
an unusually wet season. butt players
who are at considerable expense keeping
their ponies at these clubs consider that
they should be given more consideration,
especially those players who have tenn
pcrarily deserted their home grounds to
pYay in outside tournaments. In many
cases they would not have been deprived
of their polo II they had stayed at their
own clubs.
As to Wet Polo Fields.
A wet field suffers comparatively lit
tie damage II sufficient care IS taken to
put Il into shape Immediately after the
game. On the other hand a dry field is
subject to much more abuse and conse-
quent deterioration as the ponies shoes
cut up infinitesimal Jumps of which only
small percentage Is ever put back.
During a game naturally the wet field
looks worse. but 1t is an easy matter
to replace the soft turf.
The players when sympathizing with
each other on their inability to use the
Long Island folds compare the baby
ing" OF these grounds to the hard wear
that several other prominent clubs have
caused their fields to undergo for many
years without permanent harm. Usu-
ally they have in mind the fields at Mar
ragansett, where annually from one to
two games are played daily under all
conditions for a month at time. No
one can say that the two best fields on
this Rhode Island club are any the
worse for this severe treatment, in fact
they are equal to any in the country.
This next week the tournaments will
be continued at Meadow Brook and the
Rockaway Hunt Club. In addition to
the final of the Hampstead cups there
will be the Meadow Brook Cup event.
open to teams whose aggregate handicap
does not exceed twenty goals, and the
Westbury Challenge Cup, open to any
teams to be played without handicap.
These will be decided on the Meadow
Brook fields.
At Rockaway the games for the Inde-
pendence and Blizzard cups will attract
big crowds throughout the week. Next
Saturday the Rumson Country Club will
commence it's annual tournament. While
the entries are not closed yet there is
every indication that this will be sue
cessful tourney.
The polo committee Of the Point Ju-
dith Club at Narragansett Pier in prepa-
tion for the biggest tournament held for
decade have taken over all available
stabling In and around Narragansett.
1t Is extremely advisable that players
advise the secretary as soon as possible
the number of standings they will re-
quire. The season commences July 26
and terminates with the Rathborne me-
mortal event about August Is. The Ju-
nior championship will be played here
this season.