Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-04
by CAPT. PERCY REDFERN
CREED,

Copyright. 1927. in All Countries BY North
American Newspaper Alliance.
n YEW YORK, September 9Th
time has arrived to write tn
VI last word on the prospects fol
4 the first international poll
match at Meadow Brook. I
IS not an easy word to write. II
there is ono game more than another
which has the most experienced
critics shy of prophecy that game is
polo. The game has, perhaps, more
of the element of glorious uncertainty
than any other. in addition to the
variability of human beings under
the stress of a great ordeal there is
the element of finely tempered, prac-
ttcally thoroughbred horseflesh which
plays such a vital part in the strug-
gie. Neither players nor ponies are
machines, and when they are keyed
mp to concert pitch for a great occa-
sion anything may happen.
Some players absorb a stimulation,
which makes them play better than
they know how, from the environ
ment, the cheers and all the varied
vibrations stirred by the excitement OF
an international battle. They excel
themselves and perform the miracles.
Other players, worried by the i'm
portance of the issue, are depressed
below their ordinary form. and may
even be driven by their sense of in
dividual responsibility into a spasm
of stagefright which freezes their
skill at the critical moment.
Weather Is Big Factor.
The outstanding feature of the
training and practice of the teams has
been the weather.
The weather has not been very kind
IN hn hiff
the full punch of its propensity for
practical joking for the British play
ers who had come 10000 miles from
India, where the polo grounds are fast
and hard. And who during their halt
in England refused to play serious
polo because they were going to
America, where the grounds would be
fast and hard like the ones in India!
Time after time at the hour Of the day
selected by the British for a practice
match there would arrive a thunder
storm and a cloudburst.
The Americans guessed better and
made a larger score of dry days Sc
lected for practice, but they have had
their share of mud -larking, too. AS
a-matter of fact, we have no guar
antee that the weather may not ar
range for the international struggles
to turn out rather a ploughing match
than a polo game. Nothing can be
done about it.
The Betting.
For practical purposes the weather
arranged that the practice period
should reveal no clue to the probable
outcome of the international games.
There has been some betting on the
event, odds of 6 to on America
having been laid. Unless the bettors
in question have employed an astrol-
oyer in whose divination they have
confidence to advise them Of the prob
abilities inherent in the situation, /
cannot imagine how they could figure
out these odds. On some form shown
in such practice as there has been
the American team would smother
their rivals. On other form it would
be long odds on the British winning
the cup. ~
The Ponies.
Before coming to the players let me
Zeal with the all-important factor of
pony-power. The invading players
will ride the pick of the polo ponies
to be found in the British Empire.
The American players will be
mounted on ponies carefully chosen
from the great wealth of fine polo
States. s+ee
In both teams will be found ponies
which for speed "can catch pigeons"
And apart from these exceptional
flyers there are no slow ones to be
found in either camp. They can all
gallop to some time or they would
not be there.
There is one quality in which the
British ponies may have a slight adj
vantage. More time and trouble have
been spent on their education and
schooling in all the arts of hardness.
But if they have an advantage in the
matter of hardness the American
ponies as whole may be a trifle
faster. If these two suppositions are
warranted they should cancel each
other.
In all probability there may be moth
ing to choose between the pony power
of the rival teams.
From the ponies we pass to the
Craftsmanship Of the players. All the
players who will ride into the lists at
Meadow Brook are really good horse
men. And it is invidious to draw COM
parsons. There is no player here
who does not know how to do justice
to a good pony. There is no marked
contrast between the American and
bFlllSu Styles Oh nOISeIna1lSulp. OuCN
differences as there may be in style
are those of individual physique and
temperament, and not differences of
different schools of equitation. TAX
ing the collective skill in horseman-
ship of the two teams he would be
bold man who might give preference
to one or the other
Hitting.
So far there is nothing to choose be-
tween the two contending sides. Now
we come to the coping-stone of our
edifice-skill in hitting the little shiny
white ball. A skill which has to be
gagged when galloping at full speed
TO a margin of the width of the goal
post, a margin which wins or loses
the game. Here we have a more or
less marked contrast in style.
The American players are, as
general rule, longer hitters. Devereux
Milburn first and later on Thomas
Hitchcock, jr.. made big hitting the
standard Of first-class polo. They
were enabled to do this because they
cultivated an accurate control of di.
rection over the long range which
kLETNTTC TT MN