Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-10
YOUTH SCALES HEIGHTS
TO RIDE WITH VETERANS
Hitchcock, 20; Guest, q; Will Match Their Speed
With Skill and Experience of Milburn, AZ, and
Cowdin, 80, on Cup Team.

IT. HERE is an old adage in sports
TO the effect that youth will
be served" 1t is brought forth
Il as an explanation in every
branch of competition when
veteran bows TO younESter. ENen
in Yacht racing the adage is made
to apply. and when the American de
Tense committee began selecting the
polo team that would ride out on In
ternational Field against the British
Challengers it seemed quite possible
that they would take into account
1.-The serving of youth" They did ana
they didn't.
At No. and at No. will be Wins
ton Guest and Tommy Hitchcock whose
combined ages are the same as Dev-
ereux Milburn's, at back. and only
eight more than J. Cheever CoWdin s,
at No. 3. Guest is 81, Hitchcock %,
Cowdin SO and Milburn AZ. Yet the
greatest asset of this combination is
expected to be its speed.
Experts have announced that this
four is the fastest that ever rode on a
polo field-and the total ages of the
four players is 1873 years. The for
wards total AZ years and the defen-
sive men. IS.
Milburn a Polo Marvel.
age Of the defensive men, it would
seem that the team would be badly
out Of balance, but it must be remem-
bered that Milburn is anything but
an old man. He never will be. As
long as DevereuX Milburn sits a sad
die he will be playing polo, and as
long as he will be playing polo he will
be riding out in front of the pack,
asking no quarter from youth and
giving none.
The new age of polo has brought
forward heavy hitters-men who can
send the ball down the field in great
arcs. Young Guest, brilliant player
that he is. owes much of his success
to his ability to hit the bah hard,
fast and far Hitchcock always has
been noted for his long drives and
there never has been a longer hitter
than Nilburn.
So with the greater reliance being
placed on strong, hard hitter 1t Is,
perhaps, more of a tribute to Milburn
than a reflection on the adaSe tat
he has been able to stay where youth
has showed others aside. No oIe can
testify better to MIlburn's playing
than Cowdin. a back, who found that
If he hoped to get on the international
team he would have to START playing
some other position.
In considering him, those who in
sist that youth must be servsd' will
have to stop for a moment, for here
is a man SO years old taking his stand
in the front line trench of his sport;
playing where the going is the hard
est-in an international test. Most
athletes retire before they reach 81
and a player who stays beyond that
time-Cobb. Speaker and a few 9th
ers--is singled out for comment. but
Cowdin has just attained the heights.
He is playing a soft position? Hard
ly No position is easy in an inter-
national match of any kind. He not
only has TO hit the ball, but has TO
ride off the opponents, has to feed the
ball up to his forwards SO his side
can score and he has to display
enough intuition to be in the spot
the ball comes, whether he has
merely to wheel his mount or ride the
width of the field. An hour of this
will turn many a youth old. but Cow
din and Milburn grow young instead.