The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-02-15

But the game, like I0otDail haS gone west, where it's picturesque and sensational action has won the popular fancy of thousands of fans. The year around, polo is be- ing played now on 8 nationwide scale.
 Real Rivalry
 On Sunday, February I, a picked team of Texans invaded Los Am geles to lose, 19 to IS, to a hard riding California four in the first of three-game series. Each team boasts a 10-goal man, such a rat ing being the highest honor that can be bestowed upon ao poloist.
 Top-ranking Cecil Smith, former cowboy, leads the Lone Star gall lopers. Elmer Boeseke, Jr, who like Smith, was elevated to the pedes- tai of 10 goals this year, rides for the Californians.
 Fast ponies featured the opening clash, and Alden Roark's eight goals, against Smiths seven goals for the Texans. Two Texas play CTS, M. B. Gilmore and Tom Ma ther, bit the dust in a collision.
 The series will be continued February II, and if a third game is necessary, it will be played Feb ruary IS. The meeting Is held sec ond in national importance to the world series betwen eastern and western teams, won by the west at Chicago last summer. Another big feature of the winter season is the approaching east-west indor cham pionship class, which, like last years, probably vii be held at Chi cago.
 Success
 It was not until the series at the Chicago exposition that the full significance of polo's progress across the face of the United States was realized. And it was a new game, played in a new spirit, that captured the worlds fair visitors. There was more of hockey and football in it than the sport Long Island had known.
 Cowboys Rube Williams and Cecil Smith, from Texas, had brought into the game some of the uncouth theories of the roundup. The country was amazed to learn that polo was rough and ready. Tommy Hitchcock, paragon of the east, fell on his ear. There were some broken arms and broken legs after head-on collisions and slash ing sideswipes.
 It was not the kind of pastime | the man in the street had visualiz- ed as polo. It was not polite cro- quet, indulged in laconically by so- cial registerites on Shetlands. This was a hero's sport.
 Polo was born in Persia more than 2000 years ago. It areveled to Turkestan, Tibet, China, Japan. It's history is indistinct, but at least dozen countries played a game on horseback which consisted of hit ting a ball between two goal posts.
 Great Britain's 10th Hussars brought the sport from Punjab to England in 1869. It was enthu- siastically received. In 1S73 the various clubs in England united to form the Birmingham Club, which still is the ruling power in polo.
 It was not until the late '7O's that America saw the game, and it was indoor polo that first was play ed in this country. In 1876 the late James Gordon Bennett introduced the sport in New York riding academy.
 The game grew beyond the ex- pectations of Bennett, and in 1885 wealthy Americans challenged Eng lands stars. A cup for the world champion team was donated.
 The first series, best two out of three, was a crushing defeat for the United States team. Great Bri- tain won, 10 to and 14 to 2. It was sharp rebuke, but proved to be a lesson America took to heart.