Evening star., 1937-07-03
DRIVING TR0TTERS
HIS LATEST love"
Race Rider, Polo Star Now
Seen as Sure to Appear
in HambIetonian.
BY GRANTLAND RICE.

u the Grand National and played
international polo. Don't be
surprised to see him driving 4
trotter in the Hambletonian. Maybe
not this year. But in 1898. or the
year after that. For Pete's latest
enthusiasm Is trotters, and he has
been learning how TO drive Once he
gets the hang of it, he'll be in the
Hambletonian, sure
Here is one of the greatest horse
men and most remarkable athletes
in this country. He doesn't remem-
Der when he couldn't ride, his ear
liest recollections having TO do with
pony over which he threw q leg
at 4 or thereabouts. When he was Is
ne was riding in point to- point races.
From there he went TO the more i'm
portant steeplechase races in this
country and. between times, matched
his skill against that OF the best of
the country's professional Jockeys in
hat races
Somehow he found time to go to
prep School-but he had no time to
spare for college On the road to
Yale he suddenly stopped, climbed on
horses back-and rode rapidly in
the opposite direction. He thought
it would be almost sinful to spend
four years sticking his nose in dusty
tones when he could be ryking his
neck roaring down the stretch IN
fiat race or going over the Jumps.
The Best There Was.
TWO or three years ago it was con-
ceded that he was the best steeple-
chase rider, amateur or professional
in the country. At Belmont Park and
Saratoga and on the english tracks
he won many q stirring r'ce-took
many a tumble too-and always
bobbed up smiling He knew the su-
preme thrill-to a jumping horse
rider-of riding in the Grand Ma
tional Thrown the first time, he
went back for the 1885 race and had
his mount, Castle Irwell. right up with
the leaders on the second time around,
only to have the horse sturr bic at the
canal turn.
AS he was picking imself up of the
turf, he vowed to come back the next
year. And he did. In 1876 he an
ished seventh. He would have been
back again this year, I In sure, only
his interest had been caught and held
by polo.
Not that polo is new to him. He
has been playing it for several years
here. in England and in South
America. But only in the last year or
two has he acquired such skill At the
game that it has taken . arm grip
on him. They laughed at him when
he first played polo. They said that.
for one thing, he was too small. And
for another that he liked he 5es too
we'll to yank and haul them about as
most poo players do.
But he proved that 4 fellow who
weighs no more than l25 pounds can
play polo just as we'll as anybody
and because he is such an expert
horseman he gets the most out OF his
mount without subjecting 1t to any
abuse In the matches with the Ar
gentines last September he alone,
among the Americans, rode or = par
with the men from the par1paA
1t Was Inevitable.
pOLO, then. has taken up most Of
his time and attention for the last
two years. although between matches
and practice skirmishes he busted
himself training his own jumpers and
running horses and those Of some Of
his friends, being the most tireless
little guy l ever saw around horses
from dawn till dark.
But 1t was inevitable that when
Dunbar Bostvick became interested
in harness racing and began to make
plans for the magnificent track he
built at Aiken, Pete would be putting
| on cap and coat and goggles and
climbing into q sulky sooLer or later
It happened he got big kick out OF
1t, he said He admitted he had q
little difhculty seeing where he va,
going. being such . little fellow
perched right up there behind = big
horse swinging around the track But
he'll overcome that dif1culty-even
If he has to have = sulky with = high
chair built into it.
As for seeing where he Is going-]
can tell now. He's going, eventually
to Goshen. I'll be looking for him
when the horses come out for TIN
Hsmbletonian in 1o3S-or 1899 At TIN
latest. He can cross me on that, o.
course But the only way he's likely
to do that Is by beating the time Iv(