Evening star., 1940-07-01
Best Fan, But Severe
Critic Of virginians
Sure Of Revenqe
Counts on Win on Home
Field; Sport Proving
Popular Here
By ROBERT HENRY.

many nOurS OF entertainment from
polo games played here and in
neiehboring States this summer,
with 3rd Cavalry of Fort Myer, War
Department, Fauquier Loudoun,
Maryland Polo Club and Harris
burg Pa) affording most of the
competition.
All members of the Eastern Cir
cult which has thrived for several
years, these teams rapidly are gain
ing places with the best in the
country Although admittedly sew
eral notches below the crack inter-
national fours, they nevertheless
stage quick-moving and interesting
matches One or two games week
have been scheduled for the Poto-
mac Park field with 3rd Cavalry and
War Department playing hosts.
Watching polo through the eyes
Of feminine spectator is guaran-
teed to be fun if the fair fan hap
pens to be Mrs Hubert Phipps,
whose husband plays on the Fau-
quier-Loudoun team of Virginia,
which today was planning revenge
for the licking it took yesterday
from Bird Cavalry at Potomac Park
Teams Severest Critic.
The visitors had just bowed, 8 to
6. to the Army four before a crowd
of 1000. Darn it," said Mrs. Phipps.
"That's the first game we've lost
this year, but we'll even the score
next Sunday when Sd Cavalry visits
us at the Goose Creek field, near
Middleburg, in a Red Cross war re-
lief game Well have our best team
playing then and watch our smoke"
Self-styled coach and severest
critic of the Virginia quartet Mrs
Phipps maintained a steady stream
of chatter during the. game and
seemed considerably disappointed as
hopes of victory for her side faded
in the closing minutes. Cant un-
derstand it," she said. "Of course,
we started with a 2-goal deficit
under the handicap system, but even
so, thought we could beat those
boys today. Twice this year we've
stopped the Harrisburg club and if
you can beat that bunch you figure
to win any game. Boy, how those
big Pennsylvanians do play. ANY,
thing goes with them and it's every
man for himself"
Apparently blessed with a keen
imagination, Mrs. Phipps went into
detail about Chepita, one. of the
ponies her husband rode during the
match. That little mare is fast as
the wind when she wants to be-" she
said. only trouble is she gets mad
sometimes and won't play her best
On a small field she doesn't have
enough room to stretch her legs and
often refuses to get into the swing
of things. 1t isn't that she lacks
heart, you understand, like some
ponies, but she does need plenty of
space"
Ready to Give Advice.
Discussing various habits, both
good and bad, of mounts is one of
Mrs. Phipps' favorite topics. Un-
like some, she does not believe that
ponies learn to follow the ball, al
though she told of one pony that
would grow fidgety unless allowed to
watch the game while not partici-
pating He would stand on the
sidelines and follow the play every
minute, as though he was looking
for opposing weaknesses he could
take advantage of when he got into
action" she said.
A keen polo student and fan since
marrying and moving from Mary
land to Virginia II years ago, Mrs.
Phipps takes pride in the fact that
often the Fauquier-Loudoun men,
bers will ride over to the sidelines
and ask her how they can improve
their game in case it needs improv-
ing. mo fooling," she said. "They
ask me what's wrong lot Of times,
and I tell them, too. I also can tell
a foul before the referee does, 9 out
of 10 times. There's one now, on
that No. 3 player. Watch the man
call it," He did.
Although paralyzed in one leg
since birth, Mrs. Phipps' husband,
older brother of Mike Phipps, one
of the few 10-goal players in the
world, has played the game since a
youngster and in several different
countries. At present he is rated a
two-goal player, and with the ex-
ception of one year, has been thus
rated. 1.-TWO or three years ago."
Mrs Phipps said, "he couldn't hit
basket ball. No wonder they
dropped his rating"
Not Strapped in Saddle.
Sometime ago a reporter wrote
that Hubert had to be strapped into
the saddle to prevent him from fall
ing off and also had to have his feet
tied in the stirrup irons. 1--WE got