POLO

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21990, 14 January 1937, Page 7

POLO

DOMINION TOURNAMENT PROSPECTS PONIES DIFFICULT TO SECURE IN CANTERBURY The start of the polo season this year has been delayed somewhat by the late shearing in most country districts, and horses and men at the opening practice on Saturday showed considerable lack of form considering that the Savile Cup tournament is to be held here in April. The Christchurch Club team to meet the North Island Club team, which at present holds the Savile Cup, will be much the same as that which won the cup previously, in Christchurch and the North Island, as new players have not reached a standard entitling them to inclusion in the team. The onlv probable change in the personnel "is that R. B. Johnson may replace Major G. F. Hutton. The team would then be G. H. Grigg, R. M. D. Johnson, D. W. J. Gould, and R. B. Johnson. At the moment there are 11 players in the Christchurch Club, the other members being G. Hutton, jun., H. G. Livingstone, H. D. Livingstone, G. B. McCredie, Sir Bruce Stewart, and G. Hennessy. There may be more players before the end of the season, however. The chief difficulty facing the club at present is the obtaining of suitable ponies in Canterbury, and by this all teams are considerably handicapped. A few young ponies have been introduced to the game this season, and endeavours are being made to bring them into form for the New Zealand tournament, but the Christchurch team, given fine weather for practice, should oe able to strike a high standard by tournament time. There has boon a decrease in the number of clubs in Canterbury in recent years. Formerly there wore at least two teams at Amuri, Rangiora, Mayfield, Pareora, and Banks Peninsula. With the exception of two teams at Pareora there are now no other teams in Canterbury. The Pareora Club w.’ll be represented at the New Zealana tournament by a feooa team of young players, well modntod. In the North Island polo seems to he having a very successful run. There are many players in the Waikato, Hawke’s Bay,, and Feilding districts. Feilding is the headquarters for New Zealand for polo, and it is expected that it will be strongly represented at the New Zealand tournament In the North Island there is not the same difficulty as in Canterbury in securing ponies, and it is hoped that the North Island players will bring with them to the tournament ponies that they will be prepared to sail.

Four members of the Christchurch Club represented New Zealand at the polo tournament held at the Melbourne Centenary celebrations. They were G. H. Grigg, D. W. J. Gould, R. M. D. Johnson, and P. D. Hall. The team ran into a good place in the competitions and seemed likely to do very well until an injury to a riding muscle which Johnson received necessitated his withdrawal.