POLO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11854, 4 January 1902, Page 7

POLO.

The Waingaro Polo . Club opened their season on December 7 in the paddock of Mr. S. Picken. There was a large attendance of both players : and: spectators.; Over 20 playing members were present, and some excellent play was witnessed. v From what 1 saw the time players have ■ lost • none of their dash, and, in fact, it is wonderful' how little of their old form v they havo lost ' since last tiiey-: played—some two years ago. Among tho young.; players there is;- some very promising material. As a rule, they are good horsemen, and hit hard.; ;.: The ponies; are exceptionally good for a club that has so lately been reformed, and some of the members are to be congratulated on securing such a good stamp of pony. -, Several of them were rather green and . fat, hut I trust they will be in first-class trim by the tournament time in Auckland. Afternoon ; tea was provided by Miss Wilson, of Waingaro,.assisted by her' lady friends, and, thanks to- their kindness and energy, a most enjoyable afternoon was spent. The captain, committee, and friends are to bo congratulated on the success of this, their opening, day, which augurs well for the coming season. ; On Wednesday ; morning, at Alexandra Park, quite a number of players turned out, considering the holiday season. '*. The following members of the Auckland Club were present :— Messrs. Tonks, O'Rorke, Lloyd, Purchas, Clark, Simpson.'.-; Among the Remuera players were Messrs. Crowther, Maitland, flume and Meredith. Three spells were played, the first and last of which'were fairly fast. O'Rorke was somewhat handicapped by strange ponies, but in spite of this ho played a very fair game, hitting all round his pony in a masterly manner. Tonks made the score of the morning by taking the ball the 'full length of tho field at a rattling pace, ending by hitting a goal. It is a pity that a little judicious coaching by some of our quondam players could not bo arranged for. This might obviato "selfish;' play, and make the players mark their opponents., The captains oi the two clubs should arrange for -an umpire at all their practice matches, when the rules should be stringently" adhered to. As an evidence of loose play, in the two matches playod at Cambridgo recently no less than eight goals were scored, either directly or indirectly, from freo hits. •' ' About six weeks ago I heard a suggestion to procure a- trophy of some description to be competed for at tho forthcoming. Auckland tournament. This seems to me to be such an excellent idea that I hopo tho secretaries will open up communication on the matter. Tho representatives of the upcountry clubs to whom the subject was broached all gave their vote in its favour. Now that the game has taken such a hold on tho province, the time has'arrived when a little energy on the part of the club officials would put polo on a sound footing. I was pleased to see W. Clark once move on the field on Wednesday last, and, judging from his play, ho has quite recovered from his recent indisposition. The Cambridge players, . Messrs. Corboy and Kaye, are practising assiduously in anticipation of a good tussle in the return match with Auckland. These are two of the old Kihikihi players with the reputation of their old club to uphold. This, I predict, they will do with a little practice. ■ ■ The willow balls which have replaced the bamboo ones this season cannot bo said to be very durable. If they do not improve, they will become quite an item of expense to the clubs. . - r : C. Meredith is leaving for tho South on Monday for his holidays. He will therefore be absent during the next month. He will be missed, as ho is always on hand when the whistlo blows. '" . /. . H. Tonks' chestnut maro is taking more kindly to the game, and With tho handling she gets ought to make a very serviceable mount by tournament time. .: Some of the mounts in both clubs aro not much to look at, and, although late in the season, have not yet proved themselves "terrors to go." I think the clubs should obtain the services of a professional buyer, as several of the members have fond "keepsakes" on their hands. - I would like to draw attention to tho rule ro the measurement of ponies and their certificates, as this rule is to be enforced at the tournament, and ponies without certificates are liable to be disqualified. As this is a warning, owners will have'no one but themselves to blame if they fail in this particular.