POLO PARS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1354, 10 February 1898, Page 25

POLO PARS.

[By Backstroke.] The Hawke’s Bay Polo Club held their general quarterly meeting at Hastings on Saturday last, February sth inst. Messrs Dolbel and Robertson were elected members of the club. Mr A. H. Russell moved that in future the teams be selected from those members who are most constant in practices, and who support the club by so doing to the best of their powers. Mr Barker proposed as an amendment that the teams be selected from the best players, irrespective of practices. As some of the alleged best players never deign to honour the practices with their exalted presences, Mr A. H. Russell’s motion was carried by a sound majority.. After much discussion*, the captain, vice-captain, and secretary were appointed a selection committee to pick all teams in future. In view of the approaching tournament Messrs H. H. Russell, Crosse, Watt, and Barker were appointed a sports’ committee to draw up a programme for the Hawke’s Bay Polo Club’s gymkhana to be held on the last day of the polo tournament. Mr A. H. Russell was appointed assistant secretary. Captain Russell as President of the Hawke’s Bay Polo Club, has presented the Club with a fine Cap to be run for in the Polo Cup Race at the Club’s coming gymkhana. The Hawke’s Bay Polo Club has a membership of over 30. About the strongest Club in New Zealand. Nevertheless they are the weakest playing Club, a fact attributable to a sad lack of combination and to absolutely no practical knowledge of how the noble game of polojshould be played. How are the mighty fallen! The invincible Manawatu Club is reduced to a scratch team, without their splendid ground at the Hokowhitu (destroyed' by floods). Lloyd, that wonderful full-back, is settled in Dunedin; McCrae, their dashing forward, has given up playing, and all their second and third team men are now unheard of. It is rumoured that they will only send one team to the Polo Tournament, consisting of Lloyd (if obtainable from Dunedin), Southey Baker, Giesen (of Feilding) and Elkington (also of Feilding) or Snow. Feilding has thrown up the sponge; and the Feilding P.C. is a relic of the past. And no wonder! The polo of Feilding was of a desperately primitive character, and the desultory manner in which the practices were carried out pointed to the ultimate collapse which followed the tournament of’96. The Nomad P.C., composed of the Messrs Strang (3), of the Oroua P.C., and Mr Baker, of the Manawatu P.C., visited Hawke’s Bay recently and administered a sound drubbing to both the Hawke’s Bay P.C. (10 to 1). and the Whareranghi P.C. (5 to 3). They played a good combined and unselfish game, and opened the eyes of the local players, some of whom consider themselves individually invincible. The Whareranghi Polo Club have improved greatly and will make a good fight in the Saville Cup. They held their gymkhana last week at Napier Park before a big attendance of the public; but the meeting was disgraced by an exhibition of the worst possible form-in the Polo Cup, one of the visiting ponies being intentionally interfered with, and a pitched battle between two jockeys in the straight was thrown into the programme free of charge. The stewards (bless their gentle hearts) cautioned the gentlemen riders and told them to be good little boys in the future and not to lose their tempers if they could not win a race. There is some rumor of the Jockey Club taking up the case —but I fail to see how they can establish any claim at all for interference. As the Polo Tournament is to be held at Hastings this year, the Hawke’s Bay P.C. are making great preparations for bails, smoke concerts, banquets, and a sports meeting. The tournament promises to bo the largest and most successful yet held. The H B.P.C. will send three teams into the field. A senior team to contest the Saville Cup, and two junior teams to contest the Junior Cup. The first junior team will obtain a higher place in the tournament than the seniors will in the Saville Cup. The genial Vice-Captain of the H.8.P.C., Mr Tom Crosse, is going to England on a visit next month, and it is quite within the range of possibility that he may yet be unable to be present at the tournament should the date be fixed late in March. The Senior H.B.P.C. has suffered severe defeats at the hands of the Wharerangi P.C. this season. In the last match played they were demoralised and suffered defeat by II goals to 3. The Hawke’s Bay Juniors retaliated by defeating the Wharerangi Jmrors by 6 goals to love. The referee in the latter match came in for much criticism and ‘ barracking ’ from certain members of either team, which gentlemen (?) have yet to learn that it is. in the worstpossible taste to criticise the decisions of a referee; and that no player with the slightest claim to be considered a gentleman would be guilty of such bad form as to dispute with a referee as to his decisions. In this fine game, as in many others, it is regrettable that they are not all gentlemen who play polo. Among the teams to contest the Senior and Junior Cups this year at the tournament will be the Auckland. P.C., Christ- 4

churoh P.C., Wellington P.C., Manawatu P.C., Rangitikei P.C., Wanganui P.C., •Taranaki (Hawera) P.C., Warrengate P.C., Hawke’s Bay P. C., Rhuataniwa P. C., - Wharerangi P.C., Oroua P.C., and others. As soon as the date is fixed and the entries made I shall post them to the Hail. Without presuming, I should like to advise the officials of the Polo Association to select one or two referees (who shall not be players in the tournament) for the whole of the matohes in tournament. An appointed referee would be far preferable to the selection of any gentleman oa the ground who may be willing to Undertake a thankless task. . /Tk» Qroua P.C. have only six playing r members, and they may not show up as strongly in the tournament of ’9B as they «lid in the tournament of ’96. They have lost a really good player in McLellan, who is in Sydney. Mr Octy Robinson and the Strangs are yet available, and if all things are favourable they may make a strong bid for championship honours, which I trust may be the case, as they are a deserving and creditable combination as a small the smallest in New Zealand) «lub. ;*• • ' • The Hawera men are spoken of as the •dark horses for the Junior Cup. They ■have only been playing one season and have showed remarkably good form. I wish them much luck. ••• • • The H.B.P.C. go on tour shortly through 'the Manawatu and Rangitikei districts, •where they will meet most of the local «ilubs. The only ground available in Palmerston Just now is the private ground of Mr Southey Baker, upon which probably most of the matches will take place. The demand for fast ponies for polo is very great just now. Mr Southey Baker has a fine mare/with Arab blood in her that should be fast. Mr Ormond, jun., haß /Recently purchased a splendid thoroughbred pony from Auckland. Mr P. Crosse has a fine mare by Forerunner in training at Hastings, and at the same place Mr H. H. Russell has a speedy pony by Natator. lhe Whare- , rangi Club have some fast ponies in Ewi, Jenny and Beauty. The latter is credited with winning the Wharerangi Polo Cup, four furlongs, list lib up, in 55 seconds. But I think no official time as takenl ; There is great interest attached to the winning of th 9 Polo Clip this year, and a record field will see the post, and I also imagine a record time will be established. _ The race will be run at Stortford Lodge, the Hawke’s Bay Trotting Club’s track at : Hastings, just half a mile in circumference.. Rather too small for racing on, but polo>pcimes should find no difficulty in making the turns.