POLO. THE LAND OF THE GYMKHANA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2686, 6 September 1905, Page 58

POLO. THE LAND OF THE GYMKHANA.

Bs F. DA. C. De L'lslb.

. As a means towards improving both the ;polo player and the polo pony the gym•khana is L invaluable. - .Not - only as an " educational f actor is it ' invaluable, but plso as a, social factor. In- New Zealand hitherto, with/ the- exception*; of ■a" few

tsolated - instances, , polo; -has - been- totally Appropriated by ''the'' sterner sex,, who be 7 . tray -little- or' no regard, for tlie pleasures j»f their sisters, cousins; .and aunts- -with '"^.respect. to\the game/~..1t. is. true '.that some : lew. ladies have played', polo"; in New Zea- '- land, but a .very few. - In- the- 1 and T of the gymkhana the case is l-eversed; and nearly' . -every la3y who can ridcr'ean- .use a. polo -itick fairly' well. . They: all ride well-^a " remark ..that applies with? equal, sincerity •to the New, Zealand ladies I have seen' ,in .the hunting field, but. very rarely on -the.ipolo ground. '- , -- In India a latent chivalry/obtains among the civil and military " element, in 'station .life,- who strive to make existence pleasant ■.for the softer sex ; "and'theref ore their ladies :have, been initiated into the joys. of polo .gymkhanas,' with the result "that there is "the ' very keenest > enthusiasm apparent among their womenkind over the many tournaments held' yearly; -and there "is a camaraderie" between the two sexes" that , }nak~es ,f or "the- most perfect understanding Between them.' ' ' - ' ' -By- this means the Jadies are afforded a certain amount of physical' exercise and % great amount of honest pleasure and 1 "tun, which, both help to make them strongigainst the insidious attacks of jungle fever, and also to relieve that deadly monotony is^ohe.'.'bf melaricholy- " incidentals "to V cpuntry^-life -in -India. , '■'. It -is seldom that* month passes -over b military station- "m-' lndia- without;^ a ' gym-Ichana.-loeing; -held;v-in/ whiebr- both thef ladies, '■ahd'- gentlemen \ of- the " station - "- part.' - 1 have .neveiv; seen Sit.", happen- in ■>?£w Zealand,;, though 1 ,have . attended'many, ,-gynlkhsnasi'' - JBut, 1 it wouldl be", fo'r.'~thev'fenfefil;?of the 'game hero were ja 'keener enthusiasm arouHed^among New -Zealand^ ladies in this favourite" pastime 'of "their, male relations; and -.friends; .-and in the hope jot , helping towards a .laudable . inj-_ prefvement, I haw give a list of the many, gymkhana. —events ,. .which I - have _ at-- one time or another ~seen "carried^ out at clubmeetings.' In casually running through the common or garden variety of gymkhana -Bvents as programmed in .New Zealand, t may mention . that nearly all these events are within the capabilities of lady performers.. A' polo ball race, a bending competition, and a ,' jumping ' competition for, .4adies is -invariably included on the promuimme in the land of the gymkhana, _ ' .butTnra-gine the' fun of a thread needle" •rice '"in'- which the, ladies ride, and the duffers have ib thread the needles 1 Also the amusement of a combination polo and golf race in which the gentlemen start together and play their polo balls up the {rround, found a flag, r and back to the post 1 ; 'then their lady partners drive their golf balls over the same course, the com-, petition being won "on points. A musical ride for, ladies is possible in every military cantonment, but would be father difficult to provide in New Zealand, where bands are 'scarce on polo grounds. Here is a gymithana programme once carried out at Shilong. ~ ._ -~1. Mounted Competition, spears. (Easily" made " by any blacksmith. )._ Competitors required to -spear a potato, v take a ring, and next a peg, each about 30* yards apart. Two, one," and-five points respectively for, each., 2. Affinity, "Time. Stakes. — Lady and gentleman to ride round the course on jpolo ponies, keeping together. Time allowed, lmin 20sec. , Nearest time and beat form together lo win. - - 3. Chart and' Compass Race, for all polo ponies. — For ladies and gentlemen. Part- _« ners to be drawn by lot. Each gentleman

to present his partner with a sealed envelope on_the word being -given to "go." The envelope to contain a map of the course, from the study of which the lady has to direct her partner to find some artiele v hidden on the ground beforehand, and marked on the map.-

In this particular event the ladies puzzled over (1) the figure of a ship's buoy drawn on" the map, (2) a clothes horse, (3) a cat-o' -nine-tails, (4) an arm on fire, 15) a 3outh Sea club, (6) something that looked like a sugar loaf in a fit, (7) a lady's "slipper. The gentleman sent after No. 1 was 'directed by his partner to immediately bring -in the first little native boy he found on the course, which' he did within half ~ a minute, buf was promptly disqualified, as the article was a nigger doll buried under the spot which was represented by the buoy on his partner's map. No. 2 was directed to bring back a polo pony standing rugged near the spot marked on his partner's map ; he also raced back in no ,;ime, and was promptly disqualified, as a rtick rack was the object intended. No. 8 ' and No. 4 ran a dead heat for first place, No. 3 fetching back a well-known racing polo pony mare, Cat-o' -nine-tails, and No. 4 a Martini-Henry rifle. No. 5 returned with a mashie instead of a club. iio. 6 found a fool's cap, but too late to be successful; and the partner of No. 7 could not understand ■ that a slipper was intended to convey the idea of a piece of banana peel. It was an exciting and uproarious event, .and the fun was fast and Furious while it lasted. 4. Lloyd-Lindsay Competition, for gentlemen only. 5. Polo Ball Affinity Race, for ladies md gentlemen. Partners drawn by lot. yompetition won on points. 6. Pony Jumping Competition, over mud )*te*Jv aoxse. hurdle, and water iumn.

' Cleanest performer to win. (This event was won by a gallant colonel's wife riding his' second staring, a rattling lepper.) 7. Not-at-home Raos.— Ladies to ride round the course and drop a card in each of six boxes placed at equal distances apart on the course. 8. The Ropers' Stakes.— Each competitor to ride another man's pony. Owner of second pony wins first prize, rider of second pony wins second prize. 9. The Market Stakes, for ladies and gentlemen.— Each gentleman rides half the course and hands his lady a. written order for vegetables, which she has,, to select from a table already fully supplied with such, place all in a basket and l-etum the basket to gentleman partner; carrying this he has to finish the course riding. 10. Man and; Pony, for gentlemen.— Each competitor to Tun 45 yards, mount and ride 100 yards, dismount and take fancy costume out of box 25 yards away, put on costumej run back and mount pony and return to starting post. At a Bumble Puppy gymkhana., amongst others were the following amusing events: Polo Golf Stakes.— Competitors to start mounted, -each with a polo stick and coloured golf .ball; the. ball to i>& "holeu out", in. a hole a -quarter of a mile away. First ball • holed wins. " Trotting Match, for ladies; three furlongs. Musical' Ride, for ladies/ Ladies to canter round ; band- playing., Lfrdy nearest Id a certain "mark fixed by judges when band to win. - - . - --« . * - Laureate- Stakes.— Ladies to~.nde 50 yards on bikes to. where gentlemen -partners are waiting; lady hands her partner an envelope containing the name of a •subject on be is .to, write a,.pcem of four lines. -He finishes and return's paper to lady, who Humes' back -to the judge. Marks for quality of -poetry as well" a's for order^ of [arrival home.- •" - * ' At Porona, the Durhams once got on this programme: — ' . .A Sack Melee.— Two teams of eight to upset each, other. Boot Race. — Competitors to ride to their boots placed in a heap quarter of a mile away, dismount, find their own boots, put them on, laced properly, and ride back. Egg 1 and Spoon Haoe.— Ladies to' ride up to "gentlemen partners and hand them an egg. Gentlemen to place egg in spoon and ride- to winning post. Affinity Race.— Tilting at ring for ladies, and potato*' raoe for- gentlemen; wim by ooints ; lady to take six rings and each gentleman to bring ' back six potatoes. - - . V.C.- Race.— Riders to negotiate a jump, . rescue a dummy from a under heavj^ij&rey" andf'return*'''over T jump "--to- win--ning .-post. ■I 'Aaisong many other 'forms of"' events there are" feY that _ carry so much... amusement , and; enthusiasm' "with '•tiem>as' T tnoße: of the" oreler- of tfoef Special' 'Correspondent Race. Two- gentlemen^ one '. lady,;- first" man,' ;on ■ foot-, races to v where'- second man is -stahdirig~~wai£ing, - dismountetf^by' his T?ony, -and -, hands" him a- -telegram-;" the /second * marimounts' and _ gallops 1 to lady partner, seated,, in "the / 'i3taad; .- and-'-hands Ifer telegram. The lady fills in telegraph form, the initial letters of -each r word having , been placed there by the" judge beforehand. The rider returns to the waitingi runner with the comple'fced wire, ancl tine- footman does a Marathon' to the winning post. ' . Upon one occasion a brilliant and accomplished lady, ' one of the> greatest in Indian society,' found the following initials on the- telegraph form presented to her by one of her two gentlemen partners: — "G.5.Y.M.1.H.L." She,, promptly ' fillad up the form ; the rider raced back, the runner dashed up to_the judg© in record time, and delivered the message, arnoV itfhe latter laughed heartily when he read the following! smart reply: '"'God save your Majesty; I have Lucknow!" That the ladies in India are fearless riders is proved by the Happy-go-lucky Stakes, where the gentleman, riding postilion, is driven blindfolded over a hurdle; reins, 10ft long; silence compulsory. This event usually contains many entries. One of the most sensational and realistic events ever seen on a .gymkhana programme was the Gretna ififreen Race, field at a gymkhana many years ago. The would-be bride and bridegroom got a start of one minute and rode to a gate half a mile away. There bhey dismounted, led their ponies through the gate, hitched them, up' to a hitching post, and entered a brush-built hut, where a supposed black-smith-asked them the following questions: "Your name?" 1 "Anstruther Fitzgerald Haven." - "Will you marry this woman?'' "I will!" , "Your name?" "Adeline Augusta Malplaquet." "Will you take this man to husband?'* "I will." —

"Then by the law of Scotland you are man and wife!" And the- wedded pair hurried to their ponies. Meanwhile the irate father and his friends, in riding costume, were standing; by their horses; anxiously they watched ths starter's face, gazing inscrutably at his timepiece. At length he yelled "Off!" A wild scramble into their saddles followed, and the pursuing band were away, racing for the blacksmith's hut. The wedded pair were seen stealing over a brush hurdle on to the course proper. A wild viewhulloa from the approaching pursuers sent the errant pair racing along, the back of the v course for dear life. The pursuers dashed over the blacksmith's gate and yelled to him, "Is it all over?" "Good and all!" answered the blacksmith, and over the brush fence raced the father and his friends. So close was the raoe that the wedded pair won by a bare length at the finish.

There are flftuny other events common to programmes in the Land of the Gymkhana, such at tent pegging, tilting, jumping competitions, racing round a single flag and back, relay races, pig-sticking, etc, but if ■ I have only quoted a few events which may some day be introduced into New Zealand gymkhana programmes, to include lady competitOTS, I s-hall be amply repaid, and snail feel myself rewarded beyond expression for the time that I have devoted to the writing of "The Land of the Gymkhana."

The New Plymouth branch of the Political Labour League has decided to run Mr Christopher as the Labour candidate for the Taranaki seat if sufficient* support is forthcoming. The replies sent by the candidates already in the field to the questions submitted by the league were not considered satisfactory*