AMERICA'S VICTORY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 593, 23 August 1909, Page 5

AMERICA'S VICTORY.

Y/i-ENGLAND LOSES -INTERNATIONAL' ' ;;\ a..;;;' poLocup.,; : ; : ;:,.': : :,■■■■;. ■ •' -'FIRST DEFEAT .SINCE- i 886.' V:' ■.'■■ The international polo cup, which, lias re-' niained >n English hands ever since it- was btbught over from, the United' States in 188(5, wasion-.July 5 regained for America/'by, the Meadowbrodk team, ■ whoso 'brilliant play throughout the eeason will cause the present year. to',-bp marked /with', fame in ; the;. annals-of-j)olo history (says the- "Daily Mail").., ■The'wooded grounds of the Hurlingham' Club "were-thronged with"' l 6pectatb'rs'of'this second contest'..between: \. the J picked * polo- players of the. two countries. In,the royal box were the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Dulce and Duchess of Connaught and a- large' 6uite. : : The,.;game itself-.was nbt.of an ; exciting , nature, .for although it was not .until the second "chnkker" (or period of ; ten, minutes) that ithe Americans: warmed thoroughly to-their '.work, the ..ultimate... issue .wae.-not. in' doubt from the commencement of play. The, English team played , a dashing game'at the top of their form;, They lost because they were outplayed.' by':a. better team, in a game which, as a display- of centaur-like (horsemanship and the, superb.'training"'of ponies; has never been equalled on .the Hurlingbam ground. '•' '-. ■ For the half-hour before .play began interest! centred 'in the American strings -of ponies gathered under the .low-sweeping' branches of •the chestnut, trees .at the south end of • the ground. Covered from ears to-tail with.-horse-' cloths'or white cotton,, the beautiful animals, like miniature thoroughbred hunters : in build, were being led slowly up and down in pairs.■Between the two "chukkers" in ; which.:encli pony took part the American .grooms massaged their animals all over with a shampoo-like preparation of hazelwitch. .; ; ..-..■■ ■:•..'; ' .A- low,murmur of admiration ran: down tho long ground as the American players, wearing •silk-shirts /of light blue and. .white stripes, canteretl out from, the shadeof the trees at :the ;SOund of the: pavilion ■ bell. .: They' were met "in the centre: by'.the English team, wear--■iie- dark blue shirts -with. a, red rose on : the left side..-.-\ '.. , ■ i '""' ■' ■-•"■ : : . ■ ■The; teams ;were : made up' as :■ ~ : ( .'; America. .■,' . England.' .. ■' •Mr.,E. r Waterbury (1), -Mr.<'ll. Rich." -'■ .Mr. :M. AVaterbury, (2). ■Mn'F.iM: Freake. ■/, ?! r ' : S , ?;..J vhltne y^ 3 )' Mr- -P- W. Niclialls. Mr; D. Milburu (back). Lloyd... •;The,ground, was-in ideal , condition. From ,the. first it.was seen that the'gaiue would be played at top-speed. Up: and dowii the' long stretch- of turf, raced the spirited ■ ponies, twisting, do'ubling, turning at impossible- angles and pitting /the smooth turf with the scars of-a .torrent of, hoofmarks..' ,-': ; ..:■:.'. -.-For the 'first eight minutes the advantage" of play could not be assigned to either sfde. Then '■ a: penalty: was awarded, against-.the Englishmen lor. a "orook" from the'wrong side by Mr F M. Freake. Four'players ' galldped up to the Englishmen's goal end. Four dark-blue players rehred:behind their line, and Mr. D. Milburn, the American back, took tho sixty yards shot at goal. .There was a moment's melco in the goalmouth,'and then the -whoops-'of the American grooms in.tho background announced the opening of .the score for tho visitors., . --, : ■•.■': ■In the second period the players attacked still' more fiercely.- Loud, sharp shouts rang across.the expanse of turf as 'the'straining poniesoharged'down the ground. . It could now be;seen-that the Englishmen were being outridden,' -although- Iho advantage was not sufficiently marked.to account for the mastery of .the game'being consistently with the Americans.' In the-second "ten" Mr.. Nickalls came down heavily, over his pony's head through be-/ ing "crossed," and, amid applause, Captain Lloyd scored witli,,tho resulting free penalty tit.--; '■'. ■:.. '...■■'[ ■ .'}'•■.. ' . . -.■'■.■ ■ ' . '.. : . . l.The play reached its'acme.of keennesS;in the ten 'minutes , "chukker" that followed halftime, when thescore'stoodat i goals to 1 in favour of America; l By this time Captain H. Lloydj . the .English back, had clearly established his position as the finest player of the English side. Tearing at full gallop after the flying -white ball, .with Mr.' "Larry" Waterbury, the American "one," thundering up to ride him off, be'took near or off-side strokes with the snme unerring aim, and ; fed his team .magnificently: ■ ' . ,■'.-■' . In tKe fifth period Mr. P/NicEalls. from a difficnlt angle, scored England's second spal with a bacV-hand shot, 'in the sixth "chuk- , ker" Mr; Milburn fell, in a melee. For an iristarit it seemed as_ if lie must inevitably bY hurt in the turmoil of crashing sticks and trampling hoofs. ■Hβ rofewith.n strninod l*ft thigh, stood for a by. his pony while his flark, -olcnn-shayp.'h face twitched involuntarily in a spasm of pain, and then ihonpted:nhd resiiiried. play as ik'eenly as .before,, while- a quiet wave of applause ran down the long lines of spectators in tribute to.his.plnck. ' A" soil ..towardß tho end of the Inst "chukker," -scored : :by ;Mr. "Jtonty" afbr ' a. stretchinij eallop twenty, lengths ahead of the field, completed the; Americans'■ victory; by 8 goals to' 2. - - '■.'•■''.-. ' :