WELL MANAGED

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20504, 21 May 1938, Page 9

WELL MANAGED

POLO ALL BLACKS TRIBUTES TO MR CHITTY POOR CONDITIONS OVERCOME (Times Special Reporter) CAMBRIDGE, Friday. Tributes to Mr G. de Vere Chitty's abiilt.es a- n. magcr oi the New Zea.hiul p. m Ah Blacks and aiso to his enthusiasm as the guidiug light of Pol© n th- Waikato were expressed by the --stunt-manager of the team, Mr • . M*. ;d-th, dur.ng the complimen. (inner tendered to the players by the Auckland Provincial Polo Association, to celebrate the All Blacks victor} in the Southern Hemisphere championship in Sydney ly"My duties were secretarial," said Mr Meredith, and I can assure you that during the first part of the tour Mr Ch.::y had a harassing time making arrangements for the team and preparing for the tournament. "We were the last of the State teams tq arrive in Sydney and the others ha’d occupied the choice of the stalls at the Keemagh ground- The New Zealanders had to be content to stable their ponies on concrete floors,” added Mr Meredith, who described how the ponies had been in stalls from the time they had left the Waikato. In Sydney they went directly to the concrete floor stalls and had no opportunity to graze on pastures as they had been accustomed to. "Under these unnatural conditions Mr Chlttv had a laborious task organising the preparation for play of the ponies. Then some of the ponies became ill and would not let their legs down. Finally, through Mr Chitty’s Initiative we were able to graze the ponies on the central portion of the wonderful Ascot racecourse. "Mr Chlttv lent five of his best ponies to the team and he had the misfortune to lose two of them,” continued Mr Meredith. “He donated ons of the biggest personal subscriptions towards the expenses and he paid all his own expenses on the tour. Ha is a manager in a million.”