Polo

Rated. Thomas Hitchcock Jr. is still the only U. S. polo player whose handicap is 10 goals. Winston Guest is still the only one with 9. But in the new ratings issued last week by the Polo Association there was a new 8-goal man, alone in his group--Elmer J. Boeske Jr. All summer Boeske played in the East with the Greentree team, and his hard shots and adroit riding were one good reason why the Greentree team won the Waterbury cup (TIME, Aug. 5; Sept. 16). J. Cheever Cowdin, William Averell Harriman, and Harry East, all veterans, were cut from 8 to 7 because they did not do much playing last season. Other changes:

Raised to 7 goals

Aiden Roark, young brother of British internationalist, Capt. C. T. I. Roark.

Gerald Balding.

Reduced to 6 goals

Stewart Iglehart of Old Aiken. Six goals is his regular rating, but like other members of Old Aiken he was temporarily raised so as to qualify for the open championship after having won the junior.

Stephen Sanford, international spare two years ago.

Raised to 5 goals

Charles Schwartz, star of Sands Point.

Forrestor Clark, huge captain of last year's Harvard team.

Seymour Knox of East Aurora.

William Post 2nd, of Princeton.

Raised to 4 goals

John Hay Whitney.

Michael Phipps.

Raymond Guest.

Six periods. Middle westerners and southerners, representatives of a riding clan who cannot always afford to forget that polo is expensive, have long been in favor of shortening the game from eight chukkers to six. The short game would be cheaper because it would save ponies. A good pony costs from $1,500 to $10,000 and to make a showing in crack company a rider must have a new mount every chukker. The question of six periods was brought up last week but not decided.

International squad. Several men who have achieved the honor of a place on the International have been yanked out before big games because they were sick or injured or because the committee decided at the last minute that someone else would do better. So high does sectional feeling run in polo that, although sportsmanship or indifference kept the disappointed players from saying anything, their friends have been bitter. Next year, if suggestions made at the meeting are adopted, the team may be picked on the day of a game, and not till then, from an "International squad" of ten or twelve players who have practiced together and been tried out in various combinations.

Hitchcock. The association made Hitchcock responsible for arranging the defense of the challenge cup against England this year. They appointed him chairman of the defense committee, as well as captain of the team. This means that, like Devereux Milburn in 1924 and 1927, he will be captain of a team picked by the committee of which he is chairman.

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