Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 199, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 August 1913 — POLO AN OLD GAME [ARTICLE]

POLO AN OLD GAME

Sport Popular in Persia Under Name of “Chaugan.” Women Played in Early Times, According to an Old Painting “Now In British Museum—Flourished “in 600 B. C. New York.—When polo was first played in England .in 1869 it was styled, “hockey on horseback.” Yet hockey itself was one of the numerous games with etick and ball . derived from the common ancestor, polo. They called it “chaugan” in the, days when the sport was popular with the Persians. As far back as the sixth century B. C. this sport of the Persian aristocracy was in a flourishing condition. The ancient Persian poets sang its praises even as do the sporting writers today. The game was played by Persian women, too. In the British museum there is an old painting of several Persian ladies playing a game of polo. The painting shows that the Persians bandaged the legs of their mounts exactly as the polo ponies are bandaged today. The Mohammedans, when they conquered Persia, learned the game of “chaugan,” and liked it so much that they took it up for one of their own sports. The game traveled from Persia to Tartary, and then to India via Afghanistan. Japan and China, too, had games bearing a close resemblance to it. In fact, throughout the entire east polo was the principal game. It derived its present name from the “pulu” of the Tibetan tongue, meaning a willow ball. Among the natives of India the game was “kunjai,” and was introduced' into England, after having been brought to Calcutta by English anfiy ’officers. The Ninth lancers played the first polo match in England in 1871. There was on great interest taken in the sport by the English public until many improvements were made in the rules. From eight men on a team the number of-players was gradually reduced to four. The style of play changed also. At first the ball was thrown into the center of the field end all the players spurred their horses to the center of the field after IL This was changed so that the teams lined up as they do now. The sport then became popular in England, and, in 1880, the Hurlingham club, now the representative polo club in England, was formed. Polo was Introduced into the United States in 1876. It was first played at Dickleris riding academy. Two polo clubs were organized, the Westchester Polo club and the Brighton Polo club. In 1879, in the first match in the United States, held at Prospect park, Brooklyn, the Westchester team defeated the Brighton team. The famous Meadow Brook club was started in 188 L