By Gey. Sir Beavvomr vp Lists (In the "Field'')
During the past 50 years many changes have taken place in the routine of Army life; but in spite of the increasing demands on officers it remains a most attractive career, One of the chief attractions of Army life, and in peace time the greatest, is the opportunity it offers for sport a moderate cost; from time to time in the past officers have been accused of placing sport before efficiency, but all our great generals have recognized that their best Jeaders in the field have been amon; those who excelled in the various forms of sport.
Forty years ago the name of the Durham Light Infantry was well known in the polo world, and even after this lapse of time it is not entirely forgotten. It was not unnaturally assumed that their team to have achieved these success must have been assisted by considerable private means, but this was not the case. Two of that team were practically dependent on their pay, nor were the others rich men, It has often been asked how a team like this was able to mount themselves and afford the expenses across India of long journeys to complete in so many tournaments. The answer lies in the difference between the cost of the raw young animal and the trained yale pony. 4 Each year about 25 ponies were bought andi trained by young players, who had become expert in every phase of polo preparation, and at the end of each season many: of, these ponies were sold to those. who were not prepared to expend the time and Jabour in training their own mounts. The difference in the value of these ponies when purchased and when sold was about £20, in those days, and ach year an average of about £500 was placed to the creditor the regimental polo club, the purchaser and owner of the ponies, This enabled the club to bear all expenses of travelling as well as providing and maintaining ponies for promising young players. Whether this stem would be as effective in these days when the price of raw ponies is so much higher, is open to question, but experience shows that carefully selected ponies is skillfully trained will always pay for: their maintenance for the first year, and any outstanding polo pony will always. obtain a -high price.
'The team which won the Inter-Regimental in India in 1896—7-8, together with the LP.A. Championship are credited with having revolutionized the polo played at that time. In 1898 the winning of the Infantry Cup was left to a subalterns' team. The regimental team won no fewer than fourteen tournaments off the reel without once being defeated.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.