Back to Album of 130 photos including programmes, and press cuttings covering the 12th Lancers c1919-1927
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Item 0027
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| Accession number | 912L : 2090/30 |
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FAS 1925 RL MEC . First and last fences . The Military Team Race , Craven Pt . 7 Pt . 84 ARMY POLO TEST The King and Queen at Hurlingham AMERICAN VICTORY The King and Queen , the Duke and Duchess of York , and Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles were among the large and distinguished company at Hurling ham on Saturday to watch the first of the series of polo matches between the British and American Army teams . three , " and in the first game the United This contest is settled by the best of States players gained a decisive and un expected victory by eight goals to four . THE GAME IN DETAIL Superior Stickwork and Teamplay BY IT . - COL . E. D. MILLER . The teams were : BRITISH ARMY Capt . R. McCreery . U.S.A. ARMY Maj . A. H. Wilson . Mr. W. S. McCreery . Capt . C. H. Gerhardt Capt . J. P. Dening . Capt . P. P. Rodes . Major D. C. Boles . Maj . L. A. Beard . Umpires - Mr . W. S. Buckmaster and Lieut . - Colonel V. A. S. Keighley . Referee - Lord Wodehouse . A BRILLIANT NO . I During nearly the whole of the fourth ARMY period the Americans were attacking and the British Army forwards broke away only twice . Wilson , who scored one U.S.A. goal out of a scrimmage ( 6-3 ) , had a nasty fall over the boards in the course of this chukker , and it looked as if he was hurt , but he was soon going again at full pressure . pro In the fifth period , indeed , Wilson ceeded to play better than ever . With a beautiful stroke he centred the ball from near the Pavilion to the front of the Chestnuts goal and scored again with a very neat shot ( 7-3 ) . However , before the change of ponies , Selby McCreery made a good fun , and , pass ing to his brother , enabled him to score with a nice shot . During the sixth period three possible goals were missed by the English players , two of them apparently simple of which the British side had the better , ones . There was no score in this period , but they had not taken their oppor tunities . The last period was also fairly even , but now there was no time to win . Two more chances were missed by our side , whereas Rodes scored for America with a fine near - side shot ( 8-4 ) . And so the match was won . What the critics who had watched all the trial games feared had happened . Wilson ( America's No. 1 ) proved himself altogether too quick for Boles , and the hitting and backhanders of the Ameri cans were harder , crisper , more certain and accurate than those of our men . We now felt that we were up against a better team , and that it was scarcely likely that the Englishmen could pull themselves together sufficiently to get on terms . Beard had proved himself an exception ally fine player , and had not made a mis take . Rodes and Wilson had shown themselves to be full of confidence and to be playing at the very top of their form ; and their No. 2 , Gerhardt , was doing his job right well . The third period went better for the British side , and Selby McCreery found the goal after a fine run by Dening ; but even this stage of the game was not im pressive from our point of view , for our players were hardly pressed in the early part of it , the Americans missing the goal three times . ( Score at half - time , 5-3 . ) FR Te 3 : 83 POLO TEST Team's Second Victory ACCIDENT ΤΟ CAPTAIN OUTPACED In my opinion the British soldiers played as well as they were allowed to . Boles proved a good sound back , and did quite as well , if not better , than he was expected to ; in fact , he put up the best game I have seen him play since the War . But he is a heavy man , and no heavy - weight can give away 4st . to such a brilliant No. 1 as Wilson , mounted on very fast and handy ponies . Boles / was outpaced . Their ponies were all in one stable , under the management of one of the cleverest horsemasters and best judges of a horse in the American Remount De partment , who was also in the proud position of being the best polo player in the Army , and without any question the best leader of a team . Further he has the credit of having selected and trained Our hopes rose high when within one this excellent U.S.A. team in a very minute of the throw - in the ball was short time , for the American Army did rushed down to the American goal by Dening did very well indeed , and was , not take up polo seriously until after Boles - a very good bit of work - and as is the job of No. 3 , the pivot of the the war , when they saw what the game Dening scored with a neat shot . But the team . The McCreery brothers , though Americans quickly proved that they they played good polo and made few were not to be caught napping . They tactical mistakes that I could see , were retaliated with strong a combined not powerful enough hitters to take on attack , resulting in a goal by Rodes . successfully such very strong and fine Wilson then made a fine run and was players as Beard and Rodes . only prevented from scoring by Boles The Americans ( especially with their with a powerful back - hander , but this backhanders ) hit harder and more ac was met by Beard , and from a scrim - curately every time they got hold of the mage in front of goal , Rodes again ball than our men could . Also they found the mark with a capital back- played more scientifically . did for our Army on the Rhine . It really is a wonderful performance . hander ( 2-1 ) . From the throw - in Eng- When near their Own1 goal the land gained possession . Dening passed Americans hit out to the side for safety , up to R. McCreery , who in turn sent it whereas our men seemed always to hit to his brother , and the latter put the ball backhanders , no matter how many through the centre of the goal ( 2-2 ) . ponies were following them , regardless of the fact that in front of one's own goal a backhander into following ponies is always attended with risk . A TREMENDOUS BURST Then the Americans attacked strongly , In one particular this match , so far but Dening saved the situation , and as my very long experience goes , is an Beard just afterwards missed a shot absolute record : and I did not once at goal . But the next five minutes hear the whistle blown , and I did not hear practically decided the match . With appeal for a foul . It was the cleanest and tremendous dash and energy the U.S.A. fairest game that I have ever seen , and undoubtedly the better team won . players swept away all opposition and scored three goals , one by Rodes and two by Wilson . BRITISH BY LIEUT . - COL . E. D. MILLER . Victory has gone to America in the in ternational Army polo contest , for Major Beard's team won the second match against the British Army at Hurlingham yesterday by six goals to four . It had rained persistently , though lightly , for about three hours prior to the start , but it was decided to play in any case , in spite of the weather . It may be said at once that the Ameri cans richly deserved their triumph . The greatest credit is due to them , not only for their excellent methods of play and fine horsemanship and execution , but also for their admirable system of organisation , training , and horsemaster ship . THE RIGHT SPIRIT . Our visitors have been very welcome ; the games have been good and hard , and played in the right spirit ; and the contest has given opportunity to officers of both Armies to make many friends they could have made in no other way . In the second match our team put up a much better game than in the first , and a special word of praise is due to Selby McCreery for his exceedingly good show . Still , I think that the best pair on our side yesterday were Major Dennis C. Boles and his good grey pony , which carried his very heavy owner three periods in each match as if he were a light - weight . On one occa . sion I saw him beat Major Wilson , the America No. 1 , in a long gallop for pace , though he must have been conced ing him quite 4st . Boles hit hard and truly , both back and forward , and I never saw him make a tactical mistake a great performance . DETAILS OF SECOND GAME There were no alterations in the compo sition of either side , the line - up being as follows : U.S.A. ARMY BRITISH ARMY Capt . R. McCreery . Maj . A. H. Wilson . Mr. W. S. McCreery . Capt . C. H. Gerhardt Capt . J. P. Dening . Capt . P. P. Rodes . Major D. C. Boles . Maj . L. A. Beard . Umpires - Mr . Walter Buckmaster and Lieut . - Colonel V. A. S. Keighley . Referee Lord Wodehouse . Creery D ) The start of the game was , from the British point of view , most inauspicious . Wilson dashed away from the throw - in and brilliantly scored for America in less than one minute . During the remainder of the first period , too , except for very occasional breaks - away , the English players were penned close to their own goal - line . The Americans , however , missed three shots at goal , and we hit behind four times in addi tion , so that Dening had to hit out no fewer than seven times . Just at the end Wilson at last scored again , America thus leading by 2-0 when ponies were changed . The British players improved in the second period , but a good drive by Dening went behind , and Selby McCreery , after a fine run , failed in his shot at goal . How ever , the last - named player redeemed his mistake , for a brilliant stroke by him from the hit - out found the mark . It could be seen that , in spite of their bad beginning , the British soldiers were in form , especially Boles and Selby McCreery The former made a great run , but failed at goal , and immediately afterwards from a long angle shot Dening unfortunately hit the post . BRITISH DRAW LEVEL V Early in the third period Dick McCreery set up a great attack , but missed , and soon afterwards he hit the post again . It was hard luck . Our players were certainly im proving , though their formidable antago nists were in great form Gerhardt was more brilliant than ever before ; Rodes never made a mistake ; while Beard gained the admiration of everyone by the wonder McCreery stuck to him . ful way he could meet the ball on the near side and carry it on with hard near - side no matter how closely Dick strokes , America's No. 1 was not quite so certain , and missed many chances ; but it could be seen that the visitors ' ponies were handier and faster than ours , and that the strokes of all four players were more consistent . Notwithstanding all this , the British Army were now holding them , and towards the end of the chukker Dick McCreery , by a fine piece of play and near - side hitting , scored a very neat goal ( 2-2 ) . once more . The opening f the fourth period was noticeable for a fine stroke by Rodes , which Wilson picked up , to give America the lead But afterwards came a great gallop by Selby McCreery , two powerful straight drives , and a bang through the centre of goal , a splendid bit of work ( 3-3 ) . The period finished with a against America . It was not easy to see exactly what happened , but one of the Americans turned in front of Boles . How ever , it was not considered a dangerous foul , so America hit out from between their own posts , and there was no result . foul given Wilson had a long clean drive at goal which curled in the air , but he scored im mediately afterwards from a scrimmage ( 4-3 ) . In this period the Americans had much the better of the play . CAPTAIN DENING KNOCKED OUT Matters were more even in the fifth period , and it yielded a fine exhibition of good polo up and down the ground , every man playing well . Kodes scored America's fifth goal . Boles was conspicuous in effecting some magnificent saves powerful backhanders . Then came the accident to the British captain . Dick McCreery was making a good run when his brother's pony slipped with and Dening fell over him - two men and two ponies on the ground . Dening was knocked out , sustaining slight concussion , and after some delay Major Vivian Lockett took his place . It was delightful to see Lockett come out and play in his old form . It is no light trial to be brought out as a substitute at a moment's notice in a tight match . His first stroke was a capital backhander which stopped Wilson's run . Features of the sixth period were a foul awarded against Beard , which Boles failed to make good use of , and a grand run by Selby McCreery ending satisfactorily with a fine goal ( 5-4 ) . It really began to look like " anyone's game , " but the Americans pressed very hard in the seventh period . They missed to easy chances , and then Wilson's pony appeared to me to kick their sixth goal out of a scrimmage . And so the match ended 6-4 in favour of America . |
