University of Virginia Library

Indoor Action

Yale Whips Horsemen, 12-6

By Hugh Antrim
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Brook Hill Farm will again be
the site for the weekly Virginia Polo
Club matches this spring. For one
thin dollar, those interested in
horses, keen competition, or a
combination of the two, can breeze
out 29 north and be treated to
some of the best polo in this part of
the country.

These Cavalier horsemen have
just returned from the
Intercollegiate championships, held
at Cornell University. Virginia
clipped Valley Forge in the first
round, 16-12, before bowing to a
strong Yale University trio in the
semi-finals.

Rob Rinchart, a first-year man
on the club, tallied for three goals
in the Valley Forge win, while Ray
Norden blasted the opposition for
eight and John Cutler contributed
five more in the winning effort.

Used to an outdoor field of
substantial size, the malletmen were
unsettled a bit by the indoor
facility at the Oxbridge Polo Club
in Darien, Conneciticutt. The Elis
of New Haven, accustomed to
playing the ball off of the side
boards and rounded corners that
surround the field, tripped the
Cavaliers 12-6 for the right to meet
Cornell in the finals of the
competition.

The Cavaliers sorely missed
former standout Willie McCormack
in the tournament, though John
Cutler and David Banks picked up
the slack as best they could at the
number one position.

The Virginia Polo Club opens its
spring season on April 6 against a
formidable Alumni contingent.
George Greenhaugh, Freddie
Peterson and Harry Robertshaw
are expected to head the squad of
returning horsemen. John Cutler,
president of the club, expressed
concern that much had to be done
in preparation for the first match.

Planning to spend their spring
break in Charlottesville, the
members of the team must insure
that the field itself will be in good
shape by dragging and rolling it.
The ponies are presently in need of
exercise to be ready for the fierce
riding they will encounter. Cutler
estimated that a full three weeks
would be needed to put the horses
in top physical condition.

Maintaining the status of a club,
the University does not subsidize
the Polo team. The club has a
budget of $7,000 all of which must
come from gate receipts and
membership dues. The necessity of
paying rent for the use of the
Brook Hill Farm site has added to
the financial burden.

For the last four years, Cornell
and Yale have dominated collegiate
polo. John Cutler offered optimism

that such a domination would not
be long in crumbling. Virginia has
youth and a little experience to its
credit, and Cutler summarized, "We
have as much chance as anyone."