POLO IN ENGLAND 255 



Munnipoorees. Quoth one, 'By Jove ! it must be agoodish game. 

 I vote we try it.' No sooner said than done. Their chargers 

 were saddled, crooked sticks and a billiard ball got hold of, and 

 they set to work needless to say with no great results. Still, 

 they were discriminating enough to see that though the game 

 could hardly be played on big horses, yet when ponies were used 

 it had great elements of excitement in it ; so before long Mr. 

 Chain was deputed to go over to Ireland and buy ponies, and 

 soon returned with some seventeen of all sizes and shapes, and 

 then play began in earnest. The loth Hussars mentioned the 

 subject to the 9th Lancers, then quartered at Hounslow, and 

 they too entered into the spirit of the enterprise and likewise 

 began to play, and these two regiments played the first bond- 

 fide inter-regimental match in England on Hounslow Heath. 

 There were eight a side, and though the ball was more often 

 missed than hit, the game caused great merriment, and became 

 firmly planted. So matters went on till June 1870 (by which 

 time the Blues and the ist Life Guards had also been bitten 

 with the delights of polo), when a match was played in Rich- 

 mond Park between the following teams : 



ist Life Guards qth Lancers 



and Royal Horse Guards. and loth Hitssars. 



Hon. T. Fitzwilliam. Captain Hon. E. Willoughby. 



Hon. H. C. Fitzwilliam. Captain Chain. 



Lord Rossmore. Lord Valentia. 



Hon. H. Boscawen. Mr. Smith Dorrien. 



Captain Dansey. Mr. Hartopp. 



This was won by the ist Life Guards and Royal Horse 

 Guards by four goals. In the same year the first inter-regi- 

 mental match took place, and was fought out between the 

 9th Lancers and zoth Hussars, playing eight a side, on Hounslow 

 Heath near the barracks, resulting in a victory for the i oth 

 Hussars. These two regiments afterwards played at Woolwich, 

 when the 9th won. At this early period of the game it was 

 called ' hockey on horseback ' ; very small ponies were used, 



