282 POLO 



sporting of Oriental potentates, took the game under his foster- 

 ing care, rode first-rate ponies, and played vigorously, as he 

 does still. The Maharajah of Mysore also gives a cup to be 

 played for at Bangalore. 



The year 1877 may be said to have marked a new epoch in 

 the polo as played in India, for larger ponies began to be used,. 

 and play generally put on a more scientific basis. Previous 

 to the ' eighties ' two or three ponies apiece were considered 

 enough for any man, and there was a lack of that knowledge 

 of strategy and tactics that is now necessary to enable a player 

 to rank high. Combination in a team was unknown, and 

 every one played more or less for himself. But all this has 

 been changed. Seven or eight ponies apiece are now not un- 

 common, and if a man does not ' play the game,' he is hope- 

 lessly 'out of it.' 



Nowadays the great polo tournaments are looked upon as 

 regular social events, and such is the esprit de corps existing 

 that from the uttermost parts of the empire, and often at great 

 expense, regiments send representative teams to compete in the 

 great contests. When it is taken into consideration that each 

 regiment often sends a stud of thirty ponies with their attendants 

 several hundreds of miles to Meerut and Umballa by road and 

 rail, it will be seen how great a foothold the game has now ob- 

 tained, and in this respect none have perhaps shown greater 

 pluck and enthusiasm than the 7th Hussars, i7th Lancers, 33rd 

 and 25th Regiments. Right pleasant too are these great 

 gatherings, when men from all parts of the empire congregate, 

 and there is no surer place of meeting for old and widely 

 scattered * pals ' than the Indian polo tournaments. 



The Nizam and nobles of Hyderabad also have of late 

 years done much to encourage the sport, and enter into it with 

 great zest and keenness. Both the Nizam and nobles main- 

 tain professional players, whom they not only pay well, but 

 mount on the best ponies that money can buy. Many of 

 these men have come to the front wonderfully of late years 

 and display most excellent horsemanship, together with all the 



