336 POLO 



takes the responsible position of * back,' from which his side 

 benefits materially, and here he shines to perfection, for quick 

 as lightning, strong of seat and arm, with a wonderfully good 

 eye that enables him to place the ball well for his own side, he 

 is the very type of an accomplished player. The next brother, 

 Mr. James Peat, who invariably plays bareheaded, and is better 

 known as ' Johnnie,' is the most brilliant ' forward ' player ever 

 known. A very fine horseman, with great length of limb, he is 

 able to hit tremendously hard, and his good eye enables him 

 to calculate to a nicety the direction in which a ball should be 

 sent when making a shot for goal. No man is capable ol 

 making more dashing runs, and he has a way of getting away 

 with the ball and twisting through a crowd of horsemen in a 

 manner that has never been surpassed. Equally good at a 

 hustle, it is no wonder that the team which has 'Johnnie 

 Peat on their side congratulate themselves on having odds in 

 their favour. 



The youngest brother, Mr. Alfred Peat, who also plays ' for- 

 ward,' though more generally as 'half back,' is a poloist who 

 shows to advantage where dash and quickness are required. 

 Though not putting, perhaps, as much 'powder' into his strokes 

 as Mr. James Peat, he yet knows the game so thoroughly, and 

 is such a good horseman, that he admirably sustains the 

 family reputation ; there are few better ' half backs ' than ' The 

 Boy.' The Messrs. Peat's best ponies are Dynamite, a bay 

 mare, apparently clean bred, and very fast ; Seagull, a grey, 

 that can skim over the ground at a marvellous pace ; Perfidy, 

 also a grey (in whose veins, 'tis said, flows the blood of Lord 

 Poulett's celebrated steeplechaser The Lamb), as quick as 

 lightning, and able to go a great pace ; Gay Lad, Ninepins, 

 and Grasshopper, all bays, and pictures of make and shape ; 

 Edge, a very speedy light brown pony ; and others which space 

 prevents my mentioning, but all of which are 'as good as 

 they make 'em.' Probably Esmeralda, the property of the 

 Messrs. Peat, was one of the best polo ponies ever bred, and 

 quite a celebrity during the nine seasons she played. Maggie, 



