SOME FAMOUS PLAYERS AND PONIES 345 



handling won the day, and he is now nearly perfect. Meg, by 

 The Wanderer, was a celebrated past heroine of the polo field, 

 and was the first pony Mr. Watson owned after he returned 

 from India. He played her for four seasons, when she came 

 to a sad end through breaking her leg in the Phoenix Park. 

 Venus, by The Mallard, a Yorkshire-bred mare, was another 

 .grand pony, and as good as she possibly could be. Mr. Watson 

 heard of her carrying a man remarkably well to hounds, so 

 sent off and bought her, and never regretted his bargain. 



Patch, before mentioned ; The Nurse (about one of the best 

 ponies Mr. Watson ever owned, though he was over her weight), 

 by Macdonald, brother to Scottish Chief, her dam by the 

 celebrated Irish horse Freeny, her granddam by an Arab, and 

 her great granddam out of a Connemara mare of great quality ; 

 The Rag, now in America ; Mary Anne, by Baron Birdcatcher, 

 now the property of Captain Thomas Hone, and endowed with 

 i great turn of speed ; The Nurse (now the property of Mr. 

 * Phil ' Fenwick), out of The Nurse above mentioned; and Kit- 

 Cat (who has a curious habit of whisking her tail all the time she 

 is galloping), own sister to Fritz, now owned by Captain Spicer, 

 of the Royal Horse Guards, were some of Mr. Watson's former 

 favourites ; and, when their breeding is considered, it will be 

 patent to all what sort of animal a first-rate polo pony is. 



Prominent as a shining light in the polo world stands Cap- 

 tain Tip ' Herbert, formerly of the 9th Lancers, who, with his 

 brother Mr. Reginald Herbert, started the first county polo 

 club in England, viz. the Monmouthshire Club, and did so 

 much to render the game popular. A light-weight, a perfect 

 horseman, with great dash and quickness, Captain Herbert is 

 a host in himself, well known at Hurlingham, Ranelagh, and 

 other polo grounds ; and no matter on what sort of animal he 

 is mounted, he makes it go somehow. Amongst his best 

 ponies was Dick, a little chestnut, bought originally for 257., 

 and sold first for 1507., and subsequently for 2oo/. 



A brown pony named Whiskey was another of Captain 

 Herbert's celebrities, as was Polly, a roan, on which he is 



