28o POLO IN THE ARMY. [Chap. XII. 



attending every possible race meeting, where they 

 would probably lose much more money than what polo 

 would cost them, and prevents them seeking more 

 expensive and less desirable distractions in London. 



I think we may take for granted that polo has a 

 good influence on the education of an officer. At all 

 events, the same qualities which bring a man to the 

 front at polo are required by anyone who aspires to 

 lead men. I think this will be admitted by anyone 

 who takes the trouble to read the following list of 

 nam.es of lovers of the game, some of them are very 

 well known brilliant players, and nearly all have served 

 with distinction in the war. These officers are of 

 every rank from general to subaltern, and, alas ! we 

 shall never again see many of them : — 



Major-General Elliot, C.B., D.S.O., Inspector- 

 General of Cavalry in India, was, when I was 

 soldiering there, one of the finest horsemen in that 

 country, and could give weight to nearly every 

 professional on the fiat. He was a good polo player, 

 but is specially known for the valuable work he did 

 for the Indian Polo Association, and for raising the 

 polo height to 14.1, which has had the effect of 

 making polo ponies useful animals for Army purposes. 



Colonel C. P. Ridley, C.B., has probably stuck more 

 wild boar than any other white man in India, and polo 

 held but a secondary place in his estimation ; yet when 

 he commanded the Manchester Regiment at Dinapore, 

 he got together a regimental team and captained, it 

 himself in many matches. Major Eustace Crawley, 

 who is a well-known polo player, was Brigade Major 

 to Colonel Ridley, and earned a brevet for his services. 



Major-General Smith-Dorrien D.S.O., was a keen 



