It may interest present-day race-goers to know that in ’72 the “chases” were run at Aldershot the reverse way of the course, though on the same land as at the present time, finishing at the bottom, instead of the top of the hill. There was then no Terraced Mount for the officers and their wives.
Lord William worked hard at this meeting, having seven mounts, winning one race, and being second in another. Star-gazer does not sound like a very comfortable mount for “chasing.”
From Aldershot the regiment went to Woolwich, but I know very little of that time. Polo was in vogue, and some good games were played, it being then in its youth as far as England was concerned, though it had been played for centuries in Persia. The Manipuries first introduced it to the British in 1862, on the Calcutta racecourse. After this it was taken up by the 11th Bengal Lancers, but it was not played seriously in England until 1874, when the 5th Lancers became enthusiastic, after which it became fashionable.
The Manipuries, who love the game, play it in the streets of Upper Bengal, on scraps of ponies about twelve hands high, playing just as they feel inclined, with both hands and short mallets. At first when the game was played by the English, the rules were somewhat slack; everybody played on what size pony they pleased, crossed and recrossed each other, besides other curious things.
Now the rules bid for greater safety and greater enjoyment, though I remember as late as 1883, or thereabouts, at Lucknow, where the 10th Hussars were then playing, they habitually sent down to the ground a doolie or two for the removal of the sick and wounded after a game. A doolie is a sort of hand ambulance, carried by natives. In India the ground is so hard that if anyone gets a fall it is like coming down on pavement. It is a mystery to me how the ponies’ legs stand it, and the 10th played a fast game.
They made a great name for themselves at polo, and when they left the country their ponies were all put up for sale. People came to the sale from far and wide, for the ponies naturally carried a reflected glory from the prowess of their riders. I well remember the sale. Of course there were some valuable ponies sold which had made names for themselves, but there were not a few that had done nothing very great, and their owners were staggered at the big prices they fetched, simply because they belonged to the 10th, and people therefore thought they must be good polo ponies.
When one of the officers came to say good-bye to us, he gave a most amusing account of the bidding and some of the bidders. Speaking of one of his ponies that I knew very well and used to ride sometimes in paper-chases, he said: “You know the poor old pony cannot gallop faster than I can kick my hat.” This was embroidering a little. It was a handy little beast and had played in many a game of polo, helping out the stable on occasions though by no means one of the owner’s best; nevertheless it realized a price that trebled what had originally been paid for him, and after a couple of years’ work.
9TH LANCERS’ POLO GROUPS AT WOOLWICH