For the modern form of the game see J. Moray Brown, Riding and Polo, Badminton Library (revised and brought up to date by T. F. Dale, 1899), and Polo (1896) ; G. J. Younghusband, Polo in India (1897), Tournament Polo (1897), Tournament Polo (1904) ; T. F. Dale, The Game of Polo (1897) ; H. de B. de Lisle, Hints to Polo Players in India (1897) ; T. B. Drybrough, Polo (1898, revised 1906) ; E. D. Miller, Modern Polo (1903) ; H. L. Fitzpatrick, Equestrian Polo, in Spalding's Athletic Library (1904) ; W. Buckmaster, "Hints on Polo Combination," Library of Sport (1909) ; W. C. Forbes, As to Polo (1920) ; W. B. Devereux, Position and Team Play in Polo (1924) ; Hurlingham Club, Rules of Polo; Register of Ponies; Polo and Riding Pony Society Stud Book (12 volumes). Periodicals: Bailey's Magazine; The Polo Monthly. The American Polo Associa tion and the Indian Polo Association issue annual publications.
(E. D. M.) United States.—Attack has always been stressed in American play. The system of fractional fouls also aided speed. Instead of stopping the game on a foul, as at present, and allowing a free hit from varying distances for the goal, a fraction was deducted from the offending side's score and play continued without a break. In 1888 what has since been regarded as perhaps the most important legislative contribution to the sport came with the first handicapping of players. The game, until that time, had been pretty well monopolized by the better players and H. L. Herbert conceived the idea of the handicap to make possible a wider spread of play. The handicap, low at the start of a play er's career, increases with his ability. Thus the beginners are able to play with the more experienced players on a far more even footing. Only the international matches and the open tournaments are played without handicap. In a game the handi caps of all four players are totalled and the team handicaps compared. One team (unless the totals are even) then receives the difference in total handicap. The handicapping system almost
immediately resulted in new tournaments and new clubs, among them Myopia and the Dedham Polo and Country Club, two of the most famous of the Boston district.
Up to 1935 ten goals was the highest rating ever given to a player. This has been held in the American game at varying times by the following: Foxhall P. Keene, John E. Cowdin, Thomas Hitchcock, R. L. Agassiz, J. M. Waterbury, Jr., Law rence Waterbury, Harry P. Whitney, Louis E. Stoddard, J. Wat son Webb, M. Stevenson and D. Milburn ; today only Thomas Hitchcock, Jr., Cecil Smith and Elmer Boeseke hold this rank.
The U.S. Polo Association had in 1928 86 members, these including the U.S. army, the Intercollegiate Association and several others which, in turn, had their member organizations. The handi cap list of that year showed a total of 2,572 handicapped players in the country, 1,274 civilians, 1,152 on the army list and 146 on the Intercollegiate list.
After America, in 1909, won her first victory in the international series with England, the rules were assimilated. The Americans took over the British rule permitting the hooking of mallets, and the English abandoned their offside rules and adopted the handi cap system. At the close of the World War in 1918 all effort at limiting the size of ponies was abandoned.
At first Americans played with native horses, mainly found in the South-west and descended, in part, from the Spanish barb left by those who penetrated that part of the United States in its early history. To-day, though Texas and Wyoming produce a great many polo horses, the thorough-bred is much in demand, with English and Irish blood prominent in a certain line of mounts. The ponies of Argentina have become perhaps the most popular among the higher-rated players. This is the result of visits to the United States by Argentine teams in 1922, 1926 and 1931, and of a return invasion of the Argentine in 1932. (R. F. K.)