Page 7
?olo ot A&M is unique,
got new start in '68
By LIZ BAILEY
Battalion Reporter
Astern boots and English sad-
. that’s polo at Texas A6cM
tsince'pol 0 was first begun here
lout 60 years ago, the game and
e people who play it have under-
ie many changes.
lO.D. Butler, head ot the depart-
lut of animal science at Texas
Li says, “We had polo at Texas
L for many, many, many years
[until the military horses were
-en away from the campus about
Polo was originally played at
■ vas A&M by the Cavalry, says
1 keMcClear, who has coached the
“un since its start in 1968. The
newas used as sort of “fun drill,”
Said.
jter the horses were taken from
campus, interest in polo de
ed until 1948, Butler said, when
je was a polo game between stu-
[nts and former students. This
itch was the first of several, he
j.
John Armstrong, then vice presi-
[nt of the King Ranch in Kings-
!e, provided the horses for the
e, Butler said.
We had about 3,000 people out
re the first time we put it on. We
idea big deal out of it.”
lince then, polo at Texas A&M
s mostly become a game of civi-
ns riding civilian horses.
Polo games between students and
mer students are still being
iyed, McCleary said. Now,
iugh, each player must furnish his
nhorse and equipment.
About a month ago, McCleary
d, students played some former
sevej dents. The students won.
In a similar match last spring, the
mer students won.
In 1968, polo got a new start at
ms A&M when the Texas A&M
ilo Club was begun.
Butler said he worked with Earl
dder, then president of Texas
M, to obtain permission for the
h to use the field on the northeast
er of the campus to play on.
|In 1968, the area from Bizzell
t behind Zachry Engineering
§nter, east to Texas Avenue and
m University Boulevard south to
iw Main Drive was dedicated as
Texas A&M Polo Field,
Cleary said.
^IcCleary said the club’s goal is to
ich people to play polo,
e said membership is open to
one who desires to play polo, noj;
pjft Aggies.
VI Membership is open, he said, be-
ise of the lack of people who play
lo in this area.
Of the 18 club members, four are
affiliated with Texas A&M,
^ 0163^ said.
| McCleary said there are only
1 out 20 colleges in the United
ates which have polo teams. The
aiversity of Texas is the college
arest Texas A&M that has a polo
im, he added.
Pope to bless
Jesus statues
for children
United Press International
VATICAN CITY — Pope John
Paul II will meet the children of
Rome next Sunday to bless statues
used in Nativity scenes during the
Christmas season.
Vatican Radio announced Thurs
day the children— each carrying a
statuette of the infant Jesus to be
blessed by the pope— will meet in
St. Peter’s Square.
^DISCOUNT TROPHY^k
AND ENGRA VINjG
THE BATTALION
MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1978
I exas A&M polo player Doug Bryan of Jasper, left, tries to
ride oil his teammate Richard Lanfear of San Antonio dur-
ing an exercise round in College Station. Lanfear is attempting
a rather difficult shot in polo, the near side forward.
hjri
al
DaM
McCleary said club members
usually play teams like the Houston
Polo Club, which is made up of
businesmen who enjoy the game.
McCleary said there is not one
team made up of the best polo
players in the Polo Club that plays
in all games.
He said he decided who will play
in each game and in doing so, tries
to make up a team of four with the
same level of ability as that of the
opposing team.
There are three women in the
club, but they are not always al
lowed to play in games, McCleary
said.
“Most of the other clubs won’t let
a girl play on their field,” he added.
But he recalled the time that Sally
Morris, a member of the club, went
with men in the club to play a match
against the Willowbend Polo and
Hunt Club. He said the men on the
opposing team didn’t want her to
play, but allowed it out of polite
ness. Immediately after the game
began, she took possession of the
ball and retained it for the length of
the field, just barely missing the
goal.
After which, he said, Morris was
treated as an equal.
Kay Riney, a club member in her
first semester at Texas A&M, said
she has found that “the men that do
play polo don’t care (about women
playing).” But some men who don’t
play are jealous of women polo
players, she said.
McCleary said intercollegiate
rules specify that women are abso
lutely not allowed to play in Intecol-
legiate Championships in Sumners,
Conn. The club hopes to send a
team and an alternate to play there
this spring.
The Intercollegiate Cham
pionships are open to all college and
university polo teams composed of
students.
Texas A&M teams were sent in
1971, 1972 and 1976.
In 1971, the team was beaten in
the first game.
In 1972, they beat Harvard, but
were later beaten by the University
of Virginia at Arlington.
In 1976, however, they did well
enough to become third in the na
tion.
McCleary said one reason a team
is not sent to the Intercollegiate
Championships more often is be
cause of a lack of money to fund the
trips, since it costs about $3,000 to
go.
Jim Jeter, Associate Director of
Intramural Sports, said the Polo
Club was given $1,450 of the
$24,000 taken from the Student
Service Fees used to fund competi
tive clubs at Texas A&M.
Jeter said the club may use the
mbney to pay any fees they must to
play polo, to buy expendable
equipment and to pay travel ex
penses. He said the polo club re
ceives about the same amount of
money as comparable clubs on cam
pus.
McCleary said the date for the
next tournament is not definite. It
probably will be played here either
next Saturday-Sunday against the
Austin Polo Club.
e ten
nclilf
icon*
coni*
s
iarei
in
ditorii
espo®
n
)ay»»
ive»t<
lays ^
. 4
teruii
ne,
ipro 111 !
ns a PI
, seifl
me 11
too late
to go out
for eats?
get hot
delicious
pizza,
delivered
free!
We’re
Up Late!
Sun.-Thurs.
'til 1 a.m.
Fri. & Sat.
'til 2 a.m.
846-7785
215 S. MAIN
822-5923
Now Serving Lunch
(MON.-FRI.; 11:30 A.M.-1:30 P.M.)
A Variety of Luncheon
Specialties Including:
SPINACH SALAD SEAFOOD CREPES
CHICKEN SALAD STUFFED MUSHROOMS
VEGETABLE SALAD HOMEMADE BREAD
ASK ABOUT OUR CREPE SPECIALTY OF THE DAY
"Enjoy Lunch at
a Leisurely Pace"
801 Wellborn Rd.
(6 BLOCKS SOUTH OF KYLE FIELD;
NEXT TO PEANUT GALLERY)
846-4118
(RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED BUT NOT REQUIRED)
DINNER SERVED MON.-THUR. 5:00-10:30 FRI.-SAT. 5:00-11:30
fit
SELL
YOUR
BOOKS
at
* UNIVERSITY
BOOKSTORE
NORTHGATE CULPEPPER PLAZA
Supplies for the
needle artist
707 Texas
696-0072
Christmas Gifts Of
Incalculable Value
Texas Instruments
INCORPORATED
Kj.-.a SS3 10 A
0 «* »
us
Texas Instruments
Slimline TI-1030
$1 6 95
Texas Instruments
Slimline TI-25
$3295
Sharp
EL-8039
$3995
LOUPOT'S
; ® LUCfiJCaJjaJ;'
Sharp
EL-8142
$2195
BOOKSTORE
Northgate - Across
from the Post Office
i
e
About the
only thing
Santa
"can’t find
at 707
is a
reindeer.
But Santa can find gifts & gowns, steaks & shoes, panties &
perfume, stereos & stockings, haircuts & headscarves,
flowers & furs, needlepoint & notions & lots more.
Open late r till Christmas