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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 6, 1985)
'"Wm’ \r:i Thursday, June 6 1985/The Battalion/Page 7 Ag polo club swings into summer season 3CKJCJOOOBj Members of the Texas A&M Polo Team (above) converge on the ball during action Battalion File Photo last summer. A&M began its summer sched ule by defeating the San Antonio Polo Club. By ED CASSAVOY Sports Writer For most students and faculty of the Texas A&M community, sum mer is a time of rest, relaxation and laziness. But for the players and horses of the Texas A&M Polo Club, summer is just another season of the year. The A&M squad was out in force Tuesday night to play the San Anto nio Polo Club. They defeated San Antonio, 6-4. But that is just one small part of what the team is all about, says polo team organizer Mike McCleary. McCleary, who also plays on the A&M team, says they have a learn ing-type club that gives players a chance to become better riders as well as better polo players says, “learn to ride first, then play polo second.” McCleary, a building contractor from Wellborn, has a 1,600 acre ranch and brings horses from there to be used by team members. “Playing games like these,” McCl eary says, “keep seven to eight horses (of mine) exercised.” McCleary’s polo connection with A&M goes back to the early ’70s when he was a student here. McCl eary was player-coach of the polo team from 19/0-74. Clad in riding gear from the waist down, the husky McCleary ex plained some of the intricacies of the game. “We train horses for polo,” McCl- players. A lot of our players,” McCleary “I like a polo horse that is half quarter horse for sta mina, and half thorough bred for their lung capac ity. We have horses that are good, fast, stout horses. ” — Mike McCleary, A&M Polo Club Organizer eary says. “A good horse will take three months, a bad one can take up to a year. “I like a polo horse that is half quarter horse for stamina, and half thoroughbred for their lung capac ity. We have horses that are good, fast, stout horses.” McCleary says the A&M team plays nine months a year, playing teams from all over the state. As for whether the hot humid days on the A&M Polo Fields greatly affect the horses, McCleary says that it is just a matter of training. “The heat won’t bother a horse in good condition,” he says, “it’s just like a football player or a basketball player. “The older the horse gets, the longer it takes to get it into shape. These horses might run six miles in one period (7‘/a minutes).” A polo game is divided into six 7 ‘/a minute periods, with a three minute E eriod between each to change orses and riders. There is also a 10 minute rest period between the third and the fourth periods. He says he usually has about 20 to 25 players on the A&M team year round. McCleary says it takes a lot of work by all the players to make the system work. Teammates often share horses, even with other teams, because not everyone has a horse, which is why that’s not a prerequisite for joining the team. McCleary says most players own their own equipment, which they can buy at cost from McCleary. He buys top line English polo equip ment from Long IsHand, N.Y. He says he is satisfied with the A&M Polo Fields (located in the area along New Main Drive) and tries to keep them in good shape. McCleary says that other University clubs use the fields, but sometimes are care less. “Some of the teams play with two inches of rain on the field,” McCl eary says, “and tear it up. “If you have a rough field (for polo), they (visiting teams) won’t play. Some of their fields look like (golf) putting greens.” McCleary says this is the ideal time for people to join the club. “Right now, we have 18 club horses and only four people using them.” Anyone wishing more informa tion on the A&M Polo Club should call Mike McCleary at 693-0104. Celtics’jumper stings Lakers as buzzer sounds for nee- Associated Press INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Dennis Johnson’s 15-foot jumper from the left side of the foul line at the final buzzer gave the Boston Celtcs a 107- 105 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night and dead locked their best-of-seven NBA championship series at two games apiece. I The fifth game will be at the Ing lewood Forum Friday night with the sixth and seventh meetings sched uled for Boston Garden Sunday and Thursday. The Lakers had tied the score at 104-104 with 19 seconds to go when Earvin “Magic” Johnson rebounded in a missed hook shot by teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. After a timeout, Dennis Johnson dribbled away much of the remaining time before passing to Larry Birdf, who gave it back to Johnson, who found tne net as the final buzzer went off. The basket climaxed a Boston comeback from a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Bird, in a shooting slump for much of the playoffs, led the rally with 12 of his 26 points in the quarter. He scored eight straight Boston points to pace a 10-2 spurt that gave the Celtics a 93-92 lead with 7:36 left. The lead changed hands six more times and was tied on four oc casions the rest of the way. Boston’s Danny Ainge hit two long jumpers from near the three- point line in the last 1:43, while Ab dul-Jabbar had two hooks and a free throw to keep it close. McHale led all scorers with 28 points for Boston while Johnson had 27 and Bird 26. Abdul-Jabbar had 21, Magic Johnson 20 and Byron Scott and James Worthy 16 each for L.A. L.A. appeared ready to take the control of the game with a blistering 22-7 streak during a seven-minut span of the third period. The spurt came after Boston scored the first six points of the half for a 64-58 lead and ended with L.A. ahead 80-72 with 3:36 left. But Bos ton didn’t wilt u^ler the pressure as Kevin McHale, who hid 13 points in the quarter, came back with two straight hook shots and Quinn Buckner hit from outside just as the 24-second clock expired, trimming the deficit back to two. James Worthy’s two quick baskets early in the fourth quarter gave Los Angeles a 90-83 lead and again put the Lakers on the verge of putting the game away.