Lord William Beresford, V.C., Some Memories of a Famous Sportsman, Soldier and Wit — John Shaqi
Lord William Beresford, V.C., Some Memories of a Famous Sportsman, Soldier and WitMenzies, Stuart, Mrs.
History
Lord William Beresford, V.C., Some Memories of a Famous Sportsman, Soldier and Wit
Menzies, Stuart, Mrs.
Beresford, William Leslie de la Poer, Lord, 1847-1900
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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