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Show BEVERLY HILLS I wrote a little lit-tle thing about ten days ago about Mrs Thomas Hitchcock, that won- derful character, marvelous horsewoman, and mother, sister, sis-ter, aunt and uncle of polo. I received many very complimentary complimen-tary approvals. It had been my very great good fortune to have known her for quite a good many years. I have been at their home many times, and I always had the greatest of admiration for her. I happened to be. playing in the game about ten years ago when her youngsct son Frankio had a very severe fall, laid unconscious for days and days. It was the first game (a small tournament game) that the great Tommy Hitchcock had played with his young brother Frankio, and Frankia was a comer then. He looked like a coming second Tommy. Tom-my. How I happened to got into such company, I was dubbing around with a few old dogs, (ponies) (po-nies) and it was a twelve goal tournament tour-nament at Moadowbrook on Long Island, that is a team couldent be more than twelve goals to enter. Tommy was ten himself, Frankie was only rated one goal then, and I believe it was Jimmy Mills, who had since become a great player, was the other kid, he was one. Well that made twelve right there, but the rules say you must have four mounted riders on each side, so they naturally had to get somebody with no rating at all. In other words they needed a person that was nothing. Tommy was a friend of mine and he asked me to be the fourth rider. They would rather not have had me, but as I say the rules say you must have 4. You see one of your own side are as hard to run over as one on the other side, so my instructions were just to keep out of Tommys way Well I spoiled a few of his shots, : more than the fellows that was playing against him. You see Mrs Hitchcock always was coacmng an rne young Doys she could gather up. After Tommy had graduated into the ranks of the mighty, she started in with another batch of youngsters, among them Frankie, and six or eight more, that are today the very backbone of Americas defense of the Cups. Winston Win-ston Guest, Raymond Guest, Mike Phipps, Billy Post, Stqwart Igle- hardt, Philip Iglehardt, Coacky Rathbourne, Jimmy Mills, Ebby . Gerry, the Phipps Boys, and a host ! of others, and she called em the Meadowlarks. j Well she took me under her wing too. I was older than all of em put togeather and the worst player in the bunch, but I had lots of enthusiasm, enthusi-asm, but no distance, accuracy, or direction. I just charged in, and arrived ar-rived there just about the time the ball had left. They had their own polo field on their beautiful old estate, and by the way just about the prettiest and most horsey looking one on the whole Island. Is-land. I was running run-ning right behind be-hind Frankie when he aud Buzzy Smith ran togeather. It was on the Cocoran Field at M eadowbrook. Then I come to WHAT SIDE A ( ARE YOU ON ? 1 ?Ji r-V0 know her under real stress, as I ' had a place rented not far down the road, (I was playing in the Follies at nights) and I used to go up to see how Frankie was. Her courage was a household word among all that ever saw her ride, but to see that fine strong healthy youngest son of hers la there day after day with no sign of returning consciousness, that was real courage. There was no excitement of the hunt, no yell to "Back That Call." Just days of constant con-stant waiting, I think It was 17 or IS. She was a grand soul, and if ever a person loved a horse it was her, i she wont go to heaven In a chariot,' i she will go horseback, and she wont holler for St Peter to- open that i gate. I dont care how high his gate ! is, she will give that horse his head : and kick him, and she will sail right over that gate, and old Peter I will phone up to the Lord's Main House, and say, "Look out, Lord, ! there is two thoroughbreds coming!" com-ing!" 193-1, .tc.Va;,! Symluatf. Inc. |