la martina varsity day
Oxford University Polo Team were on devastating form on La Martina Varsity Day, defeating their usual rivals, Cambridge, 19-0 in a fast-paced, four-chukka match. All the Oxford team were playing superbly and the Most Valuable Player judges had difficulty choosing which of these four, sharpshooting players should receive this coveted accolade. It went to George Pearson, the captain of Oxford, who steered his team to this remarkable and historic victory.
Oxford could have been forgiven if they had taken their foot off the gas in a chukka or two to allow Cambridge, who played well, but just couldn’ t convert some strong play into goals, to get back into the game, but Oxford were on a mission. The record for the highest score in a Varsity match, which has been played since 1877, was 19-1 in 1911. So once Oxford were 8-0 up at half-time they realised they had a chance of beating that long-standing score. This they did, shooting through their 19th goal in the final seconds of the game.
Not only were Oxford’ s players impressive – this year the university fielded a two-goal team compared to Cambridge’ s-5-goal squad – but their pony power was superior too. So not surprisingly the dark blues’ Vere Harmsworth received the La Martina Best Playing Pony rug for the nine-year-old Whisper. Oxford also dominated the Old Blues game with Guards Polo Club Board Director Konstantin Graf von Schweinitz shooting through five goals to see Oxford defeat Cambridge Old Blues 7-5.
The other winners on this day, sponsored by La Martina for the first time, were Harvard in the Atlantic Cup. They overwhelmed their Ivy League rivals Yale 7-1. Yale started this game strongly and were leading 1-0 at the end of the first chukka. Then Harvard’ s Johann Colloredo- Mansfeld rode onto the ground – he had been delayed on his journey to Smith’ s Lawn – and immediately turned this game around. Harvard were 5-1 up at the end of the second and never looked back.
It is traditional that these matches are played open and so both Cambridge and Yale were hampered by the substantial difference in team handicap. That said, both Harvard and Oxford were deserved winners. These two teams produced some strong polo which is a great advert for the health of university polo here in the UK and for the USA.
George Pearson on a run down The Princes’ Ground for Oxford in the annual La Martina Varsity Match
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