Guest Down, Bostwick Up

Last week at its mid-season meeting the U. S. Polo Association's handicap committee issued an important demotion and an important accolade. To Winston F. C. Guest, hard-riding No. 2, next to Thomas Hitchcock Jr. the longest hitter in the game, fell the demotion-reduction of his handicap from nine goals to eight. Always erratic, Guest has been expected to have poor afternoons, but this year in trial matches among contestants for the International team his poor afternoons have come oftener than before, his streaks of brilliant scoring more seldom. Critics who had considered him sure of a place on the team wondered what would happen if he fails to improve in the next few weeks and is not picked. Such a change, they felt, would upset the present U. S. plan of play. With Guest absent Hitchcock would probably move up from No. 3 to No. 2.

To Tiny George H. ("Pete") Bostwick fell the accolade--increase of his handicap from four goals to six. Weighing less than 118 lb., famed as a steeplechaser, Bostwick never took polo seriously until last year. He advanced quickly in a few months from a handicap of one goal to four. His name was not on the list of players receiving invitations to join the International squad but he made so many goals in the 3rd Westbury challenge cup matches that he was drafted belatedly. If he keeps on improving he has a good chance of being International No. 1.

At Malmesbury, England, Captain Charles Tremayne announced for the last trial against the Army a line-up that will probably though not positively be the one that faces the U. S. in September: No. 1, Capt. Richard George; No. 2, Gerald Balding; No. 3, Capt. C. T. I. ("Pat") Roark; Back, Lewis Lacey.

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