Whitney Final

Neighbors and contemporary scions of the No. 1 family of the U. S. turf, 33-year-old John Hay ("Jock") Whitney and his 38-year-old first cousin Cornelius Vanderbilt ("Sonny") Whitney have had to learn how to do the same things all their lives without suggesting rivalry. While Cousin Sonny maintained the famed racing establishment he inherited from his father, Harry Payne Whitney, Cousin Jock built up a stable of racers equal to the great Greentree Stable his mother inherited from his father, (William) Payne Whitney. Jock has interested Sonny in Technicolor, just as Sonny interested him in Pan American Airways. In 1932 Jock supported Sonny in an unsuccessful campaign for Congress on the Democratic ticket. Last week at Long Island's Meadow Brook Club, however, the Whitney twain split in a manner friendly but definite.

Two years ago Jock Whitney organized the Greentree polo team around his 10-goal neighbor, Thomas Hitchcock Jr., proceeded to win the U. S. Open Championship twice. Although Sonny learned polo not only from Mrs. Thomas Hitchcock Sr. but from his own polo-pioneering father (U. S. Internationalist 1909-11-13), his playing has developed more slowly. This year, however, when Cousin Jock determined that Greentree should be the first team to win three Open Championships in a row, Sonny gave him cause for alarm. Sonny, with his Old Westbury team built around the other current U. S. 10-goaler, Stewart Iglehart, came through the summer with just as good a record. By the end of August Cousin Jock was sufficiently concerned to him Gene Tunney's oldtime trainer, Lou Fink, to give his teammates some pre-championship conditioning. When the Open tournament got underway, Old Westbury rode through its opposition, toppled Winston Guest's hard-hitting Templeton team in the semifinals. Undaunted, Greentree in the other semi-final disposed of Argentina's San Jose team, who have been playing on Long Island all summer. So, last week, the U. S. Open faced the unique prospect of an all-Whitney final.

After rain had postponed the match three days, Old Westbury and Greentree rode out onto Meadow Brook's International Field with 6-goal Jock and 4-goal Sonny both playing Back. In the first two chukkers, Sonny succeeded remarkably well in holding back Greentree's Tommy Hitchcock, Pete Bostwick and Gerald Balding. Cousin Jock was less successful. In the third chukker Sonny suddenly cut in, took the ball away from Hitchcock, swung his mallet. Smack! The ball scooted between the goal posts for the only Whitney-made score of the match. By the end of the seventh chukker, Old Westbury, with the aid of Mike Phipps's five goals, was leading Greentree, 9-to-5.

When, on the opening throw-in of the eighth chukker Old Westbury's No. 2, Texan Cecil Smith, cut in abruptly to score, it looked like the end of Greentree's hopes--and it was. Iglehart and Balding succeeded in scoring another goal apiece, and Old Westbury won the match 11-to-6 for its first Open Championship.

Two days later the Whitney polo week ended in key. At the National Polo Pony Show, Sonny Whitney's nine-year-old bay mare Fuss-Budget won the Prince Friarstown Cup for the best mare playing on Long Island suitable to produce a polo pony, and another prize for the best lightweight mount. Second place for the best lightweight mount went to Jock Whitney's six-year-old bay gelding Pinerolo.

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