Life — September 1, 1910 — page 19: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon mocks the chaos that would ensue if the elite sport of polo—traditionally played by wealthy horsemen—became a college game with student participation. The central image shows a horse wildly bucking its riders in all directions, depicting the disorder. Surrounding vignettes illustrate absurd amateur attempts: "Trying for the Team," "Raw Material," "Practice," "An Expert," and "A Combination Workout" all show untrained students comically failing at polo. The bottom panel references "Young Lochinvar" and "Mascots," suggesting college traditions would replace polo's refined etiquette. The satire contrasts polo's exclusivity with the chaos of democratizing it through college athletics—implying college students lack the skill, discipline, and resources for such a sophisticated sport. The joke targets both collegiate enthusiasm and polo's upper-class pretensions.