Life — June 16, 1921 — page 23: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a humorous cartoon about polo, a wealthy sport. The caption presents a joke where Jeanette comments that Percy owns a clever pony, and Jill responds that it must be clever—the implication being that any pony capable of playing polo with Percy must be exceptionally intelligent to compensate for Percy's apparent lack of skill or sense. The cartoon depicts a polo match in progress, with players on horseback wielding mallets. The satire targets Percy specifically, suggesting he's not a naturally talented player. The joke relies on the era's association of polo with the upper class and the assumption that some wealthy people participated in such sports despite limited aptitude—their ponies had to be particularly smart to succeed despite their riders' limitations.