Many years ago, a number of the members of the G:TB editorial staff were among
the founding fathers of the Northern Virginia region of the Magnificent Seven
croquet league. Not exactly Etonian stuff, Mag 7, in which teams of seven
competitors engaged in parallel competitions that tested both their croquet
skills and their tolerance for mid-label beer. The croquet, in most cases,
served as a pleasant diversion while each team raced to be the first to finish
their allotted keg of suds.As you might guess, most Mag 7 competitions ended in some form of disaster. On one (less than) memorable occasion, one of our number (who shall remain nameless but might be typing this) found himself passed out on top of a storage shed and ripped a hole in his jeans from crotch to ankle while attempting to climb down. On another, the homeowner who foolishly agreed to host the festivities looked up to see one of the participants urinating from a second story window upon the driveway below. Still a third time, the valiant warriors of the Sevens awoke to find a backyard tree entirely spray-painted copper.
Imagine our surprise and pride, then, to stumble upon news of the evolution of our sport. On April 28 and 29, the William and Mary Tribe Croquet Club swept both the individual and team titles to earn the overall championship in the UnitedStates Croquet Association Collegiate Division at the historic Merion Club in Haverford, PA. Stuart Veal and Dixon Muller won the individual title to pace the Tribe, who topped traditional croquet powers such as SUNY New Paltz, Oklahoma Wesleyan, and Northern Virginia Community College to claim the title.
Hark on the Gale, young Tribesman. You’ve mastered half of the skillset necessary to succeed in Magnificant Seven play.
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