Discipline - Polo
Introduction to Polo
Polo, the oldest organized sport of any kind, was first played in Persia (what is now modern Iran) possibly as early as the 6th century BC. It was at first a training game for cavalry units. To the warlike tribesmen who played it with as many as 100 to a side, it was a miniature battle. Women as well as men played the game, as indicated by references to the queen and her ladies engaging King Khosrow II Parviz and his courtiers in the 6th century AD.
The modern game of polo is derived from the princes of the Tibeto-Burman kingdom of Manipur, India. The name polo comes from the Tibetan word for ball, "pulu." A handful of British officials who were in the area establishing tea plantations in Manipur's Cacher Valley learned the game from the locals. Five years later, in 1859, the first European polo club was formed there by Captain Robert Stewart, Superintendent of Cacher, and Lt. Joseph Sherer of the Bengal Army. As Sherer rose in ranks, he became known as the "Father of Modern Polo." By 1870 the game was being played throughout British India.
Polo was fist played in the United Kingdom in 1869 by British soldiers. Billed as "hockey on horseback," the game quickly became a fashionable part of the London social season. The establishment of polo clubs throughout England and Western Europe soon followed. The game's governing body in the UK is the Hurlingham Polo Association, which drew up the first set of formal British rules in 1874, many of which are still in existence.
Polo was first played in the United States in 1876, introduced by newspaper tycoon James Gordon Bennett, Jr. During that winter of 1876, the first game was held indoors and the first formal U.S. club was established, the Westchester Polo Club. In 1886 the first International matches were held between the U. S. and British teams.
Polo was introduced in Argentina in 1877 by the British. Since the 1930's, they have been the world's leading polo players. The Argentineans produce world-famous polo ponies, which are trained by professional horseman to whom the game is a way of life.
The 1930's also saw women creating an impact on the sport, though they would not be members of the United States Polo Association for years to come.
Polo is now an active sport in 77 countries but played professionally in only a few countries, notably Argentina, England, Pakistan, India, Australia, Spain and the United States. Polo is unique among team sports in that amateur players, often the team patrons, routinely hire and play alongside the sport's top professionals.
Argentina dominates the professional sport, as its polo team has been the uninterrupted world champion since 1949 and is today the source of most of the world's 10-goal (i.e., top-rated) players. The Campeonato Argentino Abierto de Polo tournament-over 100 years old and still going strong-remains one of the most important polo competitions in the world.
The U.S. is unique in possessing a professional women's polo league and a men's professional polo league: the United States Women's Polo Federation and the United States Men's Polo Federation, were founded in 2000. The 32-team league plays across the country.
THE RULES OF THE GAME
Polo is a team sport played on horseback at a gallop, making it one of the fastest moving games in the world. The objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Riders score by driving a white wooden or plastic ball (size 3-3.5 inches) into the opposing team's goal using a long-handled mallet. Goals are only valid if the scoring rider is mounted.
Each polo team consists of four riders and their mounts. Play occurs in seven-minute periods, called chukkas (sometimes spelled chukkers). Six chukkas is the normal length of play; however, depending on league rules, matches can also have four or eight chukkas. Ponies are changed after each chukka and each pony can only play two chukkas per match.
THE HORSE
The Manipuri ponies that the British first learned the game on stood no more than 12.2hh. Today the mounts are still called 'ponies' but Westerners favor horses ranging from 14.2 to 16 hands high. The polo pony is selected carefully for great speed and stamina as well as agility and maneuverability. They also must be intelligent and have an innate "ball-sense," following the ball the same way a great cutting horse follows the cow. A well-trained horse will carry his rider smoothly and swiftly to the ball and can account for anywhere from 70-80% of a player's ability and net worth to his team.
Many of the best polo ponies are bred in Argentina. Originally, Argentineans crossed Thoroughbreds with their native Criollo stock, one of the toughest and soundest breeds in the world. While some polo ponies can become "ball shy" it's almost never heard of in an Argentinean pony. Polo training begins at age four and lasts from about six months to two years. Ponies reach their peak at around age 10; but without any accidents, polo ponies have been known to play until they are 18 to 20 years old.
Polo saddles are English-style similar to jumping saddles. A breastplate is added, usually attached to the front billet. A tie-down (standing Martingale) may be used: if so, for safety a breastplate is a necessity. An overgirth may be used. The stirrup irons are heavier than most, and the stirrup leathers are wider and thicker, for added safety when the player stands in the stirrups. The legs of the pony are wrapped with polo wraps from below the knee to the ankle to prevent injury. Often, these wraps match the team colors. The pony's mane is roached, and its tail is braided so that it will not snag the rider's mallet.
