You might know this sport from the popular men’s clothing brand Ralph Lauren and their famous shirts, but polo has been around for many years and is played in 50 countries worldwide. Known as “The Gentleman’s Sport,” polo is played commonly on horseback, but can also be played on camels, elephants and even bicycles. Polo is typically played on a field nine times the size of a football field. Divided into two teams with four players on each team, players use mallets to hit a ball into the opposing team’s goal.
According to Horsenetwork, a game of polo is split into seven-minute periods called chukkers, and riders change mounts after every chukker or period. During high-goal matches, polo ponies can run one or even two miles and therefore are always given a respite after playing. Agustin Arellano, a professional player for the U.S. polo team, believes the risk of riding on live animals adds an element of caution to the game.
“You must be always aware of your surroundings and know the limits of you and your animal,” Arrellano said. “You must take yourself out of it in a way and just focus on playing by the rules.”
The sport originated around 2,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest sports in history. Although polo originated in India, it became very popular amongst England’s royals, including Prince William.
Polo is one of the more expensive hobbies one can adopt, and it’s not very popular outside very wealthy groups and individuals. The cost of a polo horse alone, which is $50,000 on average, outweighs the cost of equipment to play many other popular sports. Nevertheless, the majority of players enjoy the sport and urge others to try it, including actor Sylvester Stallone.
“Polo is like tennis,” Stallone said. “You literally have to live it.”
