We've all heard the word "polo" before and many of us associate it with the clothing brand or water sport, but neither of those pop into my head when I hear that word. What I think of is the equine sport that my father exposed me to and the sport that I fell in love with. Polo is a team sport played on horseback where teams try to score points by hitting a ball into the opponent's goal. As easy as that may seem, polo is actually one of the most dangerous sports in the world as well as the fastest team sport with horses reaching speeds of around 30-35 mph.
Many people think this sport was developed by the British, but the sport was actually started by the Persians during the Persian Empire, so the sport is very old, in fact, the oldest recorded game is dated around 600 B.C. It was, though, the British who exposed Americans to the sport and caused it to come across the pond. The Westchester Polo Club was founded in New York in 1876 and became the first polo club in the United States.
With Polo increasing in popularity in the US, it was decided that a governing body was needed to help regulate and develop the sport on a national level. So, in 1890, the United States Polo Association (USPA) was formed and became the second sports governing organization in the United States. The organization's main goal was to establish rules and regulations that would make the sport safer for both player and horse, as well as increase the popularity of the sport.
The US military began to use polo as a training method for the US cavalry and officers in the 1890s. The nature of the game proved to be very effective in training cavalrymen to be comfortable riding in close proximity to one another while riding at high speeds. The sport was also used to help train and improve the riding ability of officers. During the World War era, as many as 1,200 army men were active members of the USPA, most notably General Geroge S. Patton and President Theodore Roosevelt.
If you ever have the chance to watch a game in person, you'll notice that all horses have their manes shaved (roached) and tails tied up. These may come across as a little strange to someone watching for the first time, but the reason why we do this is to prevent a player's mallet from getting caught in them and to ensure the safety of both the player and horse. Another thing that you may notice is that all players on the field wear white pants. The reason for this is by no means for safety, but because British officers stationed in India in the 1800s preferred to wear light colored clothing when playing in the heat of India, so they wore white pants. Since then, it has become a rule that all competing players must wear white pants during a game.
I highly encourage anyone who is interested in trying or watching polo to find a local club and contact them for more information. If you are in school, check to see if your school has an intercollegiate club and join! If you can't find a club near you but really want to see what polo is like, check out www.uspolo.org and check out all of their full game coverage!
