The sport of kings: polo

Polo and its roots

Polo sport is an exciting game of millionaire horses, called the sport of kings.  In the mind of people, it’s a sport of nobility, rich and privileged ones.  However, there is much more to the sport than its glamour. It’s been drawing many people to learn it. It’s the oldest team sport in history. Its origins go back to 600 B.C. one of the most dangerous, expensive, and gorgeous sports in the world.

Polo and its variants date back to more than 2000 years ago. Many Asian countries claim their origins. Although, it began being extensively played by the nobility and became a national sport in Persia (Iran). Soon it spread all over the globe. It started in Arabia, then Tibet, China, Japan, and ended up reaching the world. Most people do not know, but it started as a war game. It was at first a training game for Persian Cavalry units of the royal, elite troops.

The beginning of polo in America

Most of us, Americans, nowadays, know very little about it.  The British brought the sport to the United States late in the 19 century. It didn’t take long for Americans to fall in love with it and to assemble their own teams, associations, and matches. It’s been an Olympic sport since 1900. Currently, more than 100 countries professionally practice it. The sport consists of playing it on horseback by two teams of four players each, who use mallets with long, flexible handles to drive plastic or wooden ball. It takes place at a grass field and between two goalposts.

People have had a lot of excitement with the games throughout the twentieth century. A polo association was founded in the United States to manage, regulate and take care of the interests of the sport. However, the interest for the game really peaked out as it reached Hollywood in its heyday and when President Theodore Roosevelt took up the responsibility for the sport and the rest is history.

Outdoor & indoor Polo

Outdoor or field polo is a horseback ball game, traditionally played in a green field by men and women. Each of its matches last about one and a half hour and consists of four to eight chukkas (periods), in which players change mounts. The main objective is scoring, using a three-meter long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ball through the opposing team’s goal. The match is continuous and is only stops in case of rule infractions (fouls), broken tack (equipment), or injury to horse or player.

Unlike outdoor, indoor, or Arena polo is a fast-paced version of the game. Its rules are similar to the field game. The major differences between the outdoor and indoor games are. The outdoor is faster, more physically demanding, the ball size is larger indoor, the goal size is different with a smaller arena a goal.

There are different forms of arena polo include as beach polo, which is played between two teams of three riders on a sand surface. Cowboy polo, which is played almost exclusively in the west of the United States between teams of five riders on the dirt ground. Moreover, there is another quite modern variant of the sport, the snow polo, which is played on compacted snow flat ground. Its format can vary depending on the space available from place to place. It resembles ice hockey and bandy.

Hottest events

Polo is indeed a sport that has a busy schedule of events, all over the year and around the globe. In the United States, it’s not different, there are many different competitions for those interested in watching, or even start practicing. Palm City is a good example of an inclusive and welcoming polo club for anyone interested in the sport. Whether for competition, lesson taking, or even experiencing the pleasure of being on the back of a horse. It promotes a balanced environment to will benefit from all its amenities. There are many different events happening all along the year. Here are some of these events scheduled for the second semester of 2021:

• Butler International Cup – Oak Brook Polo Club | Oak Brook, IL
  • Sunday, September 19, 2021 – Sunday, September 26, 2021
• National Arena Delegate’s Cup – Commonwealth Polo Club | Paris, KY
  • Wednesday, September 22, 2021 – Sunday, September 26, 2021
• Regional President’s Cup – Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club | Carpinteria, CA
  • Saturday, September 25, 2021 – Sunday, October 03, 2021
  • Monday, November 01, 2021 – Tuesday, November 30, 2021
• National Twenty Goal® – Grand Champions Polo Club | Wellington, FL
  • Monday, November 01, 2021 – Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Therefore, if you like horseback sports, America is a good destination for having fun with our equestrian sports. You can’t miss the opportunity of visiting and enjoying the sports sites on board a luxury transportation service.  Mundi limos is up and ready to drive you around safely, luxuriously, and comfortably.