The Game of Kings - Polo Anyone?
The sport of polo was not a sport initially, but a form of training for mounted guards or elite cavalrymen in Persia (Iran). By the Middle Ages the sport had spread across the East. More recently, the British made it popular, after learning the game in India.
Polo was an Olympic event until the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and the the last sport to be removed for the Olympic list of sports.
But its popularity as a fast, action packed sport continues today. And you can learn to play the polo, the sport of kings, even if you don’t know how to ride a horse (although it would help). Instruction includes group lesson, mallet, polo pony and helmet. All you need to bring is a sturdy pair of shoes or boots and a pair of sports gloves (golf gloves work).
The rules of polo are fairly simple. First, polo must be played right handed for safety, so lefties may have a disadvantage. A match pits teams of 4 horses and riders against each other, who play six 7-minute periods or chukkas. The object, similar to field hockey, is to score a point by hitting the ball into the other team’s goal with your mallet.
While the game has evolved a bit with some polo leagues playing on bicycles or Segways, the horse is still the classic form of getting around the field.
Here’s a clip from the Ham Polo Club in London and some of their expert players making a couple goals.
Destination Polo
5752 Merry Oaks Road
The Plains, VA 20198 (map it)
540-253-5001
Dates and Times - lessons usually scheduled Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays between April 15 - November 15. E-mail [email protected] or call 540-253-5001 for more information on lessons.
Cost - $90.00 per hour for a group lesson, private lessons are $120.00 per hour.
Parking - free
Images – player hitting ball, polo in the country, polo lesson
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