Polo is arguably the oldest recorded team sport in known history, with the first matches being played in Persia over 2500 years ago. Initially thought to have been created by competing tribes of Central Asia, it was quickly taken up as a training method for the King’s elite cavalry. These matches could resemble a battle with up to 100 men to a side.
As mounted armies swept back and forth across this part of the world, conquering and re-conquering, polo was adopted as the most noble of pastimes by the Kings and Emperors, Shahs and Sultans, Khans and Caliphs of the ancient Persians, Arabs, Mughals, Mongols and Chinese. It was for this reason it became known across the lands as "the game of kings".
British officers themselves re-invented the game in 1862 after seeing a horsemanship exhibition in Manipur, India. The sport was introduced into England in 1869, and seven years later sportsman James Gordon Bennett imported it to the United States. After 1886, English and American teams occasionally met for the International Polo Challenge Cup. Polo was on several Olympic games schedules, but was last an Olympic sport in 1936.
Polo continues, as it has done for so long, to represent the pinnacle of sport, and reaffirms the special bond between horse and rider. The feeling of many of its players are epitomized by a famous verse inscribed on a stone tablet next to a polo ground in Gilgit, Pakistan: "Let others play at other things. The king of games is still the game of kings."
This verse, inscribed on a stone tablet beside a polo ground South of the fables silk route from China to the West, sums up the ancient history of what is believed to be the oldest organized sport in the world. Polo was truly a game of Kings, for most of its reputed 2,500 years or more of existence. Although the precise origin of polo is obscure and undocumented, there is ample evidence of the game's regal place in the history of Asia. No one knows where or when stick first met ball after the horse was domesticated by the tribes of Central Asia, but it seems likely that as the use of light cavalry spread throughout Asia Minor, China and the Indian sub-continent so did this rugged game on horse back. As mounted Armies swept back and forth across this part of the world, conquering and re-conquering, polo was adopted as the most noble of pastimes by the Kings and Emperors, Shahs and Sultans, Khans and Caliphs of the ancient Persians, Arabs, Mughals, Mongols and Chinese. The great rulers and their horsemen real and legendary, of those early centuries were expected to be brave warriors, skillful hunters and polo players of exceptional prowess.
As mounted armies swept back and forth across this part of the world, conquering and re-conquering, polo was adopted as the most noble of pastimes by the Kings and Emperors, Shahs and Sultans, Khans and Caliphs of the ancient Persians, Arabs, Mughals, Mongols and Chinese. It was for this reason it became known across the lands as "the game of kings".
British officers themselves re-invented the game in 1862 after seeing a horsemanship exhibition in Manipur, India. The sport was introduced into England in 1869, and seven years later sportsman James Gordon Bennett imported it to the United States. After 1886, English and American teams occasionally met for the International Polo Challenge Cup. Polo was on several Olympic games schedules, but was last an Olympic sport in 1936.
Polo continues, as it has done for so long, to represent the pinnacle of sport, and reaffirms the special bond between horse and rider. The feeling of many of its players are epitomized by a famous verse inscribed on a stone tablet next to a polo ground in Gilgit, Pakistan: "Let others play at other things. The king of games is still the game of kings."
This verse, inscribed on a stone tablet beside a polo ground South of the fables silk route from China to the West, sums up the ancient history of what is believed to be the oldest organized sport in the world. Polo was truly a game of Kings, for most of its reputed 2,500 years or more of existence. Although the precise origin of polo is obscure and undocumented, there is ample evidence of the game's regal place in the history of Asia. No one knows where or when stick first met ball after the horse was domesticated by the tribes of Central Asia, but it seems likely that as the use of light cavalry spread throughout Asia Minor, China and the Indian sub-continent so did this rugged game on horse back. As mounted Armies swept back and forth across this part of the world, conquering and re-conquering, polo was adopted as the most noble of pastimes by the Kings and Emperors, Shahs and Sultans, Khans and Caliphs of the ancient Persians, Arabs, Mughals, Mongols and Chinese. The great rulers and their horsemen real and legendary, of those early centuries were expected to be brave warriors, skillful hunters and polo players of exceptional prowess.
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1 galleryBella Vista Polo Club is a USPA Club owned by Mr. Patrick Nesbitt Address: 205 Lampert Rd CA 93013 Carpinteria USA Website: www-bellavistaranch.org Contact: +1 (805) 695-0141 -
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4 galleriesCancha de Estrellas Location: 200 Lampert Road CA 93013 Carpinteria USA Contact: +1 (303) 572-6400 -
3 galleriesCentral Coast Polo Club 2320 Clark Valley Rd Los Osos, CA 93402 (805) 801-9410 www.centralcoastpolo.com Central Coast Polo Club (CCPC) is located on the beautiful Central Coast of California, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. In operation year-round, CCPC offers training, stabling, turnout, lessons, and competitive and fun polo. CCPC is very active in the USPA Middle School League, Interscholastic and Intercollegiate programs. Central Coast Polo Club operates polo clinics throughout the summer for participants ages six and older. Equipped with a string of 30 school horses, CCPC offers special group and family packages. CCPC also has horses available for lease 12 months a year for arena and grass tournaments. CCPC hosts many USPA tournaments, and members travel extensively to several California polo clubs for tournaments during the year. Central Coast Polo Club's owner and manager Megan Judge, is a USPA B-rated umpire and an Honorary/Level 1 Certified Polo Instructor. Judge is the coach of the Cal Poly intercollegiate team and the Central Coast/Santa Barbara interscholastic teams. If you are in the area CCPC invites you to come out, play, and join if you live on the beautiful Central Coast! -
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76 galleriesFounded in 1911, the Santa Barbara Polo Club in Santa Barbara, California is the premiere equestrian Polo club in the Western United States. The club, located between the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, consists of three full size outdoor polo fields, one arena, extensive horse boarding and exercise facilities, as well as stabling for 350 horses. The Santa Barbara Polo Club is home to the Pacific Coast Open, United States Polo Association (USPA) America Cup and the USPA Circuit Player's Cup. -
397 imagesThe Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz, the most prestigious polo tournament on snow in the world, kicks off again.. Until 1st February 2015, four high goal teams will fight for the trophy on the frozen lake of St. Moritz, in front of an international audience and of a magnificent scenery. Four teams with a handicap of 14 to 16 goals from Switzerland, England, Italy and Ireland have announced their attendance and the spectators can anticipate top-level players. In addition to the 7-goalers Max Charlton from England as well as Dario Musso and Piki Diaz Alberdi from Argentina, there will also be high class technicians and playmakers such as 6-goalers Chris Hyde, James Harper, Richard Le Poer Beresford, Lucas Labat and Pepe Riglos. Cartier, Badrutt‘s Palace, BMW and Trois Pommes are the sponsors of this year’s participating teams. Deutsche Bank supports the tournament as gold sponsor, La Martina is official supplier. This much is clear: there will be a top-class social program. The cocktail reception and the exclusive gala dinner will live up to the glamorous past of the event. Reto Gaudenzi: “The feedback on our project is fantastic, everyone acts in concert. Thanks to the support of the sponsors, the community of St. Moritz and the Kurverein we can preserve and continue the Snow Polo World Cup in St. Moritz.” It’s been 30 years since the native-born Engadin Reto Gaudenzi, back then manager of the legendary Badrutt‘s Palace in St. Moritz, had the idea to play polo on the frozen Lake St. Moritz. At that time, nobody would have thought it would be possible and many could not help laughing when hearing this absurd plan. But Gaudenzi and his fellow campaigners succeeded in launching the first snow polo tournament in the world. Today, thirty years later, snow polo is played all over the world: for example in Aspen, Colorado, in Cortina, Italy and in Tianjin, China. But the original snow polo tournament of St. Moritz is still the most prestigious and highly remunerated polo tournament on snow at international level. For many years, after Gaudenzi had started to address other tasks, St. Moritz Polo AG was responsible for organising the tournament, the last time in 2014. Then the organisers threw in the towel and the future of the tournament was uncertain. Reto Gaudenzi, who today organises polo tournaments all over the world, now steps in and returns to St. Moritz. In association with his friends and Swiss polo personalities Dr Piero Dillier, Andy Küchel, Werner Meier and Thomas Rinderknecht, he founded the Evviva Polo St. Moritz AG in Spring 2014 to guarantee the continuance of the snow classic in St. Moritz. Reto Gaudenzi: “The uncertainty about the future of this sporting and social highlight in St. Moritz kept on bothering us. Friends of polo from all over the world encouraged us to once again assume the responsibility for the tournament in St. Moritz and to lead it to a secure future.” For more information please visit www.snowpolo-stmoritz.com -
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265 imagesVon Donnerstag, 21. bis Samstag, 23. August findet die X. Homes Trophy 2014 in Österreich statt. Mit der attraktiven Sportart La Cuerra, welche der internationale Weltklassespieler Hannes Hiesberger aus dem traditionellen Horseballsport heraus entwickelte, kann die X. Homes Trophy 2014 mit einer absoluten Weltneuheit im Pferdesport aufwarten. Das moderne, dynamisch schnelle und actionreiche Mannschaftsspiel basiert auf den Eckpfeilern Teamgeist, Strategie und schnelle Umsetzung der Spielzüge. Arena Polo ist eine Mannschaftssportart, bei der die auf Pferden reitenden zwei oder drei Spieler pro Mannschaft einen Ball mit einem Poloschläger in das gegnerische Tor schlagen müssen. Zur Sicherheit der Spieler wird ein Polohelm und Knieschoner getragen. Um die Schonung der Pferde zu gewährleisten, werden die Pferde nach jedem Spielabschnitt gewechselt. Das Event verbindet die beiden Pferdeballsportarten La Cuerra und Arena Polo. Bei La Cuerra treten zwei Teams aus Österreich an, beim Arena Polo gehen vier teams aus Österreich, Deustchland und Ungarn an den Start. Austragungsort ist der Blaue Lagune Parkplatz/Ausstellungsgelände in Wiener Neudorf. Der Eintritt ist an allen Tagen frei! Am Samstag endet das Turnier mit dem Finale und am Abend findet am 20.00 Uhr eine After Game Party statt. Das Event wird gesponsert von Blaue Lagune, Radio Wien, Mövenpick, Mitsubishi Motors, Sony Pictures und Ströck. Weitere Informationen unter www.lacuerra.at