Polo, once seen as a sport dominated by Kings and the ruling class originally dating back to 600 BC, has never enjoyed such a mass appeal as it does today.
It is estimated that there are 1 billion polo fans worldwide and the sport is played in over 90 countries.
The popularity of polo is buoyed on even more by the fact that the major cups and tournaments are outside in the sunshine and beautiful green grass settings of the polo fields in the Summer, where people can soak up the atmosphere, speed, thrill and adrenaline that comes with viewing a high-octane polo match.
What else is good about the polo is you don’t necessarily have to be a major sports or equestrian fan to enjoy it. The rules are simple and laid out for you, matches don’t drag on like they can do with a dull nil all football match!
There are invariably always goals and each match lasts 40 minutes but is broken up into 4 units or chukkas as they are known, lasting 7 and a half minutes each. This, in comparison to other drawn out sports tournaments, makes matches short and intense.
Plus, the game is beautiful to watch. Lithe polo horses working in unison with daring polo players chasing the 110mph polo ball around the field with menacing looking mallets. If it sounds like something like a Jilly Cooper novel, it is! (Probably another reason for the increasing numbers of women spectators at the polo.)
There is also a real touch of glamour associated with the polo. It is where men and women can come and dress up, wear panama hats, sip Pimm’s and Champagne whilst watching the game.
Polo’s origins as a game of King’s, has added to the glamour of events. And even today it is a game consistently played by royalty and society. Prince William and Harry are both players and fans of polo and the who’s who of celebrities are often at events. Our soon to be King Charles III is a keen player and famously was pictured with Camilla Parker Bowles at a Windsor Great park polo match in 1971, where the then couple who briefly dated looked very much in love.
So what to wear to the polo? Well, floaty fabrics for women and crisp designer shirts are the look of the moment for polo – if you’re not sure what to wear check out our Polo Fashion Shoot for some stunning looks from in and around the best boutiques in Surrey and surrounding areas in the June Issue.
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO POLO
In case you’re not already a seasoned polo fan, Surrey Rocks gives you a quick lesson in what to expect while watching the polo.
Each team consists of 4 players; Number 3 is the captain, who commands the team and pivots between attack and defence. Number 4 (also known as the “back”) is responsible for defence and being the goal defender, while Numbers 1 and 2 are the attackers.
A standard polo playing field is 274 metres long by 146 metres wide. All polo players must be right handed to avoid injury. The game consists of four to eight 7 and half-minute chukkas, depending on region played. Europe has 4. There is a 5 minute interval between chukkas and a 10 minute interval between halftime, where players swap ends.
Goal posts are set at each end of the field and to score, players have to hit the ball between the goals. Interestingly, there is no height limit for the goal scored.
If the ball goes wide of the goal the defending team is allowed a free ‘knock-in” from where the ball crossed the goal line, getting the ball back in play quickly.
HISTORY OF POLO
Polo is thought to have originated in China and Persia around 2,000 years ago. The first recorded game took place in 600 BC between the Turkomans and Persians. Polo today is led by Argentina and England.
Modern polo originated in Manipur, in India. The Silchar Polo Club was founded in 1859 by British military officers and tea planters, after Lieutenant Joe Sherer saw the locals playing polo and said, “We must learn the game!” From India, polo spread quickly appearing in Malta in 1868, England in 1869, Argentina in 1872 and Australia in 1874. It reached the US after James Gordon Bennett, publisher of the New York Herald, saw his first polo game in England. Bennett returned to New York in 1876 with mallets, balls and the Hurlingham Club rules.
‘A polo handicap is a person’s ticket to the world’ – Winston Churchill said.
POLO FIXTURES 2023
In England the equestrian sport of Polo has grown considerably in popularity with such events as the Cartier International at Guards Polo Club playing an important role in maximising its awareness, although it has to be said for social glamour reasons rather than for the appreciation of the sport.
Recently the sport has attracted the ‘Hello Magazine’ type readers who see celebrities attending the important polo events like the Queens Cup and suddenly it becomes part of their social rather than sporting calendar.
Celebrities and the royal family are out in full force in the summer as Audi throw their annual polo event The Polo Challenge in Ascot’s Coworth Park. The challenge starts on 27th June, with the semi-finals on July 7thand the final on July 9th.
Another popular polo event is the now well-established Chesterton’s Polo In The Park, designed to maximise accessibility and indeed greater awareness of this magnificent sport. This popular event with its international flavour attracts many Londoners which includes celebrities from film, television, fashion and music industry. They all gather sipping champagne at the Pommery Champagne Garden or The Mahiki Bar another spot to be seen at.
Chesterton’s Polo in the Park is a unique London lifestyle event, which blends fashion, retail and gastronomy with thrilling high-octane polo, the perfect way to kick-off the summer social season. The event takes place on 9th, 10th & 11th June at Hurlingham Park, London this year.
The biggest names in high goal polo are in action at the end of July on the Queen’s Ground at Guards Polo Club, Windsor in a bid to win the Queen’s Cup.
Cartier invite guests from the worlds of stage, screen, sport, society into the Cartier enclosure, welcoming them to the elegant reception serving Cartier champagne. This year the event takes place between 23rd May and 18th June.
Then you have the Gold Cup Final as the usual collection of polo lovers and fashionistas sip champagne under a boiling sun in Cowdray Park, Midhurst, West Sussex from 27th June – 23rd July.
