Polo’s Olympic career was exciting – it was actually won by Team GB at the 1908 Olympics – but short-lived, as it was abandoned at the 1948 ‘austerity’ games. ‘The last time polo was included in the Olympic game schedule was in 1936, and I would love to see it reinstated at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil,’ says former model and polo player Jodie Kidd. ‘The Olympics is a great platform to bring unknown sports like polo into the public eye.’
So does polo warrant a place at the world’s biggest sporting event- Can it compete with the likes of other popular Olympic disciplines, such as athletics and gymnastics- Does it have the spectator appeal, athletic prowess and accessibility that a true Olympic sport requires- Women’s Fitness’s Ellie Moss donned wellies and a waterproof to investigate!
Fitness first
It’s often said that in polo, 80 per cent of the skill lies with the horse. However, having spent an hour or so learning the basics I can vouch for the fact that the rider also has to have an impressive level of fitness, core stability and leg strength just to stay on – never mind the skills required to actually manoeuvre the horse and hit the ball. ‘Polo is a lot more physical than people think,’ admits Jodie.
I was completely exhausted after our short session of ground work and a quick chukka on the ponies. I was visibly sweating and my legs ached – a feeling that stayed with me for days afterwards!
‘There’s some sort of fitness that you get on the horses that you can’t seem to get elsewhere,’ agrees Eddie Kennedy, polo coach at Cool Hooves Polo. ‘You can be very fit at other athletic sports, but there’s something that really challenges your fitness here.’
And just a short session can really put certain parts of your body through their paces. ‘Core fitness is absolutely key,’ says Eddie. ‘But you also have to be supple and have a strong grip with your legs to stay on the horse. Your lower body takes a physical pounding.’ Believe me, he’s right! The game has really evolved with many players now doing full stretching sessions before they head out on the pitch and looking to Pilates and yoga to guard against injury.
Get involved
One of the most interesting aspects of polo, as with the other equestrian Olympic sports, is the fact that male and female players compete against each other, on an even footing. ‘Girls play alongside boys, so you have to be prepared to get stuck in! It’s what I love about the sport,’ says Jodie.
But surely you need a string of polo ponies and plenty of cash to be a contender- Actually, polo is also a surprisingly easy sport to get into. You don’t need to own legions of horses to play regularly, in fact you don’t even need to own one – and you also don’t need to have ridden before!
‘The sessions we offer at Cool Hooves are done at a level and a speed in keeping with your fitness and experience, but within a few weeks a complete beginner could be riding around and hitting a ball reasonably well,’ says Eddie.
At the polo clinic I attended, the award for best player went to someone who had never been on a horse before! It was deserved: he scored every goal in the chukka!
‘Learning to play is much easier than people realise,’ says Jodie. ‘There are some fantastic polo academies up and down the country, starting from around £40 a lesson. And learning the sport doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive, I know lots of beginners who pop down to their local polo clubs once or twice a month and really get into the social aspect of the sport.’
Of course, at the very highest levels it is a hugely expensive sport and most top teams will take at least 40 horses to a single match. But many polo clubs now also have associated polo schools that you can pop down to of a Saturday afternoon and play a few chukkas.
‘The great thing is that with a polo school, you don’t have to be a member of a club – which can be very expensive,’ says Eddie. ‘A lot of people who come to polo school just come once a week on a Saturday or Sunday. We’re almost a club within a club, and we bring people to quite a high level without them having to invest in horses.’ It’s an easy and relatively inexpensive way to get involved.
One for the crowd
As far as spectator appeal goes, polo is hugely popular and summer provides a series of great opportunities to watch the game. One of the best is MINT Polo in the Park, a three-day polo extravaganza with a ladies’ day, family day and a whole host of amazing entertainment. Head to www.polointheparklondon.com to book your tickets.
It seems polo may indeed have what it takes to rival its Olympic cousins. ‘Polo is such a high-octane and exhilarating game,’ says Jodie.?It’s action-packed for both players and spectators, it puts male and female athletes on an even footing, it’s a truly international game (played in the Middle East, America, Russia, Australia, India, and Argentina to name a few), and it’s a sport that its fans can actually go out and get involved in. What more could you want-
To try your hand at the game, check out www.coolhoovespolo.co.uk who ran our polo clinic, or take a look at www.hpa-polo.co.uk to find a local club or school.
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