Polo's origin dates back
to 6th century BC in Central Asia. At first
it was a training game for cavalry units for
the King's guards or other elite troops. To
the warlike tribesmen who played polo with
as many as 100 players to a side, it was a
miniature battle. It became a Persian national
game in the 6th century AD.
This equestrian sport was introduced in South
Asia, by the Muslim conquerors in the 13th
century.
The name 'polo' is derived from the Indian
'pulu' for the wood from which the ball was
made and the word 'chucker' comes from the
Indian word for a circle or round.
British tea planters in India witnessed
the game and introduced it in England in
1850.
James Gordon Bennett, a noted American publisher;
balloonist, and adventurer, was captivated
by the sport and took it to New York in
1876 where it caught on immediately.
However,
it was in the southern extreme of America,
in Argentina where Polo flourished in it´s
maximum splendor.
La Pampa's new English inhabitants introduced
the sport in the region in 1875. It was
immediately adopted by the farmers, who
where used to "Pato", an equestrian
game with similar rules.
After some time, different clubs started
to open in new born towns. Hurlingham Club,
one of the main ones, opened In 1888. River
Plate Polo Association - today Argentine
Polo Association- was born in 1892.
By 1930's polo was in the midst of a Golden
Age - it was an Olympic sport.
Argentine Polo is undeniably the best of
the world; World Champion almost every year
since 1949 and the country with more 10
handicap players.
With more than 100 years, Palermo Argentine
Open has become a worldwide event, Polo's
Mecca. It's a dream for the biggest players.
For over 30 years, the Argentines have been
preeminent in the sport but explosive growth
in players and the availability of good
horses is honing the competitive abilities
of challengers from many countries.
The principal playing countries are currently
Argentina, USA, Mexico, Great Britain, Australia
and New Zealand. Since the last war, Argentina
has consistently set the standards of the
modern game and has produced both the best
players and the ponies most suited to the
sport.
Polo is played in more than 60 countries
and enjoyed by more than 50 million people
each year.
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