1. 'Divot stomping' is a tradition where spectators replace the mounds of earth torn up by horse’s hooves at half-time. Fun!
2. Chile is muy bueno at polo – they are the defending champs!
3. Argentina, England and the US currently comprise over half of the world’s players. Historically, some of the best polo ponies in the world came from Argentina, which is actually considered the polo centre of the world.
3. Polo players are not segregated based on gender or age. Instead, each player is given a rating (a handicap) that determines who he or she can play with.
4. When it comes to handedness, polo is a bit more discriminatory though – polo must be played right-handed.
5. A polo pony is still called a ‘pony’ and not a ‘horse’ as the former minimum height limit for the animal was only 14 hands.
6. Cloning of horses is common in professional polo.
7. The ponies’ tails are wrapped or braided to prevent – not for style reasons, but to stop them becoming tangled with players’ mallets or reins.
8. A polo game is divided into seven-minute periods called ‘chukkas’. There are four to eight chukkas in a game, depending on the standard. There is a three-minute interval between chukkas, and a five-minute interval at half-time.
9. At the World Championship, each player will be supplied with a string of ponies: two ponies per chukka, plus one reserve pony. Tired mounts can be exchanged for fresh mounts between or even during chukkas. So organisers have to source A LOT of horses for the tournament – 280, in fact.
10. Teams change ends after each goal is scored. Confusing.
11. The playing field is huuuuge: 270m long by 150m wide, which is equivalent to three soccer pitches.
12. The polo mallet is traditionally made from bamboo.
13. The four players on each team have numbers from 1 to 4 displayed on their jerseys. Number 1 is a forward and attacking offensive player, responsible for scoring goals. It's not uncommon for the best player on a team to be Number 2 – they have an important role in offence and defense. Number 3 is a tactical player, usually wielding the highest handicap, and must be a long powerful hitter. The primary defense player is Number 4 – they can move anywhere on the field.
Find out more about the World Polo Championship Sydney 2017 here.
