Polo is a sport that for years has been associated with royalty and aristocracy due to its inherent history of being practiced by people from high society. Like every discipline it has its critics, who claim that to play polo all you need is to have the money, wear white trousers on a horse and hit a ball.
To judge a sport, you have to live it.
Let's start from the fact that polo is a sport played on a horse at a speed of 60 k/h, to which we must also add a total of eight horses attacking and defending every move and trying to be the one who scores a goal in the opponent's court. All these elements make polo a highly addictive game.
This game is so addictive that it has driven people to the ruin. That's right, we can't say that polo is an easy sport to play or accessible in many countries, but it is a reality that it is changing in some regions and that motivates us to continue spreading the culture of polo. Now, taking up again the passion of those who live polo, it is true that there is always a horse to buy, a tournament to attend or a cup to win. A highly addictive sport can only be justified by the adrenaline of those who play it and the challenges that polo is able to impose in every new season.
Polo is a sport that requires discipline and enough commitment to practice regularly, as it demands proper technique and a strong physical condition. On the other hand, it is a sport made for people with determination and mental agility, many of the great plays in polo result after making immediate decisions, within which there is an implicit risk in each manoeuvre
Being a polo player means thinking ahead to the possible moves your teammates will take on the field, this requires full concentration and a mind set on the goal of winning. It is not as simple as going to the club, riding a horse and galloping from end to end on the polo field.
It is not as simple as leading a lifestyle of going out at night every weekend and, during the week, being at the club on a horse enjoying how good it feels to be on one. We may love horses very much, but playing polo is another level of commitment.
Mentally you must have an unbreakable will power, be aware that during a polo match you run the risk of suffering various traumas: falling off a horse, stomping, being crushed by the animal, hard knocks with the mallet, and still be willing to live the experience of playing polo voluntarily.
. This does not mean that this sport is intended for older people or for people who do not know how to have fun. On the contrary, polo is a sport as diverse as football or basketball. Personalities of all kinds come to play polo and find in it a way to unite passions such as love of horses and competitive game. Proof of this are the owners of the teams, who are known as "Patrons". Many are actually great entrepreneurs with one factor in common which is a love for horses, high doses of adrenaline and a competitive environment. The answer has been polo as an antidote for these people who are looking for an escape from their business life.
To be a professional polo player you must have excellent physical and mental characteristics, only great players get to know and play in unimaginable places. Many, start playing by family tradition, but it is also true that many others start by playing from the bottom, cleaning stables or caring for horses. It has been the total of dedication and passion for polo that has taken them far.
Winston Churchill, who was an avid polo player, said: "A polo handicap is the best passport in the world". That phrase could not be more accurate, polo can take us to places we only imagined visiting.
Written by: Santiago B. Posada
Translated by: Mayra Alejandra V. Ramos