Polo is a gender-blind sport
A player’s handicap (skill level) is what counts, while gender is of no importance.
Male and female players who have achieved the same handicap are treated as equals and considered to have identical skill levels; polo is one of very few sports where this holds true.
A polo match on top of the world
Once a year, a polo championship is played on the Himalaya mountaintops at an altitude of 4,000 meters, among the area’s native peoples. Hardy ponies, handmade mallets, old-fashioned players…this is the game of polo in its ancient, ancestral form. There are no rules, and playing time is divided into two chukkers, each of which lasts 25 minutes. It’s a magical experience for everyone, polo enthusiasts and first-time spectators alike.
A TV movie about the game of polo
A TV film about the life of the great Italian polo player Piero Capparoni, who passed away two years ago, is currently being produced.
It depicts an intense love story which his wife Lucilla recounts in her book “The Crystal Horseman”.
Something about polo balls
In the past, polo balls were always made of wood. Today, wooden balls are only used in a small number of tournaments. When wooden balls were thrown, friction with the air produced a whistling sound which allowed players to hear the ball coming, and thus avoid being hit by it. Wooden balls, however, were not very sturdy.
In 1970, Bernard Cohen invented the modern plastic polo ball. It was first tested in Palm Beach, Florida, at the Wellington Polo Club, and has had a significant impact on the game, changing the sport in a decisive way. Bernie’s company was named TEC after his wife, Trudy Elizabeth Cohen, and it soon began production and sales of the new polo ball.
During play, the ball is usually hit with such force that it tends to be deformed by each strike. Frequent ball substitutions must thus be made during the game, to the point where around two dozen polo balls are needed for each match.
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