Sowiniec Polo Club×INIGRA
pl
The sport of kings

You will understand polo
after two chukkers

Most guests are watching polo for the first time - and that is perfectly normal. The matches are commentated live by Paweł Olbrych, and here you will find everything that helps you read the game.

Polo in 60 seconds1/6

Two teams of four

The aim is simple: put the ball between the opponents' posts, striking it with a long stick called a mallet. Players wear numbers 1 to 4, which describe their role: 1 and 2 attack, 3 builds the play, 4 defends.

Live commentary

Live commentary

Across both days the matches are commentated live by Pawel Olbrych. He explains what is happening on the field, why the umpire stopped play and who has just scored - you do not need to know the rules to follow the game.

The rules and flow of the game

Horse welfare

In polo the horse is the most important player, and the entire rulebook of this sport is built around its safety. Here is what that means in practice.

Short work, long rest

After each chukker the player moves to a fresh horse. No horse works longer than about seven minutes at a stretch, and then returns to the stables for the rest of the match. That is why one player needs several horses for a single match - not a luxury but a condition of being allowed to play.

Protection every time they take the field

Horses come onto the turf in wraps and boots on all four legs, with the tail secured so it cannot tangle in a mallet. The equipment is checked before every chukker.

The rules protect the horses, not the score

Most of the rules of polo - right of way on the line of the ball, the ban on dangerous riding, penalties for reckless play - exist so that horses do not collide. Umpires stop play immediately if anything worrying happens with a horse, and that is the most frequent reason for the whistle.

Warm-up, cooling down, care

Before play the horses are warmed up, and once off the field they are cooled down, watered and walked by grooms who look after them all day. Polo horses usually play across many seasons - keeping them in condition is in every player's interest.

What we ask of our guests

Please do not feed the horses or touch them without the groom's consent, do not approach from behind and do not make sharp movements near them - and please do not open umbrellas suddenly. Dogs are not permitted on the tournament grounds precisely because of the horses' safety. The stables and the preparation area may only be entered with our team's permission.

Polo savoir-vivre

Kilka rzeczy, które warto wiedzieć, żeby czuć się swobodnie od pierwszej minuty.

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