Last weekend, we had the thrill of capturing the dynamic energy of the Argentine Days at the Polo Club Central Netherlands. Equipped with our camera gear, we immersed ourselves in the fast-paced world of polo, capturing the exhilarating moments as horses and riders raced across the field. Curious about what horse polo is? Read more about it in this blog!
Did you know that:
- Polo is one of the oldest team sports in the world. The very first polo match was played by the Royal Persians in 600BC. And although the sport has its origins in India, nowadays Argentina is known as the polo country. Polo is a big part of Argentina culture. The sport is relatively new in the Netherlands, having only been played since 1980. There are only 4 polo clubs in the Netherlands.
- In polo there are 2 teams of usually 4 players on their polo ponies and the referee is also mounted on horseback. The aim of the game is to hit a small ball with a polo stick, also called a mallet, into the opposing team's goal. After each goal, sides are switched. Each match consists of 4 to 6 chukkas, each consisting of 7.5 minutes of play and 30 seconds of rest. After every chukka, and sometimes also during a chukka, horses are changed. Just like in football, there are also penalties and free throws in polo.
- Polo fields are 5 times bigger than football fields. Typically, a polo field measures 200 by 300 meters, while a football field measures 70 by 100 meters.
- A player's level is indicated by a "handicap". For example, novice polo players have a handicap of -2 while the best players in the world have a handicap of 10.
