About
Polo is one of the world's oldest team sports — originating in Persia approximately 2,500 years ago as cavalry training and played across Central Asia. The modern game (4 players per team on horseback, hitting a ball with mallets) was standardized by British officers in India in the 19th century. The British introduced it worldwide; Argentina became the dominant polo nation.
Polo requires extraordinary horsemanship — players must control a galloping horse with their legs alone while swinging a mallet. 'Polo ponies' are not ponies but full-size Argentinian breeds. A top polo horse can cost $100,000–500,000. Argentina's 10-goal handicap players (the sport's maximum) are considered among the most skilled athletes in the world.
# Top 10 Polo facts
- 1Polo is 2,500 years old — it was used to train Persian and Central Asian cavalry
- 2Argentina dominates modern polo — virtually all the world's top-rated players are Argentine
- 3A top polo pony can cost $500,000 — and a top player needs 6–8 horses per match
Fascinating Facts
- ◆Polo is 2,500 years old — it was used to train Persian and Central Asian cavalry
- ◆Argentina dominates modern polo — virtually all the world's top-rated players are Argentine
- ◆A top polo pony can cost $500,000 — and a top player needs 6–8 horses per match
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