Polo Pony Power

Have the Olympics inspired you to combine your love of horses with a fun sport? Well then, maybe polo is for you! Women have played the game of polo since the 6^th century, though today we don’t always hear about it on the news. Back in 1873, female polo players rode side-saddle (can you imagine?!?) while playing against other teams, whose players were usually other women.

Womens' sports teams are common today of course, and women can play on any kind of team! Until the 1950s, most polo teams in the United States were run by the military, so they were all male. As civil groups (civilian group that's not politically involved) started taking the teams over, women were incorporated more into the sport.

Before women were allowed to play polo with men in the US, a woman named Sue Sally Hale decided she was going to play polo on her local men’s team, dressed as a man. She put her hair under her helmet, taped her chest down flat, and put on a fake mustache when she played a match. Then, after the match, she would change into her regular clothes and schmooze with her teammates and opponents. Opposing teams never had any idea it was the same person! She did this for 20 years, and played competitive polo before the first women’s tournament in 1976. Today, one of Sally’s daughters, Sunny Hale, is the top ranked US women’s polo player and continues to excel on the field.

In game of polo, each polo team has 4 (human) members on a team, and they try to score as many goals as possible (using a mallet to hit a ball) while riding a horse. During the game, fouls can be called (like in basketball) and no player who falls off a horse can hit the ball at all. While you’re on your horse, you can block the ball with any part of your body (ouch!). Each game, or match, has a maximum of 6 periods called chukkers. Each chukker is 7 minutes long, and if there is a tie score at the end of the 6^th chukker, the winner is decided in overtime.

 “I love this level of polo. You're out there and 90 percent of the players are better than you, so I have to step up my game to match them. Being a woman isn't a factor for me, it's just an honor being out there with that caliber of players.”

Sunny Hale

Some facts about polo:

• The captain of the team can not question or debate an umpire’s call.
• A “mount” is any horse or pony. Your mount can’t be blind and has to be in control at all times. Your mount also can’t be in the game if it is bloody anywhere, abused, or whipped. It also can’t be hit with any part of the polo mallet.
• Polo is one of the few right handed sports. Lefties have to learn to hit the ball with their right hand.
• Each player starts out with the handicap or ranking of -2, which the league gives him or her. 10 is the best ranking possible. 

To get more information on polo, visit one of these links: 

• www.uspolo.org
• http://www.polocenter.com/
• http://www.worldseriesofpolo.com/
• http://www.wctpolo.com/psunny.html