Polo’s back in the saddle

Sally Cooper looks beyond 1980s Jilly Cooper to polo’s fast-paced, bruising but surprisingly inclusive world, with rare gender equality

The recent wave of publicity for Jilly Cooper’s Rivals TV series has put polo back on our radar – the sequel to Rivals, the third Rutshire Chronicles book, Polo, made her forever synonymous with the glamorous sport. Instantly, images of powerful horses, high fashion, wealth and scandalous affairs come to mind. But how true is this of polo today? What exactly is polo and who plays it now?
My quest for the truth was made simpler by a conversation with Sofie Hopkins. She’s a keen member of Druids Lodge Polo Club, near Stonehenge, where she keeps several polo ponies. Polo has recently seen a resurgence in popularity, Sofie says: ‘It is busy. There’s a general impression that it’s very elitist but it really isn’t like that. You get all types of people playing. A lot of people now play at school and university. Yes, it’s an expensive sport – but you don’t have to have a helicopter and own an estate in Rutshire to play polo. In reality, ALL equestrian sport is expensive these days! We all give them the best kit and the best care and we invest in better safety gear for both the human and the animal.’

A rare equality
The name polo likely comes from the Himalayan Balti word pulu, referring to the willow root used for the original balls. Often called the “Sport of Kings,” polo has a rich history that dates back more than 2,000 years to Persia (now Iran), where warrior teams used it to hone cavalry skills. It evolved from military training into today’s exciting international sport. The Victorians adopted polo in India and brought it home with them, and it soon spread to the USA, Argentina and Australia. The Polo Association was formed in 1890, and now 77 countries play the sport. Argentina, known for its skilled riders and exceptional horses, has become the dominant force in modern polo.
It’s not hard to see why it gained such popularity. It’s a fast-paced game with fit horses and players, and it’s simple to follow (whoever scores the most goals wins). Polo is also a rare sport in that it is genuinely unisex, offering equality on the field.
Skill and strategy are key, with a handicap system ensuring a “level playing field”.
Sofie says: ’That’s one of the things I really like about it. ‘You might see a team with three women and one man but they’re beating a team of four young blokes because they have better tactics. The handicap creates absolute parity.’

The game
A polo match is divided into periods called chukkas, each lasting seven minutes. The length of a chukka is determined by how long horses can sustain intense physical exertion, given the high speed and agility required. In the UK, most games consist of four chukkas, but higher-level matches can extend to as many as eight. The standard of play ranges from lower-level, more casual games to high-level competitions, often referred to as low goal and high goal. There are four riders per team, plus two mounted referees (and a third to referee if the two mounted refs disagree!). Players have fixed positions – number one is at the top attacking, and four is at the back in defence.
The string
Polo horses are always called ponies, no matter their size – it has stuck since the war years when there was a shortage of full-sized horses and ponies were used. The game is fast and furious, and the higher the level being played, the more changes of ponies a player requires – referred to as a string of ponies. Most are specifically-bred thoroughbreds, and typically mares are the mount of choice (they are considered gutsier and reliably loyal – no comment).

The kit
Much of the polo kit is similar to that of other equestrian disciplines, but with added features for safety and stability. The ponies wear bandages and front boots for protection, and only rear studs are allowed. A double-girthed saddle is used for security, while bits are often gags or pelhams, with double and running reins, along with a martingale and breastplate for added stability. The tail is tied up, and manes are hogged (except for young horses, which are left intact to mark them as inexperienced – the polo pony version of L plates).
‘The polo saddle is very flat,’ says Sofie. ‘You have to be able to move constantly, so it’s perfectly flat-sided with no knee rolls. I use equaliser girths and over girths to keep the saddle stable. Our stirrups have four-bar irons and the tread plate is much bigger so that you have more to stand on. The leathers are usually made from buffalo because it’s thicker and safer.’
Riders wear knee pads, padded boots, gloves, a helmet and a gum shield, with many opting for eye protection as well.
‘My boots are double-leathered to prevent impact,’ Sofie adds. ‘There’s so much impact – you get bruises everywhere. I wear two pairs of ski socks underneath, and I’m still covered in bruises year-round! We wear white jodhpurs for weekends or games, but for midweek chukkas, jeans are fine. I use a gum shield in the summer now, after a close call early in the season this year. Goggles are generally ballistic-rated to withstand ball impact – the ball is about the same size as an eye socket, and I have seen a couple of people get a ball in their eye. Lots of blood and ambulances. It’s very unpleasant.’
Like other equestrian sports, polo has strict helmet regulations. ‘Helmets usually have a wide brim, and some players have a metal face shield for extra protection. It’s all about being more solid and secure than other equestrian sports might be used to,’ Sofie explains.

The final essential item of kit is the mallet – also referred to as a stick. In polo the ball is hit with the side of the mallet, rather than the ends as in croquet, and riders are only permitted to play right-handed (rumour has it that this is why Prince Harry plays better than Prince William, as William is naturally left-handed … ssshhhhhhh….) Riders can become very attached to one stick – they are mainly constructed of a bamboo shaft with a hardwood head, says Sofie. ‘Especially when we hook. Sometimes you’re lucky and you can splice-repair it. But generally, you just end up buying more of them. I buy them from a super guy near Windsor. It’s like Ollivanders wand shop from Harry Potter! You enter his garden shed where he makes them and there’s hundreds of these sticks … each rider has personal quirks and types, and his are fantastic. It makes a huge difference!’

Learning the sport
Sofie was brought up on a small island outside Gothenburg. Her uncle had a farm with Shetland ponies which she visited every weekend: ‘My riding started with being carted around by the vicious Shetland ponies, with them kicking me, bucking me off, biting me … I loved it!
‘As a teen I did a lot of show jumping, but after a bad accident I had to take a break from riding. When I came back I tried dressage, but it was not for me! Then thank goodness I found polo through friends.’
Sofie is keen to stress that you don’t have to be a strong rider to play polo: ‘Honestly, anyone can do it. James could hardly ride when we started! The horses are so good. They know if they’ve got a non-rider or a cautious rider and they’ll adapt to you. Our first lesson was with a high goal pro Argentine – James spent 30 minutes basically trying not to fall off, and came back grinning. He just said “right, we’re buying polo ponies!” It’s an adrenaline rush – polo addiction commenced!’
Even an experienced rider may still need lessons in switching from a general riding seat to a polo position. ‘It is very different,’ says Sofie. ‘The seat is deeper, and balance and stability are crucial. I’m very much still learning the polo way of riding. I am still having lessons with one of the pros, because I must change my whole body and learn it all from a new perspective. Using one hand is fairly easy, but with the seat you must sit deeper, especially when you start going faster, and learn to lean further out.’

Sofie suggests that a starter polo lesson is a great Christmas present: ‘Try a starter or a trial day at a club, and definitely come and watch. Druids has winter evening games and weekend games by the fire. Then in the summer there are lots of sociable big games, they’re fabulous to come and experience something totally different. Speak to the people who work there. Look at the ponies. It’s very welcoming!’
druidspolo.co.uk