Polo history
Polo
History
The name comes from the Tibetan Polo 'spo-lo'.
"King of Sports, Sport of Kings", Polo, discipline rather elitist, is one of the oldest sports practiced in the world. It originated in Persia ca. 600 BC. The first polo club was founded by the British in 1859 to Silchar in the Himalayas in India. At the same time, settlers have become known in Argentina. The first regulations were codified by the Hurlingham Club in London.
The InternationalFederation, based in Beverly Hills, was founded in 1983. It currently comprises 48 member countries. First settled in Beverley Hills in California, the current headquarters is located in Vineuil-Saint-Firmin in France. Since 2005 she has chaired by Patrick Guerrand-Hermes. Recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1987, it organizes the World Cup since 1987. The last edition was held in Mexico in 2008, won by Chile which battuen final defending champion, Brazil. Argentina, Olympic champion in 1924 and 1936, is among the leading experts.
According to an excerpt from 'A hundred years of polo in France' by Jean-Luc A. Chartier
Polo Club Edition - Paris - 1992
If we can not determine precisely where and when born the game of polo, there is agreement, however, consider that there appeared some 2500 years among peoples horsemen from the steppes of Central Asia, between China and Mongolia. It is the first game ball and mallet in the world and perhaps, according to some historians, the oldest team sports. However, if not no doubt about the Eastern origin of polo is in Persia that it is the first traces of this sporting activity mid-, mid-war, which would cross over two millennia to achieve to us. Since its appearance, it is considered a noble art, one of the best warriors, then the kings and princes ... Darius 1, King of Persia (522-486 BC. JC.) Was probably the first major players. In this powerful ruling in Asia Minor, polo is called "chaugan (mallet). It is then less a sport in the modern sense of the term, a training mode of elite troops - as the king's guard - and the monarch himself. It's basically a miniature battle, which can involve dozens of riders in each camp. He quickly became the favorite pastime of the royal courts, in this brilliant civilization and domineering supported by skilled riders and tireless. Noble activity and pageantry, there is richly adorned.
In the late ninth century AD, the Muslim historian Tabari says in his voluminous "Chronicle of prophets and kings," the story of Codoman Darius III, king of Persia between 336 and 330 BC. BC, which sends to humiliate, to Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia, a ball and a mallet, thus making him understand the game better suited to his young age and inexperience as warlike activities. "The ball is the earth, and I am the hammer," Alexander meet him, sure of its future conquests ...
But as much as historians, poets is that they must report to us the echoes of the fabulous epic game of polo through the ages.
In the tenth century, the great Persian poet Fidursi mentions in his "Book of Kings", a true history of Persia, a tournament with extreme, a few centuries earlier than seven riders to seven Persian Turkish. A prince named Siawusch would hit the ball with such force that he, the poet says, "is seen near the moon."
Another Persian poet named Arifi, wrote an ode allegorical play about a Prince: "The man is a ball thrown into the field of life. In fact, much of the ancient Persian literature abounds with references to chaugan and metaphors of the game inspired the twelfth century, Nezami, one of the major poets of his time, uses the image of polo to evoke life:
Driving here and there by the hammer of destiny
That handles the hand of providence ... " In fact, much of the ancient Persian literature abounds with references to chaugan and metaphors of the game inspired the twelfth century, Nezami, one of the major poets of his time, uses the image of polo to evoke life: "The limit of your polo field is on the horizon. The ball on the curve of your mallet, is Earth. Before ending up as dust, galloping pace and strength of your horse, because the world is yours ". Architectural heritage of this passion of Persia for the game of polo, you can see in Isfahan, the capital in the sixteenth century the Safavid kingdom, the remains of a polo field. On both sides of the "place of the Shah" long, 274 meters (the size of land today) stand two sets of two stone pillars representing the goals, spaced 7.5 meters ! It was the royal polo field. On one side, at the middle line, it raised the seven-storey palace Ali Quapu, galleries which might Attend the game.
In Persia, polo was in Arabia and spread to Tibet. That is forging the name under which it would be known today, it is then called "Pulu", the name of the root may be that the willow, whose shot was made. Hence it is spreading to China and Japan, where he was meeting a great success. Back from China, continuing our journey through time and the vast plains of the Near and Middle East.
We are in Greece in the twelfth century. The 1st Emperor Manuel Comnenus (1118-1180), diplomat skilled and courageous warrior, played with the Byzantine princes and nobles of his court. Kinnamos, Byzantine historian, gave us a very vivid description of polo this time:
"The game takes place on special terrain. A leather ball, the size of an apple was thrown into the air. At this moment, as if they were fighting a trophy, the players start to gallop the as soon as possible. Each rider holds in his right hand a mallet medium length. Each side tries to drive the ball beyond the enemy lines. "
Just as Greece, Egypt to escape the magic of polo. Arab Nakrisi The author explains in his "Description of Cairo and Egypt" how noble sport took root in the sultans of Egypt shortly after the conquest by the powerful Muslim families, particularly through El Nacer, which particularly interested in everything about the horse, its breeding and equestrian games. The historian says that many land reserved for what was then called the "horse ball" were arranged near the palace.
In the early thirteenth century, Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol empire, conquered Iran and entered Afghanistan. In his campaigns in Asia Minor, it will bring fame and fortune, m is also a ball game on horseback, which promote the practice assiduously at his best warriors. Nearly a century and a half later, his spiritual heir and successor, Timur, the winner of the Golden Horde, ordered his horse, according to legend, playing polo with the heads of his enemies. Imported from the West by Muslim invaders from the east by the Chinese, polo finally reaches the vast Indian territory. We discovered the first evidence in India in the fourteenth century. Akbar the Great, Mogul Emperor of India (1542-1605), Sovereign raised in exile in Afghanistan, was a fervent believer. At Agra, north India, one can still admire its stables and polo. In the "Ain-i-Akbari", volume memories of Akbar written by historian Abu Fazl, it appears clearly that the chaugan became a pastime of the most popular. While some observers do see a single
ertissement, others consider him a wonderful mode of education: training the mind of decision, learning speed and violence of combat ... It can test the value of a man to reveal his personality. In addition, it consolidates and strengthens the bonds of friendship. Akbar is unrivaled in the practice of polo. He sometimes holds parties at night. It then uses bullets made of slow burning wood. Inflamed, they radiate strongly illuminate and magnify the game to even the game, sometimes the king do set pieces of gold at the end of his mallet. While some stand during the game, they can be picked up by the first player to find them.
When the Mughal Empire began its decline, polo is no longer practiced in some areas lost to the Himalayas, near the borders of India and Tibet: Ladakh, Astor, Gilgit and Balistan.
At Silchar, in the State of Malipur, bordering Burma, the British settlers, tea growers established in Calcutta, there to discover in 1854. A few years later, the shirt would be reduced in Europe by the British cavalry regiments have been in the Indian Empire.
"We must learn this game"Cried Joseph Sherer, considered the father of British polo. Joe Sherer was a lieutenant attached to the army of Bengal, when attending for the first time at a meeting of polo. Thus, under his leadership the first plo club he would see the day. That was in 1859 in Silchar.
In Silchar, the discovery is quickly communicated to all the British regiments in India.
A few years later, in 1863, still under the influence of Joe Shirer was created significant Calcutta Polo Club, the oldest polo club still active. The following year still more fascinated by this new sport he had helped develop in the army, Sherer was driving from Silchar to Kolkata - so distant two days' journey - a team named "The Band of Brothers" . It inflicted a defeat in training at Calcutta, with little experience and with a smaller horse. The Brothers, however, handed their opponents a part of their technique and agreed to cede their quelqes some of their best ponies.
Therefore, the game would spread so extremely fast. In the late nineteenth century, no fewer than 175 polo clubs across the Indian subcontinent.
In England, the first contested game of polo in Europe, took place in 1869 at Hounslow Heath - Middlesex - between the 10th Hussars and the 9th Lancers. At that time comprised eight riders each team, the rules are virtually nonexistent and the game was split into only two long periods for almost ninety minutes of play
In 1875 was founded the "Hurlingham Polo Association, which would undertake a gradual codification of the game It was not until 1883 that the number of players is reduced to five, then four.
And in 1888 the system for the appearance of disability, to restore the balance between teams of different levels.
Such success would soon spread to other countries, beginning with those of the British Empire: New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and even Gibraltar and Malta.
In the United States in late 1876, we played the first friendly games in Manhattan, the Dickel Riding Academy. In 1877 the first polo club north American, Wetchester Polo Club is formed.
The first international meeting, the Wetchester Cup was fought in Rhode Island in 1886. Opponent Great Britain to the United States, it ended in a victory for the British team at Hurlingham.
Continuing his journey, passion for this sport came to settle in Southern America. In Argentina, polo is greeted with more enthusiasm than in the isolated ranches in the heart of pampas is a fascinating distraction to the teacher and gauchos. Thus, for purposes of polo, the best riders in the world do they begin to develop small horses, half-wild, vivid and enduring. Thus would begin to leave for Europe shiploads of these Criollo horses, which are still the best polo ponies in the world.
In France, the first game played at Dieppe: a French team, led by the Duc de Guiche, meets a British band. We are in 1880. The Epic of French polo has just begun
Principle
The polo is played on a grass field 275 m long and 145 m wide 'campo') with a goal at each end. Two teams of 4 riders compete to score as many goals by hitting a bamboo mallet (1.22 to 1.35 cm depending on the size of the horse), the ball of willow or plastic (99 to 128 gr, circ. 7.6 to 8.9 cm). The game is played in 4, 5, 6 or 8 periods of 7 minutes 30. The maximum duration is 60 minutes. The riders change horses between each period. They have several horses and have three minutes to change horses at the end of each break. After a goal, teams change sides of attack.
The main rule is that once the ball is in motion, no jumper, or even one who hit the last ball, has the right to cross the "line" (direction of the ball when it was hit last).At the highest level, horses are often bred Argentina: an intersection between race criolla, small local horses very robust, and thoroughbreds. To be a good horse polo, he must have great qualities of speed, agility, strength and 'brake'. Small size, they are called ponies.
The polo was an Olympic sport until 1936. It is an elite sport in France with only 600 members of the French Federation of Polo is independent of the French Federation of Equestrian Sports.
Highlights:
- The biggest stars are Argentines, who have all reached the disability '10goals', the top step to reach in polo. The best French professional Brieuc Rigaux, member Chantilly disability is 5. Gaëtan Charloux tricolor is the best among fans with disabilities 3.
- The most prestigious tournaments in the world are held in Argentina between September and mid-November: Open from Argentina, the Tortugas Open and the Hurlingham Open. Few players have managed to win all three competitions in one year (referred to as the 'Triple Crown').
- The two biggest events sopnt French Gold Cup held at Deauville in August and the Open de France in September.
- The biggest star of the polo world is Argentine Adolfo Cambiaso, which operates under the banner of the prestigious club of La Dolfina, a club he founded himself. It is composed of four players, all disability 10 (40 goals).
- The perfect polo match is a meeting totaling four to twenty goals (eight players with handicaps 10 each).
Facundo Pieres, Pablo MacDonough, Miguel Novillo et Bartolome Castagnola) et les Patricios (avc Agustin Merlor, Juan Martin Nero, Mariano Aguerre, Marcos Heguy). Victoire des Granaderos 11 à 10." style="display: inline;">For the third time in history and for the first time on theContinent, an encounter pitted two of the best Argentinian teams totaling four to twenty goals (the perfect game). It was June 1, 2009 at the Polo de Bagatelle in Paris between Granaderos (with Facundo Pieres, Pablo MacDonough, Miguel Novillo and Bartolome Castagnola) and Patricios (avc Merlor Agustin, Juan Martin Nero, Mariano Aguerre, Marcos Heguy). Granaderos victory of 11 to 10.
- Players from the 2009 - Bagatelle, the perfect match
Granaderos: Bartolome Castagnola, Miguel Novillo Astrada, Pablo Mac Donough, Facundo Pieres and Lucas Monteverde
Patricios: Marcos Heguy, Mariano Aguerre, Gonzalo Pieres, Juan Martín Nero and Agustín Merlos.
Granaderos: Pablo McDonough, Bautista Heguy, Gonzalo Pieres, Facundo Pieres, Bartolome Castagnola
Patricios: Adolfo Cambiaso, Agustín Merlos, Ignacio Heguy, Miguel Novillo Astrada, Marcos Heguy
El Trebol: Alberto P. Heguy, Daniel González, Gonzalo Tanoira y Alfredo Harriott
Venado Tuerto: Horacio Heguy, Dorignac Gastón, Juan Carlos Harriott and Francisco Dorignac.
The teams - players - replacement - equipment
The horses - the harnessing of horses
Article 1 - Teams
. See Penalty No. 91. In a polo team number of players is four.
Paddock polo: the number of players is limited to three.
2. In each team one player will be designated as captain. It has the sole right to represent the team with referees during the match, except in respect of Article 23.7 on harnesses and equipment broken or defeated.
Article 2 - Players.
See Penalty No. 91. A player can only play in one team during the same tournament. (See Section 3.5 below)
2. A player who would not update its contributions to the French Federation of Polo and / or that he would not have been awarded disability, can play in a tournament (Note 2 / 2).
However, if a player gets injured during the game and was unable to finish, a player described as "replacing" in terms of section 3 of this regulation, which have been entered in table
disadvantages of the French Federation of Polo in the previous year or who is enrolled in a foreign Polo Federation, will have the opportunity within 24 hours that followed the replacement of a license from the French Federation of Polo and regularize situation.
The disability to retain will be determined by the criteria of Article 14.32 below.
Note 2 / 2: The penalty for violating this rule must be imposed regardless of the circumstances and without any possible excuse.
Unlike other sins that the referee may choose not to sanction, the penalty for violating this rule will be imposed if a referee, reference or a member of the Committee is aware of its occurrence within 24 hours after that it has been committed.
3. A player may participate in a tournament over 12 goals only if a minimum handicap of zero.
4. A player or official can not be admitted into the precincts of a polo field or its vicinity, it is recognized as being clearly under the influence of drugs, alcohol or any substance that could alter its physical or mental faculties.
This rule must be applied with greater rigor by the arbitrators and the Organizing Committee of the Tournament.
5. Any player participating in a tournament undertakes, unconditionally, to accept at any time to undergo blood samples, urine or otherwise deemed appropriate by the French Federation of Polo and the Committee
Organizing the tournament.
6. Anyone can join a game of polo, whether player or official is ill or injured, and
especially if his health can be regarded as potentially jeopardizing his own safety and that of others.
This rule must be strictly enforced by the referees and the Organizing Committee of the Tournament.
7. Any player participating in a match must be able to justify the possession of the federal license Polo valid.
Note 2 / 7: It belongs to the organizers of the tournament or match, to ensure compliance with this rule and if necessary, to prohibit access to land the player in question.