Arena Polo

The new sport in town

- Farryn Day

Based on the rules of traditional field polo, arena polo is an exhilarating game for players and spectators alike – it’s the ultimate combination of horsepower, athleticism and teamwork.

The ideal arena has an all-weather surface, is around 90m x 45m (300ft x 150ft), and is enclosed by walls of at least 1.2m (4ft). As the ball bounces off the walls of the arena, there is no break in play, making arena polo a fast and fantastic game to watch!

Just like in field polo, arena polo teams can be made up of men and women of different ages, and it is not uncommon to see the kids enjoying lowgoal tournaments alongside the adults. Players are handicapped from -2 to 10, according to the player’s horsemanship, hitting and riding ability, quality of horses, team play and game sense. The team handicap is the sum of the handicaps of the three team members. One of the only team sports where men and women can play against one another, the horse is the ultimate equaliser, with smaller, faster combinations able to use their wits to outmanoeuvre their opponents. Players are numbered from one to three – number one is the attack position, number two the centre, and number three the back. All players must be able to play defence and attack positions throughout the game, and are allowed to defend or ‘ride-off’ any member of the opposing team.