Polo originated in Persia, and can be dated back as far as the 6th Century B.C. It was originally used as a training game for calvary units of the King’s Guard and Elite Troops, and is easily considered the oldest Equine Sport. It was introduced to Australia in the 1870s; the first recorded matches played at Moore Park, Sydney, in 1874, and Albert Park, Melbourne, in 1875. Best known Australian Polo Players would be The Grazier, Sinclair Hill and Kerry Packer. Polo is still very much played and supported today, as shown by the recent XI FIP World Polo Championships being in Richmond, NSW, at the Sydney Polo Club.
Polocrosse was invented in Australia by Marjory and Edward Hirst (who also formed the first Australian Pony Club). Whilst in England in 1938, they witnessed an indoor horse riding exercise that had some elements of both Polo and Basketball. When they returned home to Australia, they created Polocrosse by combining Polo and Lacrosse. Today it is played in more than a dozen countries around the World, with over 4000 players here nationally.
Image courtesy of Sydney.com from the XI FIP World Polo Championships.
– Skye Pickering Dip. Horse Business Management