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Though not many of us can afford to play, watching is free. And there's nowhere better to see a game than the famous Rio grounds, dubbed the 'Wimbledon of polo pitches.'
Protected by mature trees and adjoining the luxurious estate of Sotogrande, these pitches are renowned as the best in the world. This is partly due to their location they are flanked on various sides by a tropical nursery, the Guadiaro River (from which the grounds take their name), and a vista of blue skies, sun and distant mountains, yet are close to the main CN340 highway - and partly because of the ideal climatic conditions which make upkeep easy.
A type of grass called Tifton is grown on the pitches; it is tough, springy, will not tread in and can withstand being torn up by the thunderous bashing of hundreds of hooves. The members even fly in an expert from Argentina a couple of times a year to check on the condition of the grass and its proper maintenance.
Polo is a remarkably ancient sport, having originals from Persia in the sixth century BC. Pulu, as it was called then, comes from the Tibetan word meaning bail. Up to 1000 men played on each side, and the ball itself was looked on as a fertility symbol.
As for the polo ponies - so called, because at one time none of them were allowed to be taller than 14 hands, 2 inches most of them are imported from Argentina and Uruguay, where they know how to breed them best for flexibility and swiftness. Argentina is the world's leading polo nation, the game having been introduced there by the Brits in 1877.
Nowadays, most polo ponies tend to be around 15 hands, 2 inches in height. "Any larger and they'd be unwieldy," explains polo manager Paul Lucas. "The ideal polo pony should have incredible speed, yet be able to stop at once and turn round on a sixpence."
They certainly look the business, with manes and tails neatly plaited and fetlocks bandaged for support and protection from hits from swinging polo sticks. lt's quite a sight to watch them come off the field in a 'muck' sweat - when they lather up white as snow - after an exhausting half-chukka.
Polo's exclusive caché comes from the fact that it's clearly a sport for the wealthy. Lawyers from the international jet set will come from all over Europe to play throughout the year in Andalusia's matchless climate. August is the peak season, with as many as 10 games being played daily during the month on the five pitches around Sotogrande. So intensive is the sport, that each rider needs to stable between 7 - 10 horses to allow for a fresh change of four horses per game. The rest need to recover from previous play and possible injuries.
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