polo

Stick-and-ball game played between two teams of four on horseback. It originated in Iran, spread to India, and was first played in England in 1869. Polo is played on the largest field of any game, measuring up to 274 m/300 yd by 182 m/200 yd. A small solid ball is struck with the side of a long-handled mallet through goals at each end of the field. A typical match lasts about an hour, and is divided into ‘chukkas’ of 71/2 minutes each. No pony is expected to play more than two chukkas in the course of a day.