A- Z O F P O LO
stood on the sidelines cheering on her
husband in the 1950s and ’60s and now
follows the game with an expert eye
from our Royal Box.
IDE OFF When two riders
come together – often at speed
– and attempt to push each
other off the line of the ball. Always
spectacular to watch but probably
not always great to experience. The
ponies are supposed to do the pushing,
but in the heat of a match players use
their bodies too – although elbows are
definitely not allowed.
R
LDEST team sport in the
world. They have been
playing polo since the first
millennium, making it the oldest team
sport in the world. First played in Persia,
it travelled the world, coming to the UK
with the Army in the 1870s. The sport
is now resurging again in the East with
clubs opening in China and Mongolia.
Cartier even took its International Day
format to Beijing in 2012 with some help
from Guards Polo Club.
O
110
ONIES The superstars of the
game. Even the best players
admit that it is these equine
athletes that make the difference
between winning and losing. Called
ponies because there used to be a height
restriction and although long gone, the
name lingers on.
P
Q
UEEN A huge supporter of
polo, who first presented her
Queen’s Cup in 1960. HM has
G UA R D S P O LO C LU B