A truly ancient sport

The earliest versions of the game polo (or Pulu as it was known) date to as early as 3000 BC in NE India. Later records from 500BC show it was played in Persia (modern day Iran). It was however far more chaotic with as many as 100 riders a side. Like chess its initial aim was to help soldiers hone their skills for battle. From Persia it spread to the Byzantine empire and China in medieval times.

Polo as we know it today was brought back to Britain in the mid 19th C by the officers of the British army.

In 1875 the first official match in Argentina took place, where the game had been taken by English and Irish engineers and ranchers.

Army polo declined following the mechanisation of the British Army and the disruption of WWII. However in the past twenty years the sport in general and Army Polo in particular has seen a renaissance as the sport has evolved into a club and pay as you play model.

Today the game is played in over 80 countries worldwide but the preeminent country is unquestionably Argentina.