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Learn to Play Polo
Sunday, April 25, 2004; Page M06
Riding a horse at over 35 mph in a close herd while swinging a mallet (and
trying to fend off opponents and a ball hurtling through the air) may seem like
an inconceivable way to spend an afternoon. But when my wife signed us up for
lessons at the Potomac Polo School as a birthday gift, I soon found out that,
even for new riders, it can be a cracking good time -- and you don't have to be
a billionaire to participate.
Polo is a tactical team sport with three to four players per team. Goals are scored by hitting a ball through posts on each end of a field, which you do with a long wooden mallet. Worried about scraping yourself up? Don't -- the game has so many safety rules that injuries are rare. The primary rule is to follow the "line of the ball": Whenever the ball is hit, an invisible line is created in the direction it's traveling. Riders cannot cross the line if doing so will interfere with play or endanger riders. (A majority of games are won or lost due to penalty shots.) However, a rider may "ride off" an opposing team member by galloping alongside and nudging that horse sideways off the line or using a mallet to "hook" an opponent's mallet and take control of the ball.
Before our lesson, we were matched up with players with similar riding experience and scheduled into a three-hour intro seminar. After watching a video explaining the basics, my four-person group, all of us wearing cowboy boots, walked around the paddock to practice strokes using mini-mallets. Then we mounted up. After a review of riding skills, we learned to hit the ball with the full-size mallet. The seminar ended with our group being divided into two teams to compete in a mini-game of three chukkas, or innings (a regular game has as many as eight). We were a disorganized mess as everyone vied for the ball and got in one another's way, but the horses at the school are so well trained that each team managed to score a couple of points and we finished in a tie. Not bad for one lesson!
What to Expect: An absolute blast. The first time I connected with the ball, I felt like a kid hitting his first baseball.
What to Bring: Riding or other boots with a heel and riding gloves (thin driving or bicycling ones will do). A helmet will be provided if you don't own one.
Matthew Graham
Potomac Polo School at Red Eagle Ranch. PO Box 447, Poolesville, MD
20837. 301-972-7303. www.redeagleranch.com.
The oldest polo school in the United States offer weekly lessons, "Afternoon
Intro to Polo," and two-day intensive clinics.
© 2004 The Washington Post Company
 
Hyah! Take a few lessons and you'll soon be swingin' like a pro. You'll also get used to wearing the funny hat.
(Tracy A. Woodward -- The Washington Post)
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