POLO - STILL THE GAME OF KINGS

Spread across the eastern world by the Persians and the Mogul conquerors of India, the game of polo has been a favorite pastime of Kings, Emperors, Shahs, Sultans and Caliphs for more than 2,500 years. Introduced to Jamaica by the British Army in 1882, the ‘Royal Sport’ of polo made it onto the sports scene of the British Colony and the game continues to be played on the island today. Says Shane Chin, Captain of Polo at the Jamaica Polo Association and member of the St. Ann’s Polo Club, who grew up playing the game;- “Once you’ve played polo, you’re addicted forever. It is like a disease that spreads in

your blood. The only way to get out of the sport is to go broke or die!”

Believed to be one of the oldest organized sports in the world, the first polo game was recorded in 600 B.C. Today, ‘The King of Games’ is played in 60+ countries across the world and watched by more than 50 million people every year.

Several polo clubs still exist on the island, including the picturesque Kingston Polo Club and the St. Ann’s Polo Club at Drax Hall Estate, which has survived for more than 100 years. The club boasts one of the oldest polo fields in the world and is famous for its Saturday afternoon polo complimented by a sumptuous tea. In nearby Priory, The Chukka Cove Polo Club offers a dressage and show jumping arena, but today mostly concentrates on trail riding for tourists.

For the Chin family, polo is a lifestyle embedded into the daily routine. Says Shane Chin, describing his family’s passion for the game;- “As far back as I can remember, polo has been a major part of our lives. We have been training and breeding polo ponies on our farms forever and play actively at least 3 times per week.”

Giving an insight into the game, Shane describes it as a mixture of many physical sports, including hockey, combined with the finesse of chess. Junior, Shane’s 67 year old father still plays polo, so does his brother Paul, a 3 goal handicap, and his brother Kurt, who is one of the few Jamaicans who carry a 4 goal handicap.

A lifelong polo passionate, Shane has traveled to Argentina, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Columbia, England, Germany and the USA playing the game. “Australia and India are still missing from my list, but my dream trip to South Africa is in the making.” reveals Shane, a 2 goal handicap player. The Captain of Polo speaks with pride of the great players who have influenced his family’s polo life. ‘Maharaj’ Prem Singh, a famous player from India and evolved polo teacher impressed me immensely with his wisdom and strategic view of the game. “I also had the pleasure to learn from talented masters such as Salvador Socas, Eddie Junor, Dr. John Masterton and Alehandro Olmos from Argentina.”

As Captain of Polo, one of Shane’s responsibilities is to assess Jamaican players of the game, who all compete as amateurs and hold down regular daytime jobs to finance their passion. A player’s handicap is determined on a scale of ‘minus 2 to 10 goals’ and based on the player’s net worth to the team taking into consideration every skill including horsemanship, team play, hitting, anticipation and overall understanding of the game. ‘Minus 2’ indicates a beginning or novice player, while a ‘10 goal’ rating denotes the highest handicap a player can achieve. Today, only twelve professionals worldwide are rated ‘10 goal’ players, the majority Argentineans, including the celebrated Adolfo Cambiasso.

Globally, amateur players with a ‘3 or 4 goal’ handicap can be counted on ten fingers, and it is therefore amazing to note that the island’s 2,7 million population has produced a number of players with the prestigious ‘4 goal’ handicap. Mark Wates, Andy Vernon and Kurt Chin are considered the nation’s top players of the current generation, while only three women in the world have been rated higher than Jamaican Lesley-Ann Masterton Fong-Yee, one of the world’s top female players boasting a ‘3 goal’ handicap.

Fortunately, the Jamaican climate allows polo to be played all year round, but the main season lasts from mid-January to the end of April. Each season kicks off with the ‘Ladies Tournament’ and is followed by a string of visits from polo playing friends escaping colder climates such as Chicago, Rhode Island and England and visits from Barbados, Central or South America. The visits are followed by the ‘Hi-Pro Family Tournament’.

Some of the prestigious trophies competed for are over 100 years old and include the ‘Senior Cup’, which was won by the St. Ann’s Polo Club in 2007, the ‘Junior Cup’, the ‘Hurlingham Cup’, the ‘Marescaux Cup’, the ‘Keeling Cup’ and the ‘Jamaica Open’. The ‘Fossil Open’ at St. Ann’s Polo Club, a fun tournament in which only teams with a combined age of more than 200 years can compete, takes place each August.

One of the bigger tournaments ever played on the North Coast is the Jaipur Polo Challenge which will be held from May 10 – 18, 2008. There will be a series of matches at the St. Ann’s Bay polo Club and a new facility at Chukka Blue in Sandy Bay, not far from Montego Bay. The first game is a mixed game so the Indian visitors can be introduced to the Jamaican players and get used to their horses. “Polo players do not travel with their horses, they are made available by the hosting team.” explains Shane. “We are like a big international family, teams visit us and we visit them in return and share our horses.” he says.

On Thursday, there will be a low (4-6 handicap) game and Saturday the high goal match. “Some of our best players will be selected closer to the time but everybody is very excited to proof our skills to the Indian team.” says Shane.

BASIC GUIDE TO POLO

The game depends 80% on the horses or ‘Polo Ponies’, also called mounts, which are carefully selected according to speed, stamina, agility and maneuverability. Each team can be co-ed and consists of 4 players. Number 1 plays an offensive position and is expected to score goals. Number 2 plays an aggressive offensive role and tries to break up the opposing team’s defense. The pivotal Number 3 is similar to the quarterback in

U.S. football, responsible for hitting long balls, penalty shots and knock-ins. Number 4 is on the field to guard the goal and to keep the opposition from scoring.

The field is equal to the size of 9 football fields, 300 yards long and 150 yards wide to be exact. It is carefully maintained and closely mowed to provide a safe, fast playing surface. Goal posts are set 8 yards apart from each other at each end of the field.

The players’ equipment consists of mallets, helmets, faceguards and knee guards. The size of the mallet, which is made of bamboo cane or poly resins with a willow or maple wood head, is between 49 - 53 inches long and selected according to the height of the pony. The ponies are also provided with protective wraps on all four legs, and the horsetails are braided and taped or tied for safety. The game commences when one of the two mounted umpires bowls the ball between the players, who line up opposite each other in the centre of the field. Depending on the number of horses available, up to eight 7-minute periods called ‘Chukkers’ are played with 4-minute intervals and a 10-minute rest at halftime. Goals are scored by hitting the ball, at any height, between the goal posts. After each goal, teams change goals to minimize any wind advantage, which may exist. The ball is made of willow root, poly resins or leather.

During polo season, spectators are welcome. Entry is usually free unless there is an Kurt Chin going for goal organized tournament taking place. Polo requires active spectator participation, so make sure you bring your sporting spirit along with your garden chairs, picnic basket and binoculars. In addition to keeping a close eye on the ball and the horses, you are expected to leave your picnic after the third and sixth ‘Chukkers’ to help replace the divots in the playing field.

Get a taste of the exciting, highly addictive game of polo!

Call Shane at tel. 383-5586 or Leslie at tel. 381-4660 for more information.