Polo anyone?

A note from the Smithsonian Young Benefactors:

Despite polo’s status as the oldest team sport, many Americans have never had the pleasure of experiencing a polo match. For those of you who fall into this category, you may find yourself questioning what one does, says, or sees at a polo match.

• Did you know that the earliest recorded polo tournament was played in Persia in 600 B.C.?
• The size of a polo field is 300 yards long and 160 yards wide. A polo field is larger than 9 football fields, and the largest field in organized sports.
• Each team is comprised of four players, who are assigned a number “1” to “4.” The number on a player?s jersey refers to a player’s position and skill level. The player wearing a number “3” is usually the highest-rated and most experience player on the team.
• A chukker, also known as a chukka, is a period of play in polo. A typical game consists of six chukkers of play, each lasting seven and a half minutes.
• Notable players include: John Walsh, Tommy Lee Jones, Sylvester Stallone, and Princes William and Harry.
• Instead of the traditional sporting half-time show, Polo’s half-time is referred to as the “Stomping of the Divots” ritual where the spectators are invited onto the field to replace the mounds of earth (aka divots) that are torn up by the horses’ hooves. Be careful and be sure to watch out for the steaming divot!

Now that you are a polo expert, get your tickets to the 2nd Annual Smithsonian Young Benefactors Cup on Saturday, September 6. Please visit the Young Benefactors online at www.YoungBenefactors.org or call 202-633-3030.