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Duties of a Polo Spectator

by Hal Chaffee

Unlike most spectator sports, polo requires active participation. If you’re planning to watch, be prepared! Before leaving for a polo game, be sure to pack a picnic and put some refreshments in the cooler — you can get hot and thirsty watching all the action. Once you arrive at the game, be sure to park at least ten yards away from the side of the field.

Never try to park at the end of the field. At Aiken, you will see a marked “safety zone” a few yards out from the sideboards. Horses and balls regularly fly into this zone (and beyond) at high speeds. The play stops when the ball goes out, but the horses often jump the boards then jump back into the game without pausing (or looking.) So don’t park where you can get stepped on. The idea is to park near the game, not in it!

Now you are ready to participate. First, open your picnic and pour yourself a refreshing drink. Then, remember the following points:

1. Keep your eye on the ball and the horses. Action often extends quite far beyond the edge of the field, and some horses stop faster than others. Many unwary spectators have narrowly escaped from a charging horse.

2. Keep your pets on a leash and you children close at hand at all times. Dogs may watch the game, but are definitely not welcome to play in it!

3. Now for the fun part: you get to come on to the field to “stomp the divots.” After the third and sixth chukkers, spectators are invited onto the field to walk off their picnics and help maintain the surface by tamping down clumps torn up by the horses’ hooves. Pay special attention to the areas around the goal. You might be able to help someone score a goal in the next chukker!

4. If you have any questions about the game, feel free to ask any of the players or officials (after the game is over).

5. Keep track of goals scored by each player on your scorecard. Remember that teams change ends after each goal. If the Blue team scores at the west end of the field, they will be trying to score at the east end after the throw-in.

6. Have fun!