Hobby horse polo
| Characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Team members | 6 per side |
| Mixed-sex | Yes |
| Type | ball game,team sport,outdoor |
| Equipment | Ball,stick, hobby horse, sherry |
| Venue | Polo field (grass) |
| Presence | |
| Country or region | Germany |
| Olympic | No |
Hobby horse polo(German:Steckenpferdpolo) is a mixed team sport played onhobby horses.It is similar to other polo variants, such ascanoe polo,cycle polo,camel polo,elephant polo,golfcart polo,Segway polo,auto polo,andyak polo[citation needed]in that it uses the basic polo rules, but it has its own specialities.
Origin[edit]
Hobby horse polo originated in 1998 as a mockery of the expensive hobbies of "polite society"inHeidelberg-Neuenheim,which led in 2002 to the foundation of the Erster Kurfürstlich-Kurpfälzischer Polo-Club inMannheim.It has since become a trendy sport with various teams in German cities and gained some notoriety in the press.[1] [2] [3]
Playing polo with hobby horses has been described as achildren's gamein classical polo regions.[4]Hugh van Skyhawk,[5]anIndologistand professor of Islamic studies inMainzandIslamabad,described hobby horse polo played by young boys as part of the ceremonies of the traditional Gindni (harvest preparations) festival inHispar.[4]
In 2013 the GrütlihüülerGuggenmusikfrom Allenwinden (Baar, Switzerland) organized the first Steckenpferdpolo on Swiss soil.[6]
Rules[edit]
The objective is to scoregoalsagainst an opposing team. The goals are traditionally marked bybar stoolsin width and height, but simplestreet hockeygoals can also be used.[7]Players score by driving asoftball ball(hard despite the name) into the opposing team's goal using a long-handled croquet mallet. A full match has six 6-minute-longchukkas(periods), and each team may consist of up to six people (depending on the size of the field and the amount of interest). The minimum size of the field is 30 m (100 ft) long and 15 m (50 ft) wide. A 'last man' rule applies, as any player may act as goalkeeper.[7]As players need some protection against possible injuries, cleated shoes and shin guards are recommended. The mallets should be stable and are often taped to reduce the risk of losing the hammer head. It is recommended to hit the ball instead of other players.[7]
Each game starts with the teams in line behind their own goals and the ball in the midfield. On theumpire's command "Polo go", the teams gallop against each other, in one hand their mallets, in the other their hobby horses, which have to be led between the legs of the player. It is not allowed to kick or stop the ball with the foot.[7]
Fouls or failures to gallop or to listen to the umpires result in a "punitive sherry" (or other drink such asvodkaorJägermeister,based on the taste of the umpire, or the nonalcoholicBrottrunk) which has to be drunk on the spot.[3][7]The German rules permit hobbling under the influence but require that it "look particularly silly" as prescribed by theMonty Python walking gag.[7]
Swiss rules forball in and out of playand the use of free kicks and time-outs are closer toassociation footballand do not involve punitive sherries; instead free hits or penalties are applied for fouls.[8]As theSwiss cavalrytradition keepers from KavallerievereinZughad been involved in the first tournament, riding boots are permitted butspursare explicitly forbidden as well as the production of "road apples"on the field by either horse or rider.[8]However, Swiss teams must confirm goals by neighing.[8]
At the hobby horse polo tournaments inDüsseldorf,the victory cup "is not a cup, but acheesecake",anhomageto the traditional victor's quaffing from amilk bottleat theIndianapolis 500.[3]
References[edit]
- ^von Colia Schliewa (23 June 2013)."Ihr Steckenpferd Ist Polo".Express(in German). Dűsseldorf.Retrieved15 October2014.
- ^"Das Sport-Interview: Wo liegt der Reiz beim Steckenpferd-Polo?".Die Rheinpfalz(in German). 25 July 2008.Retrieved15 October2014.
- ^abc"Trendsportart Steckenpferdpolo: Ich glaub', mein Gaul holzt".Der Spiegel(in German). September 2014.Retrieved15 October2014.
- ^abvan Skyhawk, Hugh (2003).Burushaski-Texte aus Hispar: Materialien zum Verständnis einer archaischen Bergkultur in Nordpakistan(in German). Vol. 38. Wiesbaden:Otto Harrassowitz.p. 196.ISBN9783447046459.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help)(in German) - ^Bennett, Clinton; Ramsey, Charles M. (3 January 2012).Background of Skyhawk in South Asian Sufis: Devotion, Deviation, and Destiny.A&C Black. p. viii.
- ^"Fit fűr das Steckenpferdpolo Turnier".Zuger Presse Zugerbieter(in German). Zuger Presse. 28 August 2013.Retrieved15 October2014.
- ^abcdefRules of the Game, German, at the Erster Kurfürstlich-Kurpfälzisch Polo-Club Mannheim website
- ^abc"Spielregeln für das Steckenpferd-Polo-Turnier der Guggemusig Grütlihüüler".Archived from the original on October 15, 2014.Retrieved2014-10-10.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
