My African Polo Adventure: The Zambian Boys School Tournament

by Ava-Rose Hinkson

Winston Churchill once said, “Polo is the passport to the world.” and anyone who plays the sport of polo competitively will agree with that quote. Polo is one of the oldest team sports, with records of the sport dating back to the 6^th century B.C. when it was played by mounted nomads in central Asia and later Persia. The game became Persia’s national sport and was only played by nobility and the military before spreading eastward. The modern game of polo originated in Manipur in northeastern India, where a British military lieutenant saw a game being played and insisted that he and his troops learn the game. The Hurlingham rules were printed and brought back to the British Isles. Soon after, the King of Sports, Sport of Kings spread through the British commonwealth like wildfire.

The sport of polo is played on the back of highly trained, seven-foot-tall, twelve-hundred-pound running machines, known as polo ponies. It is important to note that the term “polo ponies” is a bit misleading, as the equines used are full-sized horses.  The sport would not be possible without the horses. The horses make up seventy-five to eighty percent of the game, so the equine athletes are treated better in polo than in any other equestrian sport. Each player owns his or her own “string “of polo ponies, with each string consisting of three to seven horses. Each string of horses has one to three caretakers or “grooms” assigned to them. The horses are exercised six days a week, are only fed the best grain and hay and have regular vet check-ups to keep the horses as healthy and happy as possible. The well-being of the horse is top priority in every aspect of polo.

The polo field is three-hundred yards long by one-hundred-and-sixty yards wide- the equivalent to nine football fields. The objective of the game is to score goals against the opposing team. Players will score by driving a 3”x3” hard-plastic ball through the opposing team’s goal with a long-handled mallet made of bamboo and hardwood. The sport is played in seven-minute periods, known as chukkers, and each game consists of four to six chukkers. Polo is an extremely complex game, and it takes dedication, many hours in the saddle and barn, and years of hard work to become an effective player on the field. A player must be able to not only know the game and hit the ball but most importantly, be an excellent rider. 

 I have grown up surrounded by horses and have been riding for a long as I can remember. My mother competed in 3-day eventing at an advanced level, and my dad is a long-time international polo player. It was only a matter of time before I became addicted to the most amazing sport in the world. I have been playing polo competitively for 5 years and it has changed me and given me opportunities I never would have thought possible. For the past three years, I have had the chance to plan polo tours around the world. Working with presidents of national polo associations to bring teams of American juniors to play in clubs around the world has been, and continues to be, an incredible experience. 

One of my most exciting and exotic opportunities was given to me when I was contacted by the president of the Zambian Polo Association. He invited me to bring an American junior team to play in the Zambian Boys School Tournament against Kenya and two teams from Zambia in late summer of 2019. Of course, I accepted this invitation without a heartbeat of hesitation.

The tournament is a historic part of Zambian polo that is only hosted by the Zambian Polo Association every few years. We would be going to play with juniors whose grandparents competed in this very event decades ago. With the roots of tradition running deep in the Zambian polo families, everyone on the team knew the competition was going to be fierce.

One of the best parts of traveling for polo abroad is meeting the people. This trip was no exception. After landing and getting settled with our Lusaka hosts, the Americans were off to meet the African teams over dinner. The first dinner was a complete success, with a night filled with laughs, some lighthearted but competitive chatter, and some incredible food. The next day we traveled to the Lumbombo polo club in Mazabuka by bus and had the opportunity to see the vast expanse of completely wild and unforgiving terrain that is Africa. (By the way, road trip drive-through food in Zambia is a cob of maze that is roasted over an open fire by villagers and it’s delicious.)

After finally arriving in Masabuka, the junior teams had pony trials and each player met their pony master- a person who oversees the mounting of a player and assisting in pony line ups. It was an exciting day of riding a number from 17 to 20 absolute machines of horses. These were the kind of horses that riders remember by name for years to come. I never thought it was possible, but at the end of the day, we had too many good horses. When the time came, the sight of the sun setting behind the cane fires was beautiful and was a relief to all of us who had such an exhausting day.

The next day we awoke to the smell of fresh coffee, crepes, and muesli. After finishing breakfast, the hosting family gave us a tour of their farm and a glimpse at the turning gears behind their massive operation. The hosting family’s massive seven hector sugarcane plantation, where we stayed, was a little oasis in the vast African landscape.

 After our touring and informative morning, it was time to head to the polo club for our six-chukker match against the Kenyans. It was our first taste of just how competitive the rest of the tournament would roll out to be. It was a hard-fought, fast-paced game. As the Americans were trying to click as a team and find our pace, the Kenyans incredibly talented players came out as the winners at the end of the game.

The second day of the tournament, USA faced off against Zambia team A. From the second the ball hit the ground in the first throw-in, the Zambians didn’t give us an inch to breathe. It was quickly determined to be an open, hit-and-run game, with the defensive players on each team consistently sending the ball 80-100 yards. Even with the American team having a better feel of their horses and their teammates' abilities, the Zambians got a three-goal lead in the last chukker and pulled off the win.

 On the day of the final tournament, we arrived at the field feeling more middle-aged than teenagers. We all had a good laugh as the battered yet determined American team limped past the stands. The last two days of extremely intense games had finally begun to catch up with us, as more than half our team was literally being held together by sports tape and ibuprofen. Our last game was against the talented Zambia team B. After some good-humored joking with the Zambians and Kenyans as we stretched our sore and aching muscles, hopped on our ponies, and the final match began.

That evening we had the after-party of our lives, and the Zambian parents went the extra mile to ensure that all the juniors would really have the opportunity to bond. This tour gained friendships that will last a lifetime. One could not have asked for a more competitive yet clean tournament. We all walked away having learned to be better horsemen, players, and people thanks to the great players that call the wild continent of Africa home. We had been pushed to our physical and mental limits as athletes and horsemen and we loved every second of it. 

 After traveling to play polo for three years, I have realized that even though we are playing polo, it is a different game everywhere you go. The techniques and training are so different in Jamaica than in Zambia, or Barbados than America.

The animals, scenery, people, and experiences were beyond anything anyone of us could have imagined. From a small farm town in central Florida to playing at a legendary polo club with some of the most passionate junior players I’ve met, I still can’t believe I was blessed enough to travel to such an awe-inspiring place. 

 

 Following our unforgettable and exhilarating three-day tournament, the Zambians sent us on a chartered flight for a photographic safari in the Lower Zambezi. The Royal Zambezi was an elegant safari camp that was meant to impress and astound. From the pure African views to the peaceful river and fishing tours to the wild and exciting safaris, the experiences at the Royal Zambezi left their fantastic impression on everyone. Nothing shakes your very soul like looking dead into the eyes of an inquisitive male lion who lounges scarcely ten feet away. Turning to gaze straight up into the snoozing face of a leopard who sprawls out in a branch directly overhead is one of the most imposing and terrifying sights. Reeling in an elusive, air-breathing Vundu catfish or netting a fearsome, fang bearing Tigerfish is the most triumphant and thrilling moment for any avid angler.  

On our flight back to the Lusaka airport on our charter flight, I found myself reflecting onto the days on the safari in the African bush. We saw everything from tiny wood doves, to some of Africa’s apex predators, to the critically endangered pangolin, unfortunately the most trafficked mammal in the world. I savored the fresh memories of fishing on the great Zambezi, scanning the banks and cliffs for any flicker of movement that might behold some approaching creature. I glanced over to my teammate Cipriano Echezarreta, who had thoughtfully been looking down upon the multitude of small scattered villages, and as we shared a knowing grin, I could tell we thought the exact same thing, “We actually did Africa.”