Dominican Republic – Polo sport
Polo is a sport for a small elite group, we were all the more astonished when we found such a facility in this country. The horses are flown in with private jets.
There is also a polo facility on the Campo’s huge grounds. The elitist sport is operated here predominantly by the rich Americans. But players from all over the world come to the big tournaments. We are lucky and can follow an international tournament on a Saturday. Not so much the game itself is so interesting for us, but rather the margins. We visit the stables of the horses, which are treated by the keepers as royal guests.
Before the tournament, the horses are brought by the nurses to operating temperature. The young audience is excited about the wiry little horses and the proud riders.
Slowly the illustrious audience gathers on the mobile stands, which protect something from the scorching sun.
The polo players present themselves and the horses before the match to the public.
Then finally the game starts. In wild attacks, the ball is driven across the field. Polo is a sport that demands a lot from the horses and the riders. After the first half the horses are exchanged.
The audience discusses every hit with a lot of expertise. Polosport is very expensive and is therefore only operated by a small community, which usually stays among themselves. In a country as poor as the Dominican Republic, where most residents live well below the poverty line, such an exclusive sport as polo makes class differences all the more obvious