Dominican Republic – Polo
Polo is a sport for a small elite group, so we were all the more astonished when we found such a facility in this country. The horses are flown in by private jets.
On the huge grounds of the Campo there is also a polo facility. The elite sport here is mainly played by rich Americans. But players from all over the world also come to the big tournaments. We are lucky and can watch an international tournament on a Saturday. It is not so much the game itself that is so interesting for us, but rather the peripheral action. We visit the stables of the horses, which are treated like royal guests by the keepers.
Before the tournament, the horses are brought to the company temperature by the grooms. The young audience is enthusiastic about the wiry little horses and the proud riders.
Slowly, the illustrious audience gathers on the mobile grandstands, which provide some protection from the scorching sun.
The polo players present themselves and the horses to the audience before the game.
Then finally the game begins. In wild attacks, the ball is driven across the field. Polo is a sport that demands a lot of stamina from the horses and riders. After the first half, the horses are replaced.
The audience discusses every goal with a lot of expertise. The sport of polo is very complex and is therefore only practiced by a small community, which usually stays among itself. In a country as poor as the Dominican Republic, where most of the inhabitants live well below the poverty line, a sport as exclusive as polo makes the class differences all the more evident
