The History of the Polo

The prestigious game of polo has been enjoyed all over the world for over 2,000 years. The Innu London team decided we’d dive deep into the history of the of the oldest sport and more importantly the history of polo fashion and share it with you divine readers. So here we go…

Equestrian polo was first played in Persia way back to the 6th century BC. The first ever polo field, Naqsh-i Jahan Square in Isfahan, Iran was built by King Abbas I in the 17th century and is a truly spectacular site. 

The Naqsh-i Jahan Square

The 4 a side horse sport was soon passed onto other areas in Asia, including India, China and Japan. The word ‘polo’ got its name from the Tibetan word ‘pulu’ which means ‘ball’. 

In the 1962 the world’s first polo club, The Calcutta Polo Club was founded by two British soldiers. 

Since the sport spread to England, the British who have been credited for spreading polo worldwide, mainly to Western Europe, Argentina and the USA. The Argentinian team holds first place in the global rankings. As I’m sure you know, the famous and exclusive Hurlingham Polo club is the UK governing body , who drew up their own set of formal British rules in 1834 which are still in effect today. 

Hurlingham Club, London

British settlers organised the first formal game of polo in Argentina in 1875 in the capital of Buenos Aires. The locals took a shining to the sport and had several club openings in the following years to accommodate their new love for polo. Unsurprisingly, the South American country is credited globally as the mecca of polo due to their high level of talent. 

Only a year later, polo was introduced to the USA. Now over 77 countries worldwide play polo, indoor, outdoor and on the beach and has been re-recognised by the International Olympic Committee since 1998.

The USA polo club in Wellington, FL 

Now, the summer is peak polo season, particularly in London… we don’t even have enough hands to count all the events on our fingers. The main polo events that take place are sponsored by Cartier and Veuve Clicquot, not forgetting the world championships. Others include Polo in the Park, The Sandbanks Beach Polo, Hurlingham Polo Open and British Polo Day which is now a global tradition occurring in 11 countries worldwide. 

Innu London at the Sandbanks Beach Polo this year

The Cartier Polo

Cartier first sponsored the International Day in 1984, shortly becoming the largest and most prestigious polo spectator events in the world, attracting over 25,000 people at the Guards Polo Cup. From this, the Cartier went on to sponsor the Queen’s Cup with only the best polo players in the world, making it a highlight for the sports elite and spectators alike. 

Similar global events including St Moritz Polo, Cartier International Dubai Polo and the Cartier World’s Elephant Polo Championship are just a few of what Cartier and the polo have achieved together. The likes of Kate Middleton and the other royals have attended these events as well as other A-listers such as Emma Watson, David Gandy and the Delevingne clan.

Here’s a quick fun fact for you…the Audi International was sponsored by Cartier until 2 years ago when the royal family no longer attended and the sponsorship was swapped. The Audi International takes place on Saturday 26th July at the Guards Polo Club. More information here: http://www.guardspoloclub.com/tournaments/audi-international-polo-2014

The Veuve Clicquot Polo

Veuve clicquot sponsor polo events from LA, Miami, New York to the Gold Cup which happened to of taken place at Cowdray Polo Club last weekend, also which happen to be the most elite events of the year. Major celebrities including Chloe Moretz, Lily Allen, Tasmin Egerton and Jodie Kidd are regular attendees of such a high profile event. 

The oldest sport in the world has been influenced fashion over the years. From Hermes,  Belstaff, Gucci and of course Ralph Lauren, these fashion brands have designed equestrian style fashion for the affluent societies of the world, and are often labels regularly seen at the polo events.

Since the polo began it is almost as if society has provided a uniform for such an occurrence…chic, sophisticated and elegant, finished off with an over the top headpiece ( well at least for the ladies). Here are some outfits from over the years of polo and you’ll see the attire has not changed much…

Discover the Innu London evening wear range and I can assure you there’ll at least be one thing to tickle your fancy…and I do hope we haven't bore you much!!

Until next time

Love Innu London

xxx