Snow Polo in Aspen- The Origins and How It’s Played
Now this was a new one even for me–– Snow Polo! I just got wind of a tournament in Aspen hosted by Nacho Figueras where top polo players are playing in the snow with a sweet snow-capped mountain backdrop. It's the Piaget World Snow Polo Championship, and just seeing the photos on Twitter made me want to learn more about how it's played and what special considerations are needed to make this game safe and fun for horse and rider.
Photo courtesy of Grand Champions Polo Club and Phelps Media Group. Learn about the World-Class Players Kicking Off Piaget World Snow Polo Championship.
Snow Polo- Polo Modified
Having ridden in the snow in a variety of destinations, including Quebec, I know that the horses often need special traction in the snow. For snow polo, polo ponies are shod with special cleated shoes. The horses’ ankles are wrapped with bandages and tendon boots to protect them from injuries.
The ball is bright red for visibility on the white surface and larger and lighter than a traditional polo ball. It's grapefruit-sized. The snow is packed into the arena for even footing and a fence surrounds the arena to keep the ball in play. Prior to the Aspen event, organizers were calling for a base of 18-inches of un-packed snow on the field to protect the turf underneath from the weight of the horses and their hooves. Like arena polo, teams are three on three.
Dating back to 1985, snow polo originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland, a chic ski resort area that hosted the Winter Olympics in 1928 and 1948. In America, top snow polo competitions are currently held in Aspen.
Video from the 2012 Snow Polo Championship in Aspen.
This year in Aspen, top polo player and model Nacho Figueras is a tournament host and Argentine polo stars Facundo Pieres and his brother Gonzalito Pieres are playing. Three top-ranking American pros-- Nic Roldan, Brandon Phillips and Juan Bollini-- will also participate.
How you can go: Learn more about the World Snow Polo Championship happening now on their website and in a press release from Phelps Media. Learn more about polo vacations in Argentina and Africa and check out our How to Play Polo video to see me getting a polo lesson from a pro.
