GNTV joins a special polo session in Dubai with top polo players on hand to teach the basics of the sport. See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv
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00:00Polo is a sport where riding is a key thing, so you actually need to know how to ride before
00:14to play.
00:15But on the other hand, you can learn how to ride for polo in not very long time.
00:21We try always to get the sport moving, so therefore you need to actually ride on the
00:33polo, on the game, in a very aggressive way.
00:38So therefore, it's a lot of skill on the riding matter, how to control those horses and going
00:44around.
00:46People underestimate how difficult the game is, and the rules sometimes are not easy to
00:52understand.
00:53But when you understand that the whole rules is about creating safety, then you understand
01:01more or less what the rules are.
01:02It takes a bit of adrenaline to play the game, it's a physical game.
01:06You need a good eye for the ball, as you have to be able to hit the ball at a very good
01:13speed and the horse is moving, the ball is moving.
01:17The game is quite dangerous, because you are travelling on a horse around 60 kilometres
01:22an hour, and you've got to be very conscious of possible coalitions with another horse.
01:31I have a slight advantage in that last year I played elephant polo in Nepal, which is
01:37very different obviously, but the advantage for me is that you play elephant polo with
01:43a three metre long stick, whereas here the stick is much shorter, and although I can't
01:47ride a horse, it meant that I was able to hit the ball, so it's been a good experience
01:51for me.
01:52It was very nice having the Argentine polo instructors here, because obviously they're
01:55experts and they taught us exactly how to swing the stick, and the movement of the wrist,
02:02and that really does help you hit the ball, whereas the instinct of most people when they
02:06get on a horse is to just swing the stick wildly, but they show you it's a very specific
02:10way of hitting the ball.
02:12Staying on the horse while swinging the stick, that's very difficult, because the instructors
02:17want you to use your whole body, turn your whole body, and of course you're much more
02:21likely to fall forwards and then off the horse, so that's the hardest part, staying on and
02:25hitting the ball.
02:26The reasons why Julius Baer is sponsoring polo are its teamwork is required, it's excellent,
02:36it has a long tradition and heritage, and we think it's also a game that is focused
02:45on high net worth people.
02:47There you are!