When the HPA says it is turning 150 this year, it is dating itself to a very specific moment. In 1875 the Hurlingham Polo Committee drew up the first formal British rules for polo, at the Hurlingham Club in London. Many of the principles in that first rulebook are still in the game today.
From a committee to a governing body
The story of the HPA is one of steady expansion. The original committee was later re-titled the Hurlingham Club Polo Committee, and it grew to take in other bodies:
- The Services, reflecting the importance of the army to British polo.
- The County Polo Association, which was formed in 1898.
- The London clubs Hurlingham, Ranelagh and Roehampton.
In 1903 the membership was extended to associations across the Empire where polo was played, which tells you how far the game had spread in a generation. Then, in 1925, the committee was re-designated the Hurlingham Polo Association, the name it still uses.
What the HPA does today
The HPA is the governing body for polo in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and also covers the United Arab Emirates and a number of other countries. It enforces the rules, handles discipline and sets handicaps for around 2,500 players in the UK. At the international level, the Federation of International Polo produces the International Rules of Polo through a cooperative agreement between the HPA, the Asociacion Argentina de Polo and the United States Polo Association. In other words, the three great polo powers all work from a common rulebook, and the HPA has a seat at the table.
An anniversary year
The HPA’s chairman, Will Lucas, wrote in December that the anniversary would be marked in 2025, and the fixture list already reflects it. England meet the USA in the Golden Jubilee at the Beaufort International on 14 June, and they play Brazil for the Coronation Cup on International Day at Guards on 26 July. Both are tied to the 150 year milestone.
There is something quietly remarkable about a set of rules written at a London club in 1875 still shaping matches in Wellington, Palermo and Windsor. Polo has changed enormously since then, with better ponies, faster play and professional players on the highest handicaps. The core idea of a fair contest between two teams on horseback has not changed. We will be marking the anniversary throughout the year.
Sources: Wikipedia, Hurlingham Polo Association, HPA, Chairman’s vision
