Simply replace horse with bicycle and you've got yourself bike polo. The sport which initially was used to hone equestrian polo skills, but since has become a growing sport of its own. This revolutionary sport which has actually been around since 1891 and allows the bicycle to be used in a completely different way. However, the sport maintains the bicycle as a tool for change. A game of cycle polo was used as a demonstration event in the 1908 Olympics in London. Usually associated with speed, distance, and vast open space, the bicycle in bike polo is contained in a small area only 120 meters long and forced to make subtle, detailed maneuvers. The perceived space around oneself and their bike needs to completely change, requiring an adaptation on the part of the rider as discussed in the football. This sport also requires a new type of relationship between team members. It is very different than the sort of cooperation seen in the Tour de France but incorporates that same sense of strategy and players' skill and strength optimization.
Here is a poem that was written in memory of Richard Mecredy, the founder of cycle polo.
Farewell to thee , thou king of games !
Connected were you, with princely names !
You were the game that kings did play.
Gone is now your haicyon day.
You were to us, a source of pride
You taught us hard and straight to ride
On your grounds we learnt to play
and on battle field we won the day.
The track and wheel have spelt your doom
Fo us there dawns a day of gloom
We shall not forget-long as we live
The thrilling joy you used to give.
The cycle now has staked a claim
as a successor to your fame.
Let us hope this claim be true,
And he proves a worthy heir to you.
hardcourtbikepolo.com
