In polo, the competition for goals is particularly challenging. A feel for the ball and horsemanship, strategy and physical control are what distinguish an excellent player.
The earth shakes. The offensive player gallops towards the goal at 60 kilometers per hour, closely followed by the defensive player of the opposing team. Both polo players hold the mallets in their right hands, while the left hand holds the reins, just like it says in the official rule book. The offensive player prepares to attack and would have sent the ball on its way into the goal if the opposing defender hadn’t been obstructing him. Leaning out, far out in the saddle to the left, the defender crossed his hitting arm in front of his body to block the swing. "Hooking" is the name of this manoeuvre: one stick prevents the other from striking.
All this occurs within a matter of seconds and involves a masterful feat of acrobatics. In polo this sort of thing happens all the time. This sport, played on specially trained ponies, is "pure adrenaline" as described by Philipp Maeder, a passionate player and head of the Maybach polo team. He knows how to describe the events on the 274-meter long and 192-meter wide polo field with both expertise and heart.