Ladakh: a Polo Match in Leh with excitement and laughter as the referee falls of his horse

Visiting a polo match in Leh, Ladakh is not a elitist affair but a public festival. The crowd enjoys the game. Widespread Laughter as the arbiter falls of his horse .
Polo originated in Persia (Iran) and was introduced to Ladakh, where it is hugely popular today, from neighbouring Baltistan around the 15th century.
In Ladakh, every major village has a polo ground and the game is an integral part of the cultural fabric of the Ladakhi people where music, especially drums, accompany the scoring of each goal.
The Ladakh Polo Club has seven clubs and is affiliated with the Indian Polo Association.
The game as it is played Ladakh is sometimes called wild polo and different from the one played under international rules.
It's much more furious and free flowing with two twenty minutes halves and a ten minute break in between.
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