Beloved of modern royalty yet honed on the high plains of Asia, polo is perhaps the only true global game. In this article, veteran polo journalist Donna L.M. Khan explores the origins, eccentricities, and personalities that surround this most captivating game.

This feature first appeared in Cigar Aficionado Magazine (Spring, 1997).

A lifelong equestrienne, Donna L.M. Khan writes about luxury travel and equestrian sport. Her work has appeared in magazines including Bon Appetit, Town & Country, Robb Report, Cigar Aficionado, and the adventure travel magazine, Outside. She is editor in chief of Luxury Dossier, a digital quarterly focusing on Life at a Gallop (www.luxurydossier.com, and is visiting lecturer of magazine writing at Montreat College in North Carolina.