Inside Polo's Most Exclusive Season

Not even polo is immune to the global trend of rising prices.

The price of wearing white trousers alongside the most recognized polo athletes has skyrocketed in recent years. Even so, this rise in costs has not diminished registrations for the 2025 season in the most prestigious tournaments in England, such as the Queen's Cup and the British Open, which have recovered their number of participants this year—though they are still far from recapturing the brilliance of the golden 1990s.

In the United States, a similar phenomenon of high costs for playing at the top level follows the same upward trend: despite seeing an increase in teams for the 2025 U.S. Open, the numbers are far from touching those of the 1990s. This is compounded by the loss of polo field acreage in areas like Wellington to show jumping.

Thus, according to data compiled by Polobiz, a high-handicap team requires between $1.5 million and $2 million to play the English season. This estimate assumes an average of 12 horses per player (three professional players are needed out of the four total team members; the remaining man is the patron, the team owner and an amateur player who funds the organization).

To these figures, one must add the cost of paying for an average of over 15 people per team, plus all the participants working behind the scenes: truck drivers, veterinarians, managers, sports coaches, training staff, housing and transport for workers, and suppliers of equine feed and everything necessary to keep the stables operational.

The price of high-handicap horses is highly variable; it can revolve around $100,000 for an acceptable animal, and for $800,000 one can begin to talk about a high-quality horse. Some can be worth up to $1.5 million dollars. The vast majority of these animals come from destinations like Uruguay, Argentina, Australia, or South Africa, with air freight costs exceeding $8,000 per horse. An estimated $150,000 to $300,000 is allocated for grooms and staff. Costs have increased considerably in England over the last 5 years. Nearly $50,000 is spent on logistics alone, according to a document from a source linked to London's Ham Polo Club.

Playing at prestigious clubs like the Guards Polo Club and the Cowdray Polo Club in the green English countryside is not free either: the tournament fee takes about $100,000 per team from the budget. Of course, if you win, the photo with the King or Queen makes it worth it.

And the list does not end there: other costs are added, such as uniforms, gear, branding, and administration, which exceed $50,000.

Then comes the most interesting and taboo subject in the sport's industry: the salary of high-handicap athletes. There are very few at that level, with a perfect 10-goal handicap. This prestigious group is worth it: it is estimated that a player of this caliber earns between $200,000 and $600,000 for the English season. This is in addition to extras from the sale of horses from their own string to refresh the stable for a new season. Even so, the now-defunct Zacara team is reported to have disbursed over $1.5 million for a top-tier player—one of the best in history—for the English season, which, according to the source, would mark a milestone in the sport.

The final tally for a season? A staggering sum that reliably surpasses $2 million for even the most efficiently managed team.