This is the favorite sport of the Ladakhis. During every festival polo and archery matches are held.
They are competitive events, the surrounding villages all sending teams, and the shotting takes place according to strict etiquette, to the accompaniment of the music of surna and daman (oboe and drum). As important as the archey are the interludes of dancing and other entertainment. Chang, the local barely beer, flows freely, but there is rarely any rowdiness. the crowd attend in their Sunday bet, the men invariably in traditional dress, and the women wearing their brightest brocade mantles and their heaviest jewellery. Archery may be the pretext for the gathering, but the party's the thing.

Polo is traditional to the western Himalaya, especially to Baltistan and Gilgit. It was probably introduced into Ladakh in the mid-17th century by King Sengge Namgyal, whose mother was a Balti princess. The game played here differs in many respects from the international game, which indeed is adapted from what British travellers saw in the Western Himalya and Manipur in the 19th century. Here, each team consists of six players, and the game lasts for an hour with a ten minute break. Altitude notwithstanding, the hardy local ponies--the best of which come from Zanskar -- scarely seem to suffer, though play can be fast and furious. Each goal is greeted by a brust of music from surna and daman ; and the players often show extraordinary skill. For example, when starting play after a goal the scorer gallops up to midfield holdng ball and mallet in the right hand, and throws the ball, hitting it in the same movement towards the opposite goal.

Unlike the international game, polo in Ladakh is not exclusively for the rich. Traditionally, almost every village had its polo-ground, and even today it is played with verve in many places besides Leh, especially in Dras and Chushot, a big valley close to Leh. In Leh, it has been partialy institutionalized with regular tournaments and occasional exhibition matches being played on the polo-ground in the shadow of the palace. The local crowd takes a keen interest, especially in those matches in which a civilian team takes on the Army. Altogether, polo adds a unique kind of colour and excitement to summer in Leh.