Polo is built on horsepower - as in the four-legged kind.

"You get to ride fast and bump into people," said Claudia Howell as she put a saddle onto her horse, Sierra.

A rider for more than 50 years and a polo player for the past 24 years, Howell worked efficiently and kept an eye on Sascha Cocron, a novice rider and polo player, as he saddled up his horse, Mercedes, during a recent training session at the Tacoma Polo Club.

Located outside of Roy at 202 288th St. E., the club has been in existence since 1968.  Membership stands at about 20 members.

"We've had members from the military come out and ride with us," Howell said.  "We would certainly welcome more servicemembers to come out and compete."

Field polo is played on a field that is 300 yards long and either 160 or 200 yards wide.  In arena polo, on the other hand, the field is 100 to 150 yards long and 50 to 75 yards wide.

"It's the most fun one can have while sitting down," Howell said as she put Cocron through a training drill in the hangar used to film part of the 1982 movie An Officer and a Gentleman.

"I started at zero," Cocron said after an hour-long training session. "It's a challenging sport. It's fast moving; I've learned a great deal in the year that I've been riding."

During the training period, Howell shouted out instructions to Cocron as he practiced various moves.

Cocron rode well and with confidence.  His polo moves - particularly when addressing and hitting the ball - were crisp.

In field polo, two teams of four players each compete by using a 49- to 54-inch mallet to hit a three-and-a-quarter inch ball through goal posts eight yards apart.

The mounts used in polo are usually called "polo ponies," although the term "pony" is traditional.

In order to promote the sport, the Tacoma Polo Club will host "A Taste of Polo Clinic" on May 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The event is designed for individuals interested in learning about polo at an affordable price. Participants will learn the basic rules and strategy of the game, the use of the mallet, and polo horsemanship. After the instruction period, club members will put on an exhibition followed by a barbeque. For more information, contact Howell at polozealot@gmail.com or (503) 937-3608 or visit www.tacomapoloclub.com.