See full version: Where is polo played and when
The European season runs from late April to late September. In the southern hemisphere it is from October to mid-March. In some countries, such as the USA, Australia and South Africa, it is possible to play or watch all year round. more
Contrary to popular belief, most polo games are cheap to watch. Entry to Cowdray Park for its biggest day, the Gold Cup final, costs under £20 per person in advance. Many smaller clubs around the world don't charge entry at all. more
In most countries, players fall into these categories: more
UK - Outdoor
After the Gold Cup, players move on to Europe. Traditionally, this would have been Deauville in France, but the club there has faced some serious competition, and what was once the epicentre of European polo is losing traction. Chantilly, near Paris, now boasts 10 pitches and ever-increasing standards, but the real player on the high goal scene is Sotogrande in Spain.
Beach polo is also enjoying huge growth. Also played three a side, using a large inflatable ball, tournaments are played in Bournemouth and Cornwall in the UK, Sylt in Germany, Belgium, Ibiza and, as from this year, Tarifa. Outside of Europe the Julius Baer tournament in Dubai and Beach Polo in Miami are also popular fixtures, with brilliant after parties. [links]
Best of the best
Argentina is indisputably the breeding ground of the best players in the world, with at least eight 10-goal players (the highest rating in the world) thanks to the almost perfect topography, plentiful supply of horses and wealthy farming families, there is no shortage of talented players, most of whom have been on horses since they could walk, and hitting a ball around from an incredibly young age. Add to that the extensive youth tournaments and you have a veritable polo player factory.
The global polo season follows a strict chronology. Starting with the European season, the world’s best players come to England in early May. They then move on to France and Spain in August, before returning to Argentina in September, and then on to the US (Palm Beach) in January. The Palm Beach season is feeling some heat, however. Polo in the UAE is positively exploding as Emirati patrons seek to attract the best players in the world, enticing them with ever-increasing pay packets and ever-improving fields to play on.
Pablo “Polito” Pieres is a cousin of the Pieres brothers and since the beginning of this year he plays for their team Ellerstina. Previously he had been playing for team Alegría, which made it to the semi-finals of the 2014 Argentine Open, but could not succeed in winning against Ellerstina. In December 2014 the Argentine Polo Association announced the raise of his handicap from +9 goals up to +10 goals. Only one year before his handicap had been raised from +8 goals up to +9 goals, following the qualification of his team Alegría for the final of the Argentine Open in 2013, which was won by La Dolfina in the end. here
Facundo Pieres is part of the famous Pieres trio, which consists of the brothers Facundo, Gonzalo and Nicolás. The Argentine polo player was born on 19th May 1986 in Buenos Aires. He was the second polo player after Adolfo Cambiaso who received the highest possible handicap of +10 goals at the age of 19. Facundo is the son of the polo legend Gonzalo Pieres sen. and started his career in 1997, when he won the Copa Potrillos with the Ellerstina Jr. team. He plays for team Ellerstina with his brothers Gonzalo and Nicolás. As of 2015 his cousin Pablo “Polito” Pieres will also support the team. Despite his young age he participated in the Argentine Open, the most important polo tournament in the world, eleven times and won the tournament three times with his team Ellerstina. In the ranking of the World Polo Tour he is placed fourth. here
Polo is more than just a sport, polo is a way of life. More than ten years ago the POLO+10 brand emerged from this way of life. The POLO+10 magazine is the largest polo magazine in the world today. But what does the name “POLO+10” mean?
His older brother Gonzalo Pieres plays with a handicap of +10 goals in Argentina and the UK, in the US he plays +9 goals. He was born on 17th December 1982 in Buenos Aires and is the oldest son of Gonzalo Pieres sen. “Gonzalito” participated in the Argentine Open in 2000 for the first time and since that time took part in the tournament every year, winning it three times. Abroad he also won several important tournaments such as the C.V. Whitney Cup and the USPA Gold Cup in the US. here
Adolfo Cambiaso, born 15th April 1975 in Cañuelas, Buenos Aires Province, is currently the number 1 in the ranking of the World Polo Tour (what is the World Polo Tour? → click here) and is considered the best polo player in the world. The Argentine polo player (also referred to as “Adolfito“ or “Dolfi“) plays with a handicap of +10 goals in Argentina, the US and the UK. In Argentina the world-class player received the highest possible handicap in 1994 – back then at that time the youngest player to reach this. Since that time he has won prestigious tournaments all over the world. In December 2014 he once again made polo history by winning the Argentine Triple Crown – consisting of Tortugas, Hurlingham and Argentine Open – for the second consecutive year with his team La Dolfina. After Coronel Suárez (in 1974 and 1976) La Dolfina is the second team to achieve this. He took part in the Argentine Open 21 times and won 11 times. In December 2014 he also was presented with the Golden Olimpia Award for Athlete of the Year, the most important sports prize in Argentina. Cambiaso is the second polo player to receive this honour so far. more
A whole different world, the Quechee Polo Club, Vermont. here
Empire Polo Club of Indio, Calif., has been an intricate part of polo history in the California desert since its establishment in 1987.†The mild winter weather and incredible mountain backdrops attracts players from across the country and internationally. The club is home to a variety of leagues and competitions of all levels, such as the Gay Polo League, international tournaments, and arena competitions. The club was host to this year’s USPA Open National Interscholastic Championship Tournament. here
Bridgehampton Polo Club, New York
The season, which runs January through March, is filled with competitive polo and social events of all kinds. The grounds, rented out to the Coachella and Stagecoach Music Festival each year, include 12 grass polo fields, a regulation-size polo arena, as well as two exercise tracks, several barns, a restaurant, and a night club. here
The season runs from January through April each year and concludes with the U.S. Open Polo Championship final. Polo matches are open to the public, with a wide range of hospitality and guest seating that includes elegant grandstand viewing, field tailgating, lawn seating, field-side champagne brunch, and exclusive sponsor boxes. more