La Polo brings to you the best of polo players, not only of this generation, but all times.
Some of the greatest sportsmen have emerged from the timeless sport of polo, and their contributions to the game will be remembered for many years to come. Some of these players, in contrast to those from other regions, have spent the last many, many years honing their craft while sat on saddles. This encapsulates the reason we refer to polo as the “ageless” sport. La Polo honors the outstanding accomplishments and career records of a few of these athletes.
David Sterling Jr.
Nationality- Uruguay
His ranking among the world’s top polo players seems to make him stand out from the crowd. David Sterling, one of just two non-Argentines in the World Polo Tour (WPT) top 10 rankings, was born on January 4, 1981, in the Uruguayan city of Young. The 37-year-old’s handicap is ten goals. The well-liked Pelon gained notoriety in 2007 when he joined Adolfo Cambiaso’s Crab Orchard squad, which went on to win the USPA Gold Cup and the US Open. His ability to dribble, create space, and produce devastating runs down the court was what particularly drew everyone’s attention. It was the start of an amazing journey that Pelon would experience.
The Uruguayan has already won two additional USPA Gold Cup titles (in 2012 and 2013), bringing his total to three. After joining the La Dolfina Argentine Polo team in 2010, he went on to win four straight Argentine Triple Crown titles (Argentine Open, Hurlingham Open, and Tortugas Open) between 2013 and 2016. David and his team lost the Hurlingham Open, which prevented them from winning their fifth straight championship after winning the Argentine and Tortugas Opens the year before. But this doesn’t take away from him the title of the most important polo event in the world, the Argentine Open.
Nicolas Roldan
Nationality- USA
Born on December 4, 1982, in Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina, Nic grew up in the state of Florida in the United States. He is presently the captain of his national polo team. Playing for team Escue in 1998, he made history as the youngest player to win the US Open Polo title at the age of 15. At the age of 35, he has achieved much greater success in his trophy case, having won three crowns in the USPA National 20 goals and the World Snow Polo Championship Aspen. He recently took home the esteemed Cartier Queen’s Cup 2018, having been a key member of La Indiana’s championship winning squad.
In addition to being a distinguished model and an elite polo player, he is also a well-known philanthropist. He has hosted five successful editions of “Nic Roldan’s Annual Sunset Polo,” with two held in the UK and three in the USA. He is an ambassador for Brooke USA and the Kids Cancer Foundation. Numerous side events are included in these events, such as dressage competitions, other equestrian performances, and a Sunset Polo match involving Nic. The largest equestrian charity in the world, Brooke USA, benefits financially from the USA edition. The UK event supports two organizations: Coach Core, which trains youth in the 16–24 age range to become inspirational coaches, and Chestnut Tree House, which accepts children and young adults with progressive life-shortening conditions.
Bob Jornayvaz
Nationality- USA
Bob Jornayvaz, the world’s greatest amateur polo player, is the only non-professional player ranked in the top 10 of the WPT men’s rankings. Despite having a 2 handicap, he has won multiple important events, including two US Opens and four USPA Gold Cups.
When Bob played for the University of Texas team during his collegiate years, he was first introduced to the game of polo. His sporting career took a major hit when he sustained a catastrophic injury. As a result, he began to prioritize his family and career, founding Intrepid Production Corporation in 1984. In addition to being its president, he is the CEO and Executive Chairman of Intrepid Potash, Inc. and the owner of many oil, gas, and mining Intrepid firms.
In 2007, he established the highly successful Valiente Polo Club, which has become one of the top polo teams globally in the last ten years. 2015 USPA Open and 2017 USPA Triple Crown victories went to them. Valiente has also seen moments of jubilation outside of the United States; the largest was in 2014 when they won the coveted Spanish Triple Crown in Sotogrande.
He leads team La Dolfina/Valiente to victory in the Royal Windsor Cup, the oldest prize held by the Guards Polo Club, last month, and HM The Queen bestows upon them the coveted silverware.
Hilario Ulloa
Nationality- Argentina
Horses were in his blood; Carlos “Polito” Ulloa, the world-famous horse trainer and breeder, was his father. Hilario always had an ambition as a young child to compete in the Argentine Open and become a 10-goal scorer.
In 2013, after almost a decade of professional polo play, he participated in the Argentine Open for the first time. He won the US Open the next year, defeating Valiente in the championship match while competing for team Algeria. He accomplished the same thing once more this year, bringing his career total of US Open victories to three. Other notable highlights of his career have been victories at the USPA Gold Cup (2010), British Open (2011), CV Whitney Cup (2010), and 2013.
In 2016, the Argentine, who had previously scored ten goals for his nation, won the East Coast Championship. His outstanding efforts with teams Villa del Lago and White Birch led to this victory, and before the 2017 season, the US Polo Association raised his handicap ranking from 9 to 10. He is currently one of the very few players in the world to hold handicaps of 10 in the USA, Argentina, and the UK. It would be accurate to state that the 32-year-old is living the life of his desires without any exaggeration!
Facundo Pieres
Nationality- Argentina
Currently, 2nd in the World Polo Tour rankings, Facundo is the second son of polo legend Gonzalo Pieres Sn. His brothers Gonzalo Pieres Jr. and Nicolas Pieres are also amongst the best polo players on the planet. With his brilliant stickwork and horsemanship, which is always a joy to watch, he has been on the winning front in plenty of competitions. He began his career in 1997 by winning the Copa Potrillos with the Ellerstina Jr. team, which has been nothing short of marvellous.
The 32-year-old has handled some of the most coveted silverware on multiple times. He has seven Tortugas Opens, five Hurlingham Opens, three Argentine Opens, four US Opens, five British Opens, three Sotogrande Gold Cups, five CV Whitney Cups, and five Queens Cups in his trophy cabinet.
2010 saw him win the Argentine Triple Cup, which consisted of the Argentine Open, Hurlingham Open, and Tortugas Open. After winning the USPA Gold Cup and CV Whitney Cup with Valiente earlier in the year, he is the 2018 Cartier Queen’s Cup champion with team La Indiana and one tournament (the US Open) away from the US Triple Crown.