Polo Players

There is no more talented athlete in sport than the highest rated polo player . Understanding that he must be a top horseman, having the ability to move his mount from one place to another with the sheer movement of his legs; that his hand-eye coordination must be capable of pinpointing the stroke of a fifty-three inch bamboo polo mallet at blink of an eye, sending a small plastic ball through the goal posts or down the field to an awaiting teammate, shows the talent required. The polo player’s knowledge of the game must be such that he is capable of playing the game of chess on horseback at a blistering speed, knowing full well where each and every other player on the field is located or will be located. His stamina must be that of a long-distance runner, as he is in constant motion throughout every chukker of every match, while spending endless hours in the saddle every day of every week to keep both his horses and himself fit. These amazing athletes are few and far between, and should be acknowledged for their accomplishments. Below are some to worlds’ best players.

Top Polo Players

	Adolfo Cambiaso (10)
	Universally recognized by his peers as the best player in the game today, and possibly all-time, Adolfo Cambiaso has captured major trophies on four different continents. He has led his teams to six Argentine Open Championships, five United States Open Championships, four British Open titles and the prestigious Gold Cup at Deauville. Born in Buenos Aires Adolfo and his wife Maria make their home in Canuelas in Buenos Aires Province. Maria Vazquez was one of South America’s top fashion models. She now travels from tournament to tournament with her husband and their two children, Mia , and Adolfo Jr. At the age of 17, Adolfo became the youngest 10-goal player in history, and has held that coveted honor for the last 16 years. A consummate horseman and field tactician, Adolfo Cambiaso is the yardstick by which all others polo players are measured.
	Facundo Pieres (10)
	Twenty-three-year-old Facundo Pieres carries the same 10-goal handicap that his Hall of Fame father did, and came within a goal of winning the triple crown of polo last year in Argentine. The Ellerstina team he and brother Gonzalito play on captured the Argentine, US, British and French Opens in the last year. His success in the United States can be seen in championships in the Mercedes-Benz Challenge Cup, the Hall of Fame Cup and the C. V. Whitney Cup.
	Gonzalito Pieres (10)
	the eldest son of polo legend Gonzalo Pieres, Sr., Gonzalo Jr., affectionately referred to as Gonzalito, also reach the pinnacle of polo professionalism by attaining the rare 10-goal rating. “He has great speed and quickness,” said his father, “he is constantly working and has all of the shots.” A good assessment by the Hall of Fame player who watches his two sons score wins in the first two legs of the Argentine Triple Crown of polo with wins in the Tortugas Open and the Hurlingham Open. Gonzalito has already scored wins in the Queens Cup, the Pacific Coast Open and the Argentine Open in 2008. In 2009, he has won the US and British Opens as well as the Sotogrande Gold Cup.
	Juan Martin Nero (9)
	In 2008, Juama joined Ellerstina and was the MVP in the Argentine Open final. He also won the British Open in 2008 and the Queens Cup in 2007 both with Loro Piana. His experience with the game in Spain garnered him wins in the Sotogrande Silver Cup in 2004 and 2007 and the prestigious Sotogrande Gold Cup in 2001 and again in 2006. In 2005, he won the British Open with Azurra. Always well mounted, Juan Martin is a solid hitter who can play defense as aggressively as he plays offense. Juan Martin is 27-years-old, married and lives in Trenque Lauquen in Argentina.
	Nacho Figueras (6)
	Figueras grew up in a small town outside Buenos Aires with Mariano Aguerre, Lucas Monteverde and Lucas Criado. He began playing professionally when he was seventeen-years-old. His first year as a professional polo player took him to France. The following year found him in England. He returned to France where he played for two more years before being selected to play on the Argentine national team in the FIP World Cup in St. Moritz. Deauville and Sotogrande (Spain) were next for Nacho. In 1999 while playing in Spain, he received a call from New York and asked to replace an injured player at Bridgehampton, New York. He’s been playing in the US ever since. I’ve played for Black Watch year round for three years (before that for White Birch). Neil [Hirsch] was part of White Birch. Then he and Peter [Brant] decided to have separate organizations. Probably the most remarkable fact might be that although Nacho plays with and against the best players in the world, he is probably better know as the face of Ralph Lauren fragrances, with ads and posters around the world showing a rugged Argentine polo player fitting right into the lifestyle mold created by the Polo trademark. Nacho lives in Argentina with his wife Delfina, and children Hilario and Aurora

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