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Polo on the Pampas

Every serious polo player should make a pilgrimage to Argentina.

Imported by Englishmen, the game arrived there at the end of the 19th century, and the first official match took place on September 3, 1875. In the nearly 130 years since, Argentina has become, in many people´s minds, the sport´s spiritual home.

Three of the most prestigious tournaments take place from October to December in Buenos Aires. The elegant district of Palermo is home to the Campo Argentino de Polo where the Argentine Open Polo Championship is played. The world´s finest teams compete, and the winners can lay claim to being the best of the best.

Last year, a team from the Santa Fe Horse Park competed, making it to the quarterfinals. Led by Charlie Kokesh, the Santa Fe Horse Park team made the Estancia Don Manuel its home away from home.

Owned by Emiliano Blanco, a familiar face at the Santa Fe Horse Park, and his family, the Estancia Don Manuel is dedicated to the sport of polo. An excellent polo player in his own right, Emiliano usually travels north after the season in the southern hemisphere ends. In toun, Emiliano extends and invitation to polo players on this side of equator to visit the Estancia for world-class play.fsd

In Emiliano´s own words, “ After having traveled the world practicing polo, I believe I know what polo players and their families need to enjoy a great vacation that combines relaxation and physical exercise”.

The Estancia Don Manuel has two professional Bermuda grass polo fields, a practice field and training field. Guests who play polo are treated to four or five games per week, including four chukkers, horses, and tack and groom, and an 8-10 goal tournament.

“ I took my entire family to the Estancia last fall, and it was an extraordinary experience”, Charlie Kokesh said. “ Emiliano provided our team with everything we needed to compete in Palermo. And when we weren´t playing polo, we enjoyed the hospitality of a first-class resort”.

In addition to polo, guests at the Estancia can take advantage of the heated pool, workout equipment, bicycles, soccer, riding instruction, massage and golf. Guests stay in rooms with private bath and daily service. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served with and emphasis on Argentina´s cusine and fine wines.

Open from November through March, the Estancia Don Manuel is an all-inclusive resort. Prices are $220 per day for polo players and $150 per day for non-players.

The devaluation of the peso, while disastrous for the local economy, means that Argentina is even more affordable to North Americans that used to be.

When you are ready to see sights, arrangements can be made to you to Buenos Aires for shopping, dining and, of course, tango. You can also visit other polo clubs in the area and tour factories that manufacture polo equipment, including stirrups, helmets, saddles and boots.

The Estancia works with the best tourism companies in the country and can help you make arrangements for non-polo activities, including hunting and fishing.

Guests have access to “ La Caledonia”, one of the oldest estancias in the country, owned by Argentina´s ex-president Juan Manuel de Rosas, for trail riding. The Estancia Don Manuel offers horse-drawn carriage sport of Argentina. Originally played by two teams on horseback using a duck in a leather pouch, today the riders attempt to throw the pato, a leather ball, into one of two baskets at either end of a large field.

“Sharing this beautiful property and my country´s culture with my friends from around the world is a wonderful for us”, Emiliano said. “We have created a place where people from different places can come and share their passion for horses and game of polo”.

by Julie Anne Overton

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