We have a special message for you from that average rider of that pretty horse in front of the mountains from a few weeks back.
To refresh your memory, Horse Collaborative staff experienced the polo scene while attending HITS in Thermal, California when they moseyed over to the Empire and Eldorado Polo Clubs to check out a few polo matches.
They, for lack of a better description, ran into some pretty picturesque scenery, and one of the posted photos garnered a whopping 105,000 impressions: more than 2,400 Facebook reactions, 250+ comments, and more than 350 shares. Behold:
Hey, nice mountains! (©Ryan Polli/Horse Collaborative)
Some even went so far as to immortalize the incident. *facepalm*
New jammies? (Courtesy of the author.)
I caught up with the subject of said photo this weekend to ask about all his newfound fame from that one innocent little posting.
A word about Francisco (aka “Tarzan”; aka “The Back”)…
Sometimes it’s hard to recognize people from the back. Unless you really know what their back looks like. So I immediately recognized the.. uh…. scenery… and tracked down the Average Joe riding the pretty mare near the mountains on the polo field. When asked about it, Francisco Guinazu (locally known as Tarzan) humbly acknowledges his growing fan base with a shy smile and downward glance.
Turns out, he’s a skilled and experienced professional polo player and a great polo horse trainer who’s rated at four goals—meaning he’s got a pretty sweet handicap. Hailing from Mendoza, Argentina, Francisco is also an all-around nice fellow who’s been given the nickname “Tarzan” because of one very unique feature that he’s known for: The guy is shirtless pretty much all the time. Anyone familiar with polo in Southern California over the last year or so can recognize him from a mile away.
The ladies are especially familiar with the whole… this… (waves hands wildly), but even the polo men know what’s up.
We’re all eyes—I mean ears. So how can we get in on all..the… “this”?
Polo is about as popular in Argentina as soccer is for the US, so men who ride, and ride well, (and I mean reeeeally well), are commonplace. With all the land for grazing and a cheaper cost of living in Argentina, polo isn’t the enormous expense it is known to be in the US. Many Americans seem to be turned off to trying polo because it’s known for being the “Sport of Kings”, and therefore, it must be expensive. It can be, but it doesn’t have to be. Everyone must start out slowly when taking their first polo lessons, even if you’ve been horseback riding your entire life. Grand Prix jumpers and beginner riders will be equal when both are learning how to swing the mallet to hit the ball for the first time and also learning the complex rules of the game.
If you’re interested in trying polo for the first time, Francisco, and many pros like him all over the country—including hot-blooded American homebreds—are available for private lessons until the end of the grass season in Indio (April 3rd). Other clubs around the country that play on dirt (aka “arena clubs”) usually offer professional lessons year-round. Private lessons from a pro player of Francisco’s rating, experience, and skill typically run higher ($200 an hour sometimes) than if you were to take a lesson from an equally experienced instructor at a polo school. If you’re in California or are West Coast-bound on vacation, Eldorado and Empire Polo Clubs in Indio both offer polo lessons for beginners. Or, head over to theUnited States Polo Association (USPA) to find a club near you to begin your polo career.
Master Instructor Kimo Huddleston of San Diego explains the line of the ball to new students. (Courtesy of the author.)
Ladies, ladies…ladies. Listen up. There’s more…
Your discipline of riding is probably disproportionately swarming with women. Men are scarce sometimes. But I want to let you in on a little secret. There are Franciscos everywhere in polo. A dime a dozen even. Polo is comprised of many heterosexual manly men. Polo is also a sport your husband will enjoy, not just “tolerate.” Plus, polo is for anyone and everyone. There is a gay league, a women’s league, and a huge interscholastic and intercollegiate following as well. The oldest person I know to start polo was 74, but many men start in their 40s or 50s.
Women are the largest growing demographic in polo, but it is overwhelmingly men who play it professionally. And they’re usually smokin’ hawt. Google: Adolfo Cambiaso. Nacho Figueras. Herdon Radcliffe. Facundo Pieres. Mariano Gutierrez (who was in the music video for Britney Spears’ “Radar”), and Brandon Phillips, just to name a few. You’re welcome.
The world’s #1 player, Adolfo Cambiaso (flickr.com/BreakingTravelNews).
Fun Fact:
In Indio, California, where Francisco currently resides with his string of magnificent horses, both polo clubs clear out all the horses and make way for the annual Coachella music festival. If you plan on attending Coachella next month, just a few weeks before the festival hundreds of horses and people will be on the exact same fields, enjoying and admiring the polo ponies during matches. Additionally, the winter season for polo in Indio runs from December to the end of March.
Speaking of Indio…
Eldorado Polo Club in Indio hosts Closing Day festivities on April 3rd, with final matches, played at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. If you’re interested in driving or flying out for closing day, look for hotels/AirBnBs/Couchsurfing in Indio, La Quinta, or Thermal. Palm Springs is quite a distance from the polo clubs, even though the whole area tends to be called “Palm Desert”.
I tend to get the cheapest accommodations available so I have more breathing room for as much polo as I can afford for the weekend. Don’t spend it all on sleeping—save your money for when you’re awake. Unconscious spending is foolish, amirite?
Though the games begin at 12:00 p.m. on the main field, at 8:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays the best game of the day commences: The PeeWee League. Little itty bitty teacup humans riding the calmest and most docile of all polo ponies reach down and swing at the ball. Some of the kids are only four… and they look awesome. It’s the most entertaining part of the day.
Empire Polo Club’s Closing Day entertainment and matches will be on April 3rd in Indio as well. Both clubs have a social scene, from casual to glam, so wear what you want. The clubs also have an active nightlife with three bars and restaurants right on their properties: Roc’s FireHouse Cantina at Eldorado Polo Club, and the Date Shed and Tack Room Tavern at Empire. Food and drink are in abundance, as well as handsome, dashing, and highly personable polo players of all abilities. You’ll know the players (they’ll be wearing the filthy dirty white pants).
The good news?
If you miss Closing Day at a club near you, it’s possible an OPENING DAY is right around the corner. Many clubs who play arena polo can play year-round, so take a look!
And finally…
Francisco has a special message for all of you potential polo lovers:
