If you already play polo in Buenos Aires, you will know this.

If you are lucky enough to read my various blogs and articles about playing polo in Buenos Aires, you may already have been lucky enough to get my personal recommendation to my own ‘Aston Martin’ on the Buenos Aires polo scene.

The Giannico family is a working polo family based at Santa Maria de Lobos Polo Ranch. The most beautiful polo club in Buenos Aires; the scenery is incredible, the club has the Culu Culu lagoon and nature reserve as its natural boundary.

Polo is hard graft and to play polo professionally, teach polo and breed the highest quality polo ponies is a 24/7 vocation.

If you are new to polo or a tourist who aspires to play polo whilst visiting Buenos Aires, ask yourself, do you want to ‘test drive a Ford Motor Car or an Aston Martin’?

I am serious, it is so very important that experienced polo players and the new enthusiasts alike, can compete with the best and find polo tuition from professional polo players who provide quality polo ponies and safe equipment.

Going back to my earlier analogy, it is the difference between choosing a run-about from the Ford Motor Company or a high performance Aston Martin.

Polo is not a cheap sport, but polo is more reasonably priced in Argentina, as opposed to Great Britain or the United States of America.

Cheaper polo and so-called polo tours in Buenos Aires, is so often about mediocre local club players, poor quality polo nags, poor equipment and poorer tuition, which fall too short of assuring both your safety and enjoyment.

Like the tango, Buenos Aires is the home of professional polo playing, but it’s actually quite difficult to find high quality stick and ball practice and chukkas with three to five goal professionals and high quality polo ponies.  So please, when considering polo, take your time and conduct your research or you may be wasting your money.

Believe me when I say, it’s even more difficult is to find reliable and well organized polo people in a first class club that delivers the highest quality service at a fixed price.

If you are new to polo in Buenos Aires – you need quality polo school / clinic or tuition; you need high quality and safe equipment; you need quality polo ponies; and, you need an experienced well-run polo club with excellent polo fields and facilities – you should start out your Buenos Aires polo experience with the best of the best.

You may find that some clubs or polo schools / clinics charge for each of the components mentioned above, so make sure that you ask for the final price for accommodation and polo, so you can compare apples with apples.

I have found that there are always extras to pay at most clubs, it’s bloody annoying and dare I say it, my experience in Argentina has taught me that there is always someone trying to chisel a few extra bucks.

The Giannico family (in my modest opinion) gets it 99% right where most clubs get it quite wrong.

Alfonso Giannico and his family make getting right their business and your days spent on the greens will seem almost effortless and well organized – polo with Alfonso and his boys is a lot of fun.

Why is polo with the Giannico family different?

I believe the Giannico family have strong values and their merging of two cultures – United States (formidable polo mum) Cindy Giannico meets Argentina (formidable professional polo playing dad) Alfonso Giannico and their two sons Sterling (18) and Remington (20), who both play a mean three goal game of polo – has given them the edge, the boys are about hard work ethic and mum, well she looks after everyone and her eye for detail and American consciousness for service gives them a well-earned edge over the competition.

Two generations of polo players in one family team with mum always on the sideline looking after everyone means that young or old, you will find camaraderie, learn great polo from some of the best and everyone tends to fit into their group somewhere.

The Giannico’s are truly happy playing polo on the international circuit or teaching new enthusiasts who might never have even sat on a horse, let alone a polo pony!

Meet an atypical polo family in Buenos Aires!

Alfonso Rubén Giannico

Alfonso Giannico is a former five-goal professional polo player and present day instructor/consultant with 30 years of experience within the sport. Alfonso Giannico has worked amongst some of the most successful of his time particularly past time ten-goaler Daniel Gonzalez, and 1993 US Open Polo Patron: Ambassador Glen Holden. His current Polo operation is located in Santa María de Lobos, South Buenos Aires most exclusive polo ranch located only 100km from the city of Buenos Aires where he teaches clinics and private lessons. Alfonso also shares a passion for the equine side of the sport and this year has started an embryonic breeding program. When it comes to instructing and consulting for polo, Alfonso is a natural thanks to his enormous amount of patience, precision and instinctive experience with horses. His advice is simply a premium.

Cynthia Giannico

Cynthia, Alfonso’s wife is a loving polo mother who has been on the sideline since the day they met. She is the mother of two successful polo players: Remington & Sterling who are both currently rated at three goals. She is the ideal mother to have at the side of your children’s games while one is out doing other things. Cynthia makes sure they’ve been fed lunch, have the appropriate safety gear on, and in case of any emergencies to have someone to rely on. In addition, she also understands that being the other half of a relationship with a polo player can be a little lonely at times – Cynthia entertains non-polo-playing guests with lunch, shopping trips, tours of Buenos Aires city and of course, there’s always time to stop for a nice glass of white wine.

Sterling Giannico

Sterling has been naturally inclined to polo since he was a toddler and has traveled all over the world thanks playing tournaments throughout his formative years. Currently rated at three goals when it comes to the most prestigious youth tournaments in Argentina, he’s won them all; he has played in Palermo, or in the official Association Polo Club. He’s played in Europe and some of the most exotic countries as Dubai. Thrilling, speed driven games are just a practice for young Sterling and he is a great mix for teaching youth polo.

Remington Giannico

His first time on a polo pony was thanks to his father taking him on his first ride at two weeks of age. Polo has surrounded Remington his whole life. And thanks to this luxurious sport, Remington has so far been able to achieve a three-goal polo handicap and also had the chance to play in some of the most prestigious playing grounds in Argentina such as Palermo at side his dad’s side. Before moving full time to Argentina, Remington has represented the USA in youth tournaments in United Kingdom, such as Hurtwood, South Dourset, Frampton, and Tonton.

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It is with great pleasure that we add Palmita Mendez to the Buenos Aires Experience team of expert guides to ensure that our clients get a first class Buenos Aires Polo Experience….

My name is Palmita Mendez, I was born in Mexico but I’m currently residing in Argentina.  I first came to Buenos Aires to work in 2004 and the beauty of Buenos Aires city and the warmth of my many Argentine friends immediately captured my heart.  Buenos Aires is a fascinating city of amazing diversity and culture, and so I decided to make of Buenos Aires my home.

I studied gastronomy at the Instituto Argentino de Gastronomia, History of Art at the Fine Arts Museum, languages at the Goethe Institute and Alliance Francaise.

I already had so many reasons to love Buenos Aires and Argentina, but in September 2009, I found my real passion in life, and that passion fast became the most important reasons I now reside in Argentina: Polo.

In September 2009, I accepted an invitation from a close friend to watch a Polo game and to take a polo lesson.  I had no horseback riding skills and so I thought the experience was just another to ‘chalk-up’ and add to my cultural knowledge of Argentina, but to my surprise, I loved it!

Just one polo lesson with the right polo people was enough for me to fall in love with polo.

I can try to describe Polo with words but you only feel the exhilaration and that addictive buzz of adrenalin when you actually play polo – I have invited many of my friends to play polo and guess what, polo is a common addiction!

If you consider Polo a sport for traditional polo families or the landed gentry then think again or that you can only play polo if you have already good horseback riding skills, then think again – I have found that polo is for everybody – for every level, women and men.

Of course, if you ride horses well before you start your polo lessons you then have an important advantage but believe me when I say that you can start anytime and at any age!  In addition, polo in Argentina is very affordable and most visitors to Argentina are pleasantly surprised how little my day polo tours, weekend polo school and weekly polo clinics actually cost – please ask me for a quote…

I have always loved sports; I played tennis all my life; I love skiing; I play golf, but I never experienced anything like polo!  Polo is the most beautiful sport that I have ever played and I cannot enthuse or recommend polo enough to any sports minded girl or guy.

Polo has its own culture, camaraderie with many intrinsic values such as friendship, courtesy, beauty, honesty, elegance and simplicity, and of course that long and powerful connection that humans have with one of gods most beautiful and majestic  beasts, the horse. If you couple the culture and being at one with nature with great doses of adrenaline that pump through your veins, you begin to get my picture!

I’m absolutely in love with polo, but I have found it is critically important to start your training (polo school) with the right polo instructors to get the best out of the game and ensure you play safe and well.

I was very lucky to start with great polo coaches, not only for their technique but also for their charisma. A true, noble, joyful, honest polo family introduced me to Polo.  Simple gentlefolk that made me feel welcome at all times.

I am so grateful to the people that introduced me to polo and allowed me to be part of their lives. Actually, a traditional polo family first opened the door to me and to many others who now practice this sport. They have played polo for generations and enjoy sharing their enormous knowledge of the game.

I have been so lucky and therefore it is customary for Central Americans to share their luck!  If you would like to try this amazing sport, I am very happy to arrange day tours for polo lessons close to Buenos Aires city, Polo weekends and or weekly polo clinics.

It is with great pleasure that I collaborate with my polo friends and enthusiast at Buenos Aires Stay and Buenos Aires Experience to provide visitors to Buenos Aires with amazing low-cost accommodation and some the very best polo instructors in the world – I kid you not!

Polo changed my life in many ways.  The people, the places and the game have taught me many things about life and the way I want to live my own.  I have met many interesting people from around the world through polo and they all have left with me some of the greatest memories so far, even when just sharing the field for chukkas (all 7 minutes!).

Many of the people that I have met through polo became my closest friends and my favorite people. The simplicity of the terrain and the infinite skyline are all part of an invitation to live your life freely. The game teaches us the necessities of the team play and the true grit and determination that help redefine your personality – the battle on the polo field that shows you at your best… I have also learned about the beauty of a simple life, because as glamorous as polo may seem it is actually the simplicity and connection to nature that makes it all so worthwhile.

Today my goal is to become a good polo player, to have my own women´s team to go around the world playing polo and to invite new people to join this popular sport – especially women. I want to promote polo for its beauty and to teach the fine polo and values that I have learned.

Given my experience and how much it has changed my life, I extend my invitation to everybody who arrives in Buenos Aires – please do not leave Buenos Aires without first trying this wonderful sport – whatever your budget, I will endeavor to ensure that everyone who contacts me finds their way onto a polo field.

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