SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – According to the Sarasota Polo Club, Sarasota is one of the main locations for winter polo in America, drawing people from all over the world.
By the time the season ends on April 30 they’ll have seen as many as 50,000 people visit their grounds.
Mason Rowe is one of many who relocates to Sarasota for the winter polo season. While many would think the drive from his hometown of Houston, Texas would be a long haul, it’s actually fairly close compared to some of his buddies who play alongside him.
“We have Mexican players, players from Brazil, Colombia, Chile, South Africa. One of our regular players, Stuart Campbell, is South African. We have players from all walks of life, from all over the country, different backgrounds. That’s what makes it special,” said Rowe
According to Rowe, it’s fairly common to see South Americans playing the sport.
“The South American countries like Argentina—that’s where it’s probably the biggest in the world,” he said.
Paige Lautzenheiser is an avid polo player. She also emphasized the amount of South Americans she competes against in the sport. However, rather than see the other countries as competition, she said she loves learning about their cultures.
“A lot of the Argentine kids grow up being around horses and will become grooms, or players, or whatever themselves. We have a really fun group of people who live in the club, work in the club, or travel to the club for the season,” said Lautzenheiser.
For more information on the Sarasota Polo Club, you can visit their website here.