POLITO PIERES BRINGS HIS STAR POWER BACK TO WELLINGTON THIS SEASON STORY BY MIKE MAY | PHOTOS COURTESY USPA
American-born Argentine polo star Pablo “Polito” Pieres has always led a horse-centric lifestyle. “I started riding horses when I was five or six, and I have been playing professional polo since I was 18, starting in 1997,” Pieres recalled. “I have been coming to Wellington every year since 2010.” Pieres, currently ranked eighth in the World Polo Tour rankings, is like a first-class Argentine wine in that he only gets better with age. His first year with a polo’s rare 10goal handicap was 2015. “I have been at a 9- or 10-goal handicap ever since,” said Pieres, currently listed as a 9-goaler in England and Argentina. Pieres has had a constant presence on Wellington’s polo scene ever since his first arrival in the community. Just last year, Pieres had an impressive series of polo performances in 22 January 2026 | WELLINGTON THE MAGAZINE
Wellington. In early 2025, Pieres, part of the well-known Pieres polo-playing family, was a member of Gillian Johnson’s Coca-Cola team, which made it to the U.S. Open semifinal, the USPA Gold Cup final and C.V. Whitney Cup final. For some polo players, that would have been a career-defining season, but for Pieres, it’s just a sign that he remains one of the best players in the world and will be a force to be reckoned with on Wellington’s polo fields in 2026. Needless to say, he is expected to have another stellar polo season this winter here in Wellington. Time will tell, but don’t bet against him. Pieres’ background is interesting and not conventional, in that he has all the markings of a top Argentine player, but he is currently listed as the world’s top American player. While he grew up and trained in Argentina — where so