Wellington Community Remembers Polo Legend Carlos Gracida Story by Lauren Miró • Photos by Sheryel Aschfort
Remembered as an affable and well-respected man with a smile for all who crossed his path, Carlos Gracida helped change the face of polo with his speed, grace and precision on the field. In late February, the polo world was shocked at the death of one of its legends. Gracida died Tuesday, Feb. 25 after falling from his horse during a match at the Everglades Polo Club. He was 53. But the legacy he left on polo, not only in Wellington, but also across the globe, continues to live on. Gracida is survived by his sons, Carlos Jr. and Mariano Gracida, both to whom he passed on his love for the sport. “In the simplest terms, he was a polo great,” said John Wash, president of the International Polo Club Palm Beach. “He was what polo is all about.” Born Sept. 5, 1960 in Mexico City, Gracida joined a dynasty of polo players with a long legacy of making a mark on the sport. His grandfather, Gabriel Gracida Sr., was a well-known horseman in Mexico. His father, Guillermo Gracida Sr., was a polo legend in his own right. In 1946, Gracida’s father and three uncles took the U.S. Open Polo Championship, marking the only time the prestigious title has been won by four brothers. Carlos Gracida followed in his family’s footsteps, taking up polo at the age of five and competing in tournaments by the age of 10. By 1985 — at age 25 — he had achieved a 10-goal rating, the highest level a polo player can aspire to. He kept the top handicap for more than 15 years, winning tournaments across the world with his older brother, Guillermo “Memo” Gracida Jr. The brothers were an indomitable force on the field. Gracida’s accomplishments in polo bolstered him to legendary status. He won numerous major U.S. tournaments, dominating the U.S. Open nine times. His international wins are just as prestigious and numerous. He won the British Open Gold Cup 10 times — more than any other player in the world. “What was so unique about Carlos was that he won every major tournament in the world,” recalled Tackeria owner Tony Coppola, a well-known polo announcer and friend to the Gracida family. “Sometimes in the same year.” Indeed, Gracida remains the only player to have won the American, Argentine and British open championships in a 40
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single year. He first won this honor in 1987, repeating his wins in 1988 and 1994. “Those are the most important tournaments in the world,” Coppola said. “It’s something no one has done since.” Gracida is also the only non-Argentine polo player to win the Argentine Open more than three times in his career. “He didn’t just win three times,” Coppola said. “He won it five times.” He also earned the “Olimpia de Plata,” Argentina’s Most Valuable Player Award, in 1988, making him the only foreign player ever to do so. In 1994, Gracida picked up the Argentine Triple Crown, winning the country’s three most prestigious tournaments. In England, Gracida was rated at 9 goals and was known as Queen Elizabeth’s favorite professional player. He was an instructor for numerous celebrities and royalty, including Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry. Gracida’s success in polo came during the sport’s “golden years” in America, IPC Director of Polo Operations Jimmy Newman said. “Polo in the U.S. got a lot better right at the time Carlos began playing,” Newman said. “He and his brother moved up the ranks, and they did it pretty doggone quick.” Newman said he’ll remember Gracida for his playing style: swift but graceful. “He had such a way with the game,” Newman said. “When he was on a horse, he looked like he was floating when he got the ball. He was very smooth and very fast. The game got a lot faster in the 1980s than it was in the 1970s, and I think Carlos can get some of the credit for making polo a faster and better game.” Wash agreed, calling Gracida a “true athlete.” “They say Carlos was like an artist out there as a polo player,” he said. “His horses were his palette, and the polo field was his canvas. He was just a true athlete who achieved many accomplishments here in Wellington, but also worldwide.” For his legendary status in the polo world, friends and family say you would never have known Gracida was a polo icon. “He was truly an icon in his sport, yet he never blew his own horn,” Coppola said. “He never had an arrogance about him