USPA’S MAN ON A MISSION By Mike May
Every day, we are busy planting seeds of growth, Carlucho Arellano said.
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january 2019 | wellington the magazine
Ripples of change are percolating through the world of American polo, and the epicenter of that change can be found here in Wellington. Carlucho Arellano, the executive director of services for the United States Polo Association (USPA), is focused on making a big and positive impact on polo in the U.S. Arellano is not interested in being a polo dignitary, who appears in photos and is seen at ribbon-cutting ceremonies. Instead, he wants to aggressively expand the polo universe in the U.S., which currently has roughly 5,800 polo players. Arellano has been on the job for almost a year, and he hasn’t stopped promoting, publicizing and playing the sport since he took the position. Of course, it’s also important to realize that Arellano is not an outsider with wild dreams and unrealistic expectations. His life is firmly entrenched in the
sport and has been for years. “I started in the sport by grooming horses and cleaning out stalls,” Arellano said. He was then given a chance to ride and play — and he hasn’t stopped. Arellano was the Intercollegiate Player of the Year in 2000 while a student at the University of Virginia, and he has played several times in the U.S. Open Polo Championships. He remains active in the sport. “I can still play, be competitive, and mix it up,” said the 40-year-old Arellano, who is currently a five-goaler. It’s accurate to say that Arellano can