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The Gladiators are coming! Each Gladiator Spotlight will feature one of the players who will be competing during Gladiator Polo™ presented by Coca-Cola on September 9th at the Tryon International Equestrian Center! Meet one of our Gladiators, Patrick Uretz, who will play for Team Asheville presented by Ingles.
Q: Where are you from originally?
A: I am originally from Malibu, California and I am located in Santa Barbara, California right now.
Q: When did you start playing polo?
A: I have been playing since I was really young. Both of my parents played so I was kind of tossed on the horse. I think I played the first kids tournament when I was 3 or 4 years old. They threw me on the ponies and said go for it!
Q: Who is your favorite polo pony and why?
A: Yes, her name is Hi-Lita. Her mom’s name was Highlight, and her baby’s name was Hi-Lita! We as a bunch of brothers trained her, and she was my best horse for a while. She’s older now, but she’s our favorite thats for sure.
Q: Where is your favorite place to play polo?
A: Santa Barbara, CA. It is a good place to be.
Q: Have you ever played arena polo before?
A: I actually played in college at Westmont where we won two National Championships. So I have a lot of experience with arena polo!
Q: What is the difference between field polo and arena polo?
A: I think arena is a lot quicker. There are short plays, and it has a lot more to do with strategy. It is such a close space and the transitions happen so much faster. The pace of play changes, and it is not as necessarily fast because the horses can not get up to full speed, but there are so many transitions that it becomes a very different game. You also can not run past the goal like you can in field polo, so you have to start slowing down before you get to the goal.
Q: What are you most excited about for Gladiator Polo?
A: The ring at Tryon looks awesome! I think it will be a lot of fun. I’m excited to play in the bigger arena. I’m also really excited to play with some high rated players in this arena game. You have college, but this is more like a pro level. It is more of a competitive atmosphere, and I think it will be a lot of fun.
Q: What’s your favorite drink?
A: Arnold Palmer.
Q: What song/playlist are you currently listening to on your iPhone?
A: Matoma. He’s a DJ.
Q: If you didn’t play polo what would you do instead for fun?
A: I like to play golf a lot, surf, go to concerts and festivals if I can. It’s tough because everything is focused around horses. I like going to the race track a lot. I will go to Santa Anita or Del Mar, which are only about two hours away.
Q: Who is your favorite superhero?
A: Superman! He’s a classic.
Q: Favorite dessert?
A: I kind of just look at the menu and see what looks best! But if I had to pick I would pick a banana split.
Gladiator Polo™ Returns to #TIEC September 2017!
Schedule – $120,000 Battle for the Carolinas Fall Series
Saturday, September 9th: Battle for North Carolina – Charlotte vs. Asheville
Saturday, September 16th: Battle for South Carolina – Greenville vs. Spartanburg
Saturday, September 30th: Battle for the Carolinas Championship – NC vs. SC
To see more photos from the June 24th Gladiator Polo™ match presented by Coca-Cola, click here.
To read about the game and the more than 10,000 fans that attended the match, click here.
Want to see the BRAND NEW promo video? Click here.
Like the official Gladiator Polo™ Facebook page here.
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