Over the weekend of December 17th, the Official Opening of the international La Patrona Polo School took place. The main attractions of the weekend-long event were the exhibition polo match and the gala dinner, hosted on the Gastronomy Center Tierra Tropical, located in the same complex as the Polo Club.
The ceremony was headed by Daniel Peyret, General Director of Tierra Tropical, the group that La Patrona belongs to, who highlighted the importance of this initiative, as thanks to the international polo school, the region will increase its touristic attractive and offer a unique experience in this corner of the Mexican Pacific Ocean. Peyret was accompanied by Iván Echeverría, Gabrielle Weber, Andrea Oberholzer and Ebe Sievwright, the Manager of the Guards Polo Academy that was pleasantly surprised by the club, its top notch facilities and the unique business model that also promotes the social development of the town of San Pancho.
An indoor arena exhibition match took place, in a special field that was recently inaugurated. The players Tatú Gómez Romero, Lucas Di Paola and Sebastian Dawney, played for the La Patrona team; while Rigoberto Gutiérrez, Martín Tassara and Tomás Elliot, played for Tierra Tropical.
Ebe Sievwright: “The last few years has seen tremendous growth in Mexican polo across the Americas – with more than a few notable names circulating on the professional scene. A dearth of new and improved Clubs that , complimenting the country’s natural equine and polo tradition, account for a good portion of this change…
Set in the jungle of Nayarit, on the west coast of Mexico, just a hop away from California, is the magnificent ‘La Patrona’, that embodies this new wave of progress. Set in 20,000 acres of breathtaking natural and wild beauty, it has a state of the art infrastructure and top level amenities that provide a world class polo environment… added to which the region’s polo friendly climate gives it year round accessibility and playability.
La Patrona is a place with an incredible future, directed by professional leaders that possess a unique and all inclusive vision. This consists of a primarily ecological philosophy with preservation and and sustainability programmes. It also includes unique social integration ambitions that makes the project one of a kind globally. This year alone La Patrona has fielded no less than ten home grown players, from the local town of San Pancho – all proficient on the field and yard and equipped with a distinct sense of purpose towards all the necessary skills that compliment the polo experience that La Patrona provides…”
Tomás Elliot: “;;Mexico is a country where the horsemanship culture is widely developed, and to have spots like this one where safety and enjoyment are guaranteed, there are many possibilities that generate the increase of the development of the sport in the region, and as a by-product, the growth of the number of local and foreign tourists that visit us.”
Daniel Peyret: “;;Part of the strengths that the school will count with is the highly qualified staff, that counts with professionals like Tomás Elliot, certified polo instructor and referee, and Sebastian Dawnay, director of the La Patrona School, who not only belongs to a family formed by three generations of highly recognized polo players, but also counts with the certification to coach and direct the school, and prepare and certify referees; fact that guarantees the instruction of the sport through the best techniques”.