Rider Profile: Camila Lastrilla
creator of Praderas Polo and MANAGER OF Globalport Polo tournament
tells us how she lives, breathes and sleeps dreaming of polo
I have been riding for over 17 years but truly fell in love with polo in 2019. I owe it all to my trainer and partner, Nicolas Curto, 4 goaler & the coach of the Indonesian National Team. Before converting to polo, I was a seasoned show jumper representing the Philippines in international competitions - one of which was the 2013 SEA Games. In 2018, I got a call from a good friend, Tonio Veloso, an accomplished Filipino Polo Player. He offered me a position as competition manager of the 2019 SEA Games Polo Event which, little did I know at the time, would change my life forever. Today, I can say that the most important part of my polo history was successfully organizing one of the biggest international polo events in Asia - an FIP sanctioned 2 division event spanning 2 venues; hosting over 50 athletes and 200 horses.
My dream in polo is to use my experiences to grow the sport wherever and whenever I can. I hope to be able to organize more big polo tournaments, develop training programs and grow women’s polo all over Asia. I aim to grow my brand, Praderas Polo, to be the complete polo solution that bridges Argentina to Asia. If it’s in the stars, I dream to play a tournament or two in Argentina with Nico. I hope to honor a handicap soon because as Winston Churchill once said, “a polo handicap is a passport to the world.”
After getting on a polo pony, I realized that the more natural you allow the horse to move, the more their performance increases. I'm not saying that polo is better than equestrian in that sense, but rather the way of riding that puts emphasis on each horse's natural way of moving. In polo, you see some horses naturally collect themselves and others that prefer moving with their necks stretched out. There's no force involved to "collect" each and every horse. There is great respect to allow the horse to settle into their most comfortable form in order to perform at their best.
When we were not playing polo, Nico and I spent our time bringing to life our new passion - a polo brand called Praderas Polo. We are passionate about creating exceptional polo equipment inspired by our experiences from playing polo around the world. Praderas Polo is a complete polo solutions company providing everything from saddles, bits, gloves, boots, boinas, mates and more. We built a unique and diverse team of talented individuals from Argentina all the way to the Philippines. Our goal is to highlight the traditions of polo in Argentina and translate that to a language that can be spoken by all.
Praderas Polo is more than just a polo equipment company. We have been working hard since we first started to evolve from being just a polo equipment company. Everything you need from equipment, polo horse sourcing, importation assistance, events management, polo trips around the world, and spending your summer playing in the heart of polo in Argentina - we are your polo solution!
We aren’t new to this either. We have actually been providing all of the above services for years now but time and commitment to pull everything together under one company. My partner’s late father, Gabriel Curto (most fondly known all over Argentina as “Gordo Curto”) was one of the pioneers in moving horses to Asia. In fact, he worked with the Heguy family to source and export polo ponies all over Together with Nico, Gabriel started polo in Indonesia by bringing polo ponies from Argentina - ponies he bred that are still being played today. One of our goals is to keep his legacy alive by giving you the best of the best - in ponies, tack, polo events, trips and everything polo.
With Praderas Polo, I support artisans who create majority of our polo equipments. I found it beautiful that the tack used in polo hasn’t changed much in the last 100 years. Most of the equipment used today has been upgraded in terms of quality in materials but has retained the same traditional style. I was inspired to create a brand that took this traditional style while optimizing the performance of both the horse and rider. To do something this specific, you need artisans and craftsmen who share the same vision.
I am currently the tournament manager for Globalport Polo in the Philippines and Nusantara Polo Club in Indonesia. I believe that Philippine polo has the potential to be the greatest in Asia. We have active 4-goalers, such as PH National Team Athlete Augustus Aguirre who competes regularly in Australia. We have athletes playing in America, Europe and all over Asia throughout the year. I believe that if we also send a regular contingent to train in Argentina, Philippine polo can be one of the most competitive in the world.
We are looking forward to welcoming professionals from Argentina, England, Indonesia and Thailand for this polo season. Organizing one of the biggest polo tournaments in the Philippines and Asia was the greatest fulfilling role I have ever played in my life. I came from an equestrian background with an education in Equine Science. Event organizing was new to me but a welcome challenge nonetheless. To name a few of those challenges, I was tasked with arranging the transportation of over 200 horses, leading a team 100 people and organizing an event that would host hundreds of spectators from all over the region.
The idea to host polo at the 2019 SEA Games was first brought up by Mikee Romero, owner of one of the tournament venues, the Miguel Romero Polo Field. Mikee made history for Philippine Polo. Hosting a 2-division event with a high and low goal tournament had never been done in any SEA Games before. Together with the entire Philippine polo community, we formed the Philippine National Federation of Polo Players (PNFPP), the first Federation of International Polo or FIP-sanctioned sports authority in the country founded by Mikee Romero, Butch Albert, Greggy Araneta, Los Tamaraos’ Bobby Aguirre and Hacienda Bigaa’s Iñigo Zobel.
Our team organized everything from venue management, athletes services, event organization, tournament coordination and more. My key role as competitor manager was working side-by-side with FIP Officials John Fischer, Peter Abisheganaden and Daniel Boudou, to name a few. My core responsibility was to ensure that the venue was up to FIP Olympic standard - down to the last inch of chalk on the field of play. On the days of the 14-day long tournament, I held 2 radio sets which I used to organize the playing field, manage umpires and stewards, call medical teams on to the field, supervise security for many very important persons (one of which was the Sultan of Brunei), and keep score of one game while preparing for the next. Perhaps we were short on hands but even when Typhoon Kamurri ripped through the middle of the tournament, we managed to finish on time bagging both the silver and bronze medals for the Philippines.
Not only did organizing this tournament bring great honor to my country, but also it also gave me unforgettable experiences, enduring grit and a lifetime of friendships.
CAMILA LASTRILLA WITH MIKEE ROMERO
HAZEL JACKSON
LIA SALVO
Hazel Jackson and Lia Salvo are the best 10-goaler female polo players in the world. As an equestrian convert, I truly enjoy watching riders that are natural with soft hands. In my opinion, an excellent polo player shines when their polo pony enjoys the sport. Horses are naturally herd animals. They run round, bumping each other for fun - which is exactly what they do in polo. If a rider can emulate that natural behavior while playing the sport of polo, you have a seamless combination of natural horsepower and human skill. Watching these two girls play is a joy.
The Palermo Polo is my most watched tournament for sure! The top polo players in the world on the top horses play in the final leg of the triple crown every year. It is a stunning event in the heart of Buenos Aires.
At the beginning of the COVID lockdown, I was stranded in Calatagan with Indonesian National Team Coach & 4-goaler Nico Curto, Philippine National Team Coach & 5-goaler Anthony García, 3-goaler Pedro Manion, Philippine Team Athlete Noel Vecinal, Andrea Del Rosario, and Ines Girelli. I wasn’t complaining. We spent most of our time playing chukkers at the Miguel Romero Polo Field.
Since the 2019 SEA Games, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to play in Miguel Romero Polo Field and Los Tamaraos in the Philippines; VS Sports Club, Siam Polo Park and Polo Escape in Thailand; and Nusantara Polo Club in Indonesia. Currently, I am most looking forward to the Nusantara Polo Club’s 2021 polo season in Indonesia.
Follow Camila on @camila.lastrilla
Shop Mallets by Praderas Polo
Keep in touch with IG @ari_equestrian or write to us here
HAPPY RIDER, HAPPY HORSE