Pablo “Polito” Pieres made history as the first player to achieve a 10-goal handicap in the American system since 2003, a distinction that underlines both his exceptional talent and the rarity of what it takes to reach the top of polo in the United States. Born February 28, 1986 in Argentina, Polito holds the maximum 10-goal rating in the USA and a 9-goal rating in Argentina, and he has won both the Argentine Open and the U.S. Open, titles on two continents. Despite sharing the Pieres surname, he is not related to Facundo and Gonzalito Pieres.
What separates Polito from other strong players is his ability to elevate his performance in the matches that matter most. The technical precision is always there, but in finals and elimination games, he finds another gear. That quality, the capacity to peak when the stakes are highest, is what earned him the 10-goal rating in the American system and what makes him a player that opponents dread facing in knockout rounds. In a sport where the difference between winning and losing a final is often a single goal in the last chukker, Polito’s composure under pressure is worth more than any handicap point.
In the 2026 American season, Polito plays for Coca-Cola at the USPA National Polo Center in Wellington, Florida, competing in the C.V. Whitney Cup, USPA Gold Cup, and U.S. Open. For the Argentine Triple Crown, he joins Pablo Mac Donough at La Irenita (34-goal total), competing in the Hurlingham Open, Tortugas Open, and Argentine Open at venues across Buenos Aires. The combination of Mac Donough’s record-breaking experience and Polito’s clutch performances gives La Irenita a core that no opponent can take lightly.
At 40 in 2026, Polito follows the dual-season calendar that defines the careers of polo’s elite: Wellington from February through April, the Argentine Triple Crown from September through December, with the months between spent training horses and preparing for the next campaign. The combination of a U.S. Open title and an Argentine Open title confirms his status as a player who can win anywhere the sport is played at its best. Few players hold major titles on both continents.