Pelon Escapite, was a key player for Team Greenville, during the Gladiator Polo™ series at the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC). Team Greenville defeated Team Charlotte in the regular season, then went on to beat Team Spartanburg in the semi-finals, before ultimately falling to Team Asheville in the Gladiator Polo™ Championship.

We caught up with Pelon to see what he thought about the Championship, where he is now, and what he is most excited about with the future of Gladiator Polo™! Gladiator Polo™ will be returning to Florida this winter, so stay tuned for more details!

Pelon Escapite

How do you think your team performed during the Gladiator Polo™ Series and then in the Championship?

My team had great chemistry. Mariano and I have played quite a bit together and Carlucho added a good environment to the team with positive vibes.

What did you think about the arena at Tryon for playing polo?

Arena polo is usually very, very physical and there is a lot of contact, so given that this arena was wider, it made a huge difference for the horses and the polo moving. The footing was also amazing, and again it was just long and wide. It was great for polo overall.

What was your favorite moment at TIEC?

When we are coming out before the chukkers and the crowd goes wild and are yelling, whistling and clapping. That is very special and it shows the people are into the game. It felt great.

Where are you located right now?

I am in Aiken, SC playing down here. I will stay in Aiken and then go to Texas. I will head down to Florida mid-December and we plan to spend Christmas down there.

What are you looking forward to most about Gladiator Polo™ coming to Wellington, FL?

I am looking forward to more teams! We had four up in North Carolina, and they plan to add a lot more for Florida. Having more teams adds more excitement and you can play more players. They are also talking about using a wider arena, so I am looking forward to all of that!

If you could put together a “Dream Team” for Gladiator Polo™, who would you pick?

I love playing with Sebastian Merlos and I would love to play with Mariano Obregon again. But I got my chance to play with a dream team with Carlucho and Mariano, because those guys are warriors.

What do you see for the future with Gladiator Polo™?

I think the way it is going now, it could be nationwide and then maybe even more. Right now I would love to see it be national, because the crowd is into it. Bringing in TV and big sponsorships is amazing for polo, and I think it is possible. You see people who have never seen polo before coming up to us and wanting a signature and they are into it. That is amazing and it’s something I have never seen. It usually takes people a few times to get excited about a player, and the fans loved it at Tryon because it was right there in front of them. You get someone who doesn’t even know polo, and they were coming out to cheer. We had fans there for all three of our games that have nothing to do with horses, and that is really special.