64
hurlinghampolo.com
G L A D I A T O R P O L O , T R Y O N I N T E R N A T I O N A L E Q U E S T R I A N C E N T E R , N O R T H C A R O L I N A , U S A , J U N E - S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7
A C T I O N
Mark Bellissimo is the founder, managing
partner and largest shareholder of a series
of equestrian-related entities that are
focused on creating sport, entertainment
and commerce centered around his love
of horses. His recent purchase of the
International Polo Club in Wellington,
Florida put polo firmly in his sights.
Building on the success of his horse-
show properties, Bellissimo has honed in
on the arena game. With just three players
on a side and an all-weather playing arena
about one-tenth the size of a regulation polo
field, Bellissimo’s creation, Gladiator Polo,
drops the action into the lap of the spectator.
The game is fast, physical and displays both
expert equestrian skills and the ability to hit
the ball with a 52-inch wooden mallet while
travelling at speeds of over 35mph.
Gladiator Polo debuted in Wellington,
Florida in winter this year and offered
a US$250,000 purse, the largest in the
history of the game of polo. In June,
Gladiator Polo made its first appearance
at Bellissimo’s Tryon International
Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North
Carolina, where it attracted over 10,000
spectators. The crowd watched Greenville
edge a win over Charlotte, 6–5, in a spirited
and fast-moving six-chukka match.
‘I’ve never played in front of a crowd that
big before,’ said Greenville 7-goaler Mariano
Obregón. ‘Everyone was cheering so loudly
and it was just a great experience.’
The popularity of Gladiator Polo
prompted a US$120,000 autumn series of
three more games at the North Carolina
equestrian facility. And with plans to create
a professional league to include a draft,
team owners and significant purses, the
sky appears to be the limit for Bellissimo’s
Gladiator Polo franchise.
Charlotte and Greenville compete in the
inaugural Gladiator Polo game at Tryon
International Equestrian Centre
G L A D I A T O R P O L O
Since its inaugural match in January 2017, the popularity of this new arena
sport has continued to grow, drawing record crowds, reports Alex Webbe
USPA
