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Money and fame, fast horses and good-looking men. Superfcially, the appeal of the “Sport of Kings” is easy to spot among the scenery of Wellington, Florida’s International Polo Club. And it doesn’t take long to spot super-star Nicolas Roldan, a fxture of Florida’s high-goal polo scene and 8 goal professional player. Entering his thirteenth year of competition at IPC, Nic continues to excel both on and off the polo feld as a model, player and ambassador to the sport of polo. Embracing Winston Churchill’s sentiment that “a polo handicap is your passport to the world,” Nic has created international recognition and a distinguished career for himself through the sport he loves. Although he would seem to be a seasoned veteran due to sheer tournament experience, his youthful energy and free spirit breathe refreshing life into a sport viewed by many to be an uptight, “rich man’s game.”

Born in Buenos Aires to professional polo player Raul Roldan, 28-year-old Nicolas exploded onto the American polo scene at the age of 14. The following year, Nic made history as the youngest professional player ever to compete in the coveted United States Open Polo Championship. On that frst attempt, he won. And so began the long line of international awards and tournaments, from representing the United States in the 2009 Westchester Cup against England, to playing with royalty captaining Prince Harry’s team in the 2010 Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic. From South Africa to Argentina to high goal seasons in France and Spain, Nic has traveled to 6 different continents (he hasn’t quite made it to Antarctica to play yet) as a player, Piaget spokesperson and world ambassador for the sport of polo. Expanding beyond his athletic talent on the feld, Nic also signed as a Wihelmina model, gaining more recognition for his beloved sport through spreads in magazines like Vanity Fair and GQ, as well as appearing on E! television’s “Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami.” In an interview with GQ,

The 2011 season for Nic begins in his hometown of Wellington, FLat the International Polo Club PalmBeach. He began the 20 goal series playing with Mt. Brilliant’s polo team, achieving recognition with both a Best Playing Pony award (given to his mare Tulsa) and a Most Valuable Player nod in the fnals of the Ylvisaker Cup, continuing a “hot-streak” that began last summer, winning the East Coast Open in July in Greenwich, Connecticut as captain of Tupungato, followed by the 2010 Silver Cup Championship in Aiken, South Carolina as a member of Orchard Hill, a fnals in which he was also given MVP and Best Playing Pony accolades. As the season progresses, Nic will join Faraway’s 26-goal team in his quest for another United States Open Championship. How does he handle the pressure of the country’s top polo? “When you’re playing at this level, there’s no room for error. You’ve got to be at your best all the time, have a clear head, and strive to be the best you can,.” he says.

Through it all, Nic stays grounded in his love for the animals that make his career possible. “I love the horses. It’s in my blood. They’re 80 percent of the game, so you have to love them to play well. The rush, the adrenaline when you’re going 30 miles per hour with a great animal underneath you…..well, there’s nothing like it.” With such a hectic schedule, Nic credits the staff of caretakers for his string as an “invaluable” part of every day. “They’re the ones that work the magic, that make things happen for me,” he claims. “There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes everyday that people don’t see.”

If the past year is any indication, Nic proves himself as an ideal representation of success both on and off the polo feld, an international ambassador the sport can truly be proud of.

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