86 SIDELINES APRIL 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Lauren R. Giannini
Photos by Barbara Bower, unless otherwise noted
M
artin Pepa found his true calling with horses
and polo while growing up in Argentina on a
farm near the small town where the legendary
Heguy polo family
originated.
Unlike
many of his countrymen, Martin didn’t have family
backup for his chosen lifestyle. In fact, when he
announced that he wanted to play polo instead
of going to college, his parents were less than
thrilled.
“My father said to me, ‘You want to
work, give me your credit cards and
go work.’ My parents were done
supporting me because I didn’t want to
study,” said Martin. “My father bought
me my first mallet and my first horses
and said, ‘Now, you move forward.’ I’m
proud that I did it all by myself.”
This is not the usual tale of support
and encouragement from a player’s polo-
crazy family, but Martin has a wonderful attitude.
“Money is good, but I’m pretty happy the way I am,”
he said. “I have been helped. For me to go and
work hard has been very good for me. I left my
country a long time ago. I grew up playing polo, but
I never had the chance to play with good horses
and with good grooms until I came to the United
States in 1999. The first few years I was managing
a team.”
e
Polo
Martin Pepa: Polo’s Sweetheart
