96 SIDELINES APRIL 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Nic, right, is a JustWorld Ambassador, and took part in the
JustWorld 11th Annual Gala along with, from the left: Brandon
Phillips, Mary Ann Simonds, Kris Kampsen and Jessica
Newman.
Photo by Jeroboam Media
Nic was the youngest player to ever win the U.S. Open at just 15
years of age.
board.
“It’s my second year as an ambassador now and it has been a
great opportunity to be a part of such a committed and passionate
organization. It opens up your eyes to the things you usually don’t
see in the real world,” said Nic.
As part of the organization, Nic has helped in their annual gala
by taking to the stage auctioning off polo lessons and dinner
with teammates, Brandon Phillips and Kris Kampsen, raising
over $25,000 to further their mission. With his ambitions never
dwindling, he is already looking for more ways to aid the non-profit
organization.
“Brandon and myself are going to do a trip to Guatemala or
Honduras in March or April, to go and visit the areas that are
impoverished and see what is going on,” explained Nic. “We’ve
done a lot of work here and raised a lot of money trying to do as
much charitable work as we can, but the eye opener is outside
of the United States. When we actually visit one of the areas and
are able to interact with the kids, you see everything through new
eyes.”
He went on to describe what the two professionals would like
to accomplish while on their trip. “We would like to try to do a
bike polo tournament with the kids; include what we do and what
the kids can do in a more feasible form. I’m looking forward to it.
PoloGear has graciously agreed to donate bike mallets and balls
for the tournament and it should be a lot of fun.”
As an ambassador for JustWorld, Nic has been able to use
his talents and career to create a larger awareness about the
organization. He has been able to expand the non-profit into the
equine polo community and share its mission with more people.
His work with PoloGear has also been beneficial, as the company
works hand-in-hand with JustWorld.
In the 1990s, Polo Gear was rivaled as the face of equestrian
apparel for polo. When founder Gary Fellers suffered from a life
threatening polo injury in 2003 he had to take about seven years
to focus on his health and recovery, but the company has returned
to the equestrian scene with a new vitality, finding its niche across
all disciplines, as well as abroad, with Nic spearheading its
rebranding.
“I work with PoloGear as much as possible, trying to rebrand the
company, bring in new clothing lines, integrate new technologies
into equipment and develop a more modern feel,” described Nic.
The Verhan Nic Roldan Elite Free Shoulder Saddle™ became
the start of an empire. Nic fueled the desire for a saddle that would
alleviate pressure from the horse’s shoulders andworked alongside
Argentinean veterinarian and chiropractor, Carlos Cortelezzi,
various other veterinarians, saddle makers and equestrians
Glen and Kelly Senk to design the Free Shoulder technology.
“Coming up with this idea has helped a lot,” Roldan said of
the saddle. “It is a more expensive saddle but it is going to
last longer and the horses are going to be happier. It has
taken time for people to understand its importance, but it
has been doing well and its popularity is only growing.”
The Free Shoulder Saddle technology has helped horses to
avoid the risk of bursitis, chiropractic misalignment, inversion and
atrophy of the top line muscles, not to mention the diminishing
veterinary bills with healthier horses and less injuries. The
technology does not only exist in the realm of polo, but also for
dressage and show jumping.
“The Free Shoulder Saddle eliminates pressure off of the
horse’s shoulders, increasing its mobility. It is a strong concept
that allows the horses to avoid injury and recoup more easily,” Nic
explained. “This saddle is not only for polo, it is for also designed
specifically for jumping and dressage, too. Our saddles have been
the same for the last 150 years, but technology is changing and
we have put the effort into bettering the saddle.”
“PoloGear’s efforts on saddles are continuing to expand,”
Nic commented. “We are licensing our brand globally, we have
purchased the Verhan® Saddlery and recently merged with
the Trilogy® saddle company. Debbie Witty, the founder of
Trilogy and Performance Saddlery, remains as President of the
Performance Saddlery division of PoloGear. Debbie brings an
incredible reputation and level of expertise and a national force
of saddle fitters to support all the saddles. This adds a whole new
dimension to polo saddle support.”
In between donating his time to JustWorld, working with
PoloGear and playing on the polo field, Nic has also been helping
his mom launch their own interior design company, Roldan
Designs, which buys and re-sells houses. “It’s a big passion I
have. I have always loved architecture and interior design. I am
starting to get more into it working alongside my mom. What used
to be a hobby in the beginning is now growing into a business,”
remarked Nic.
All of these ventures are keeping the 31-year-old busy but
he never loses sight of setting an example for the rest of the
equestrian community. “I think it is a great opportunity to create
a bit of awareness by giving back and doing charitable work with
nonprofit organizations,” Nic concluded. “I’ve always been a fan of
giving back, especially these days when so much is about taking.
We should feel lucky to have what we have, and I feel like if we
can share what we have with the less fortunate, then that is great.”
All photos by Juan Lamarca/www.studiorepublica.com, unless noted otherwise
