Passion for polo
For 13 years now, Jochen Stargardt has dedicated himself to polo with great passion. This traditional discipline is much more than a leisure activity for him – together with his enthusiasm for horse racing, which he discovered in 2019, it forms an integral part of his life.
Jochen Stargardt’s polo club is based on the Holzapfel family’s facility in Schönaich near Stuttgart. There are also his polo ponies, all of which come from his own breeding and complete daily, professionally supervised training during the polo season, which lasts from April to September. This is ensured by a specially hired groom, who has been reliably supporting Jochen in polo for 13 years and takes care of the ponies’ well-being all year round.
On the grounds in Schönaich, which also includes a polo field, weekly club chukkas take place, and polo tournaments are also organized and held. As part of his own polo club, Jochen Stargardt combines dynamism, team spirit and elegance to create a holistic experience that reflects his passion for horses and the sport in a unique way.
Polo is the fastest team sport in the world, i.e. it also needs teammates. For this reason, and in order to meet professional demands for good management, Jochen Stargardt founded the association “El Sur Polo Equipo e.V.”, based in Korb, in November 2014 with like-minded people. The association was entered in the register of associations of the city of Stuttgart on 30.11.2014 under the number 721688.
El Sur Polo
Today, El Sur Polo is the non-profit division of the horse organization and aims to cultivate and promote polo on a broad basis and, beyond that, general youth work. For this purpose, the club members train at the beautiful riding facility of the Holzapfel family in Schönaich, just outside Stuttgart, in a modern training stable with an all-weather gallop track and a practice padolo field.
In the season from April to the end of October, club chukkas usually take place 3 times a week. The training is organized and accompanied by the two Argentine polo coaches. Afterwards, the club members conclude the day with a traditional asado. Of course, club members of El Sur Polo can also be found at national and international polo tournaments in different divisions.
