Flaco Maldonado does not come from a polo playing family but he does come from a polo playing country. Growing up in the Dominican Republic, he watched the sport with his two sisters and his brother, but it was only Flaco who went on to make a career out of the sport.

He came to the United States to groom and went on to play professionally, starting his career at Meadowbrook Polo Club. One of his best moments playing polo came in 1995 when playing alongside Carlos Gracida in a 26-goal warm up for the US Open against the eventual tournament champions, Outback led by Memo Gracida. “It was the best game of my life,” Flaco said.

The time of his life came in an unexpected chance to play Arena Polo. He and (fellow umpire) Cristian Vasquez, were drafted in to play on a team participating in the Easter Arena Open. Flaco had never set foot in the arena before. “We didn’t know the rules,” he said. “I remember David Rizzo telling the patron that we were going to get killed.”

Instead, they went on to win. “We were maybe 11-goals,” he remembers. “And we had to play at 14-goals against 18-goal teams. “That was the most fun I’ve had in my life.”