Martin Ezequiel Pascual’s polo journey has taken him to many iconic venues including playing in the Olympic polo stadium in Berlin and umpiring on the hallowed turf of Palermo for the Argentine Open.

He started playing polo around the age of 7 at about the same time his father took up the sport at the age of 35. Upon leaving high school, Martin embarked on a polo playing career that took shape in Europe - Germany first, then Holland, Belgium, England and Ireland.

“I was playing in Germany not long after the Berlin Wall came down,” said Martin. “It was all so new for a lot of people. It was interesting to be there and experience the changes taking place in the country.”

He switched from playing to umpiring when asked by the Argentine Polo Association to join their pioneering professional umpire program that had been running since the mid-1990s. After deliberating, Martin took up the umpire whistle and has since become a regular official of the high goal season in Argentina as well as umpiring the leading US tournaments of the Florida winter.

Taking the field at Palermo for the first time he says was “Amazing. Not everybody can make it there as a player so being on the field with those players - right next to them, watching what they are doing and listening to what they are saying - it was a big thing for me.”

Fitness is everything.” If your body gets tired, your brain gets tired,” Martin says, “I don’t think I’ve had to be that focused playing polo. You’re thinking of one thing playing and with umpiring you have to have your peripheral view; you have to see everything.”