Francesca is the founder and manager of South Bay Polo Club and South Bay Polo, Inc., a horse care and training operation. Originally from Palo Alto, California, Francesca’s polo career began grooming for local players at the Menlo Polo Club. Francesca went on to attend Cal Poly where she played Intercollegiate polo and expanded her polo knowledge under the tutelage of Erik Wright. After college, she pursued a career in Construction Management, but her passion for polo pulled her away and she began working with Erik Wright in Menlo Park, Indio and Burbank, California. Erik taught her how to run a club, how to teach new and experienced players, and how to fine tune horses for optimal play. She started South Bay Polo Club six years ago and began teaching lessons, hosting clinics, starting South Bay Polo’s Interscholastic Open and Girls teams in 2015, and hosting NYTS Tournaments each year. Francesca has successfully brought outdoor and arena polo to residents of the San Jose and Southern Bay areas.

What has been one of your favorite teaching memories?
“I had a new student start playing last year. He had never been on a horse when he started in March. He was so dedicated to learning the sport, that in August he played in his first zero goal tournament! He even marked the 2 goal pro on the other team for a few plays and was effective. He came off the field on cloud nine and ended up purchasing his first horse by the end of the season! Although he got caught in a few fouls during the games, it was so rewarding to see how much fun he had and how improved he was as a player after just a few short months.”