NEWS

Four years—that is how long it took Alison Patricelli to convince her father to buy her first pony. With no family connection to equestrian sports, she forged her path with patience and determination. Now, over 40 years later, Patricelli operates a large farm in Connecticut and simultaneously leads LBL Polo team.

Growing up in Connecticut, Patricelli's passion for horses began at a young age. Her dedication led to the establishment of Folly Farm, a premier hunter/jumper operation in Simsbury, Connecticut. This foundation laid the groundwork for her later ventures into the world of polo. Patricelli’s introduction to polo was gradual. It was not until later in life, after building a successful career as a veterinary surgeon, that she fully embraced the sport. Starting at Yale Polo Club (Bethany, Connecticut) and later at Denver Polo Club (Sedalia, Colorado), Patricelli’s involvement in polo has spanned over a decade, driven by a consistent and passionate commitment.

Forming LBL Polo in 2012, Patricelli's dedication to excellence and strategic partnerships have propelled her team to new heights. Choosing New Bridge Polo & Country Club in Aiken, South Carolina, for its superior fields and high-level tournament polo, Patricelli has created a winning legacy at the club. The recent addition of standout player Ignacio “Nachi” Viana has further strengthened LBL Polo's success, showcasing Patricelli’s enduring love for horses and competitive spirit both on and off the field.

Can you tell us about your background and where you’re from?
“I grew up mostly in Connecticut and started taking riding lessons at 6 years old. No one in my family is into horses so I had to beg for every lesson! From my first riding lesson it took 4 years to convince my parents to buy me a pony, which they bought for $1,600. Over time I became seriously involved in horse showing and when I was 13, I wrote a proposal to my father to buy a local farm that was in foreclosure, bring my trainer there, and turn it into a hunter/jumper farm.

I am very proud to say that over the last 40-plus years, our family farm, Folly Farm in Simsbury, Connecticut, has become the premier hunter/jumper operation in our region of the state. We now have over 60 horses on the property and have a thriving horse show schedule, boarding and training programs, a large riding school and collegiate level, high school and middle school riding team operations. I still run the finances for our farm, and I return to Connecticut to live with my horses each summer.”

How did you get started in polo?
“My first exposure to polo was when my father leased some land on our hunter/jumper farm in Connecticut to a group of local polo players who put in two fields and started the Simsbury Polo Club. At that time, I was in high school and was seriously training and competing in hunters and equitation. Polo seemed like another world, but I remember thinking it looked fun. It took me 20 years to return to the idea of trying polo. I had gone to veterinary school and completed my residency in small animal surgery and was enjoying enough success in my field that I could perhaps afford to buy myself some horses and try polo! I took my first lessons at Yale Polo Club when my boys were two years old. After another eight years of working as a surgeon and one more child, I took another polo lesson at Denver Polo Club; the day that I put my youngest son into kindergarten. I was hooked after that lesson, and I have been playing polo consistently now for 13 years.”

How did you form LBL Polo and why did you choose to play at New Bridge Polo & Country Club?
“I was playing polo at Denver Polo Club in their in-house arena and grass polo leagues when Jennifer Luttrell (Bernardoni) of Cotterel Polo pulled me aside and told me that I reminded her of herself when she first started. She told me to make my own choices, to set up my team with a standard of excellence, and that I could do it. I decided to form LBL Polo in 2012 and to begin to play more competitive grass polo. I traveled to Indio, California, that winter to play and brought my organization to Connecticut shortly thereafter. In Connecticut, I met some sponsors who were playing in Aiken and Wellington [Florida], so I hooked in with them and their professionals and made my first trip to Aiken in 2014. I fell in love with Aiken, bought a farm at New Bridge Polo & Country Club in 2017, and built my home here in 2018.”

Could you tell us about your relationship with Ignacio “Nachi” Viana? How did you two meet and start working together?
“LBL Polo has been very successful in 8-goal polo in Aiken winning 17 of the 20 tournaments that we have entered since 2021, and going undefeated in the Fall of 2021, the Spring of 2023, and the Spring of 2024. Alan Martinez led our team in 2021 and 2022. All three of LBL Polo's tournament losses occurred in 2022. One in the spring season, an overtime loss to the Arellano’s and the late Del Walton, and two very thorough tournament defeats in the Fall of 2022 by a Skaneateles team led by Nachi Viana.

After seeing Nachi's performance in the fall 2022 season, I knew that I wanted him to lead LBL Polo in 2023 moving forward. He joined LBL in the spring of 2023, and we won all the 8-goal tournaments that year [and] losing only one game the entire year. This Spring, we once again won every tournament and went undefeated. I can't say enough about what Nachi has brought to LBL Polo over the last two years- his professionalism, his quality of horses, and his skill sets are certainly unmatched in Aiken. He’s the kind of young player that I am very proud to support. I am thrilled for the success that he has enjoyed with LBL and in his larger polo career.”

Reflecting on your success this season, what do these victories mean to you and your team?
“I am very proud and thankful to have continued LBL Polo's 8-goal winning tradition in 2024 by once again going undefeated. The 8-goal polo at New Bridge is fast and furious, and I know how rare it is to have such a dominant team. So much credit has to go to Nachi and to a new edition to the team that Nachi brought in from Florida—Nicolas “Nico” Miró Bongiovanni, a fabulous 2-goal player who earned two tournament Most Valuable Player [awards].

This year, LBL along with another sponsor Jet Set Polo, also swept three competitive women's polo tournaments in Aiken. I loved playing in these women's tournaments and especially enjoyed having such an active role in the field. I am looking forward to playing a lot more women's polo in the future.”

Looking ahead, how does your season continue?
“LBL Polo will be traveling to Connecticut next week to play summer polo. While it is 8-goal polo, it is more of an exhibition/Pro-Am atmosphere, which is a nice break from the pressure of Aiken. I will return to Aiken to play in the fall [and] will most likely enter the same 8-goal team for the fall season before Nachi and Nico's handicaps both go up in December, but I am not sure yet if I will continue to participate in those tournaments.

Playing medium-goal (and high) mixed polo as a sponsor is a thrill and has certainly raised my level of knowledge of the game in terms of positioning, strategy and the ability to ride and play at high speed. However, sponsoring an 8- or 12-goal team is like collecting and appreciating fine art—and at the end of the day, you are not the artist. While I can ride comfortably at high speed and can therefore work effectively off the ball, as a sponsor I am of course nowhere near the level of the professionals on the field. In contrast, in women's polo, I am a sponsor and a player, feeling involved in most plays and hopefully significantly contributing to the outcome of the game.

In the fall, I will for sure be entering teams in the Women’s East Coast Open, a national 14- to 18-goal level tournament being played at New Bridge in October and will be playing in all the other women's tournaments being offered there. I would perhaps even consider a U.S. Open Women's Championship team in Wellington, Florida, this winter. One day I would love to play in the Argentine Women's Open, but who knows what the future will bring!”

What does polo mean to you personally? How significant is it in your life, and what percentage of your time do you dedicate to the sport?
“My first love (after my three sons) is not polo, it is horses. I still own and ride hunters and I love having both polo ponies and hunters in my life. I can see my horses in their paddocks out of almost every window in my house, and I can walk out my garden gate and right into my barn. I spend as much time as I can around my horses year-round, whether it's hanging out in the barn, riding or just drinking maté with my groom. Polo represents such a challenge physically, mentally and emotionally, especially to continue to put together winning teams and to improve my organization season after season, but I love challenges! I hope to continue to play polo for many years to come, and to continue to enjoy horses for the rest of my life.”