NEWS

Ernesto Rodriguez III, a beloved writer for CLICKPOLO, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, September 12, suffering from a sudden stroke. CLICKPOLO’s editor, Carlos Beer, reflected on the great storyteller’s process and how he impacted the world of polo through his writing since 2015.

“Every Monday began the same as I awoke in the morning to several WhatsApp messages on my phone,” said CLICKPOLO editor Carlos Beer. “Always among the messages, as it had been for many years, were some from Ernesto Rodriguez III. The routine had been the same since the first CLICKPOLOUSA magazine was published on November 18, 2015, becoming even more established after CLICKPOLOUK was published on April 14, 2016.”

“Ernesto always sent me several messages, going over the articles for each week's magazines. Most of the time, he included these four words: 'I have a story.' It was his way to say that, no doubt, we would have a special cover story that week. It would be the type of article us journalists enjoy the most, and that I hope the readers enjoy the most as well.”

“After revealing he had a story often came a short explanation, with a small detail about the story itself. He would then go into more detail about a player, horse or club who he felt had an interesting story to tell. I always asked myself the same question, ‘How does he find these stories?’”

“A few days after Ernesto’s message, the new magazine (USA or UK) would be published with excellent results. His story had reached the readers, and they were receptive to it. It is not easy to find stories in polo, a team sport with only four players per team, but Ernesto always did.”

“The same thing happened whenever Ernesto travelled to the interior of Argentina to cover a tournament. He had been to Trenque Lauquen, Cordoba, Tucuman, Rosario, and San Luis. He also went to Brazil to cover the All-Pro Polo exhibition. As the editor, I always received the same comment from people who had just met him, ‘This guy Ernesto is amazing.’ The Federation of International Polo [FIP] directors said the same about what would turn out to be Ernesto's last job for CLICKPOLO, editing both editions of the Federation's magazines.”

“Those who knew him loved him, including many people outside of the world of polo. Social media is evidence of how many people loved him, be it fellow journalists or sportsmen. Their affection was especially noted in the heartfelt farewells.”

“CLICKPOLO Argentina is published on Sunday nights. On Monday when I wake up, I will have several WhatsApp messages, but I will be missing one.”

“We tell stories and we will continue telling them, this is CLICKPOLO. However, they will be much harder to find because there could be no one better for the job than Ernesto Rodriguez III. However, whenever we find a good story, we will look up and smile at the sky. Ernesto’s legacy will live on through the work of our magazine.”