Argentina Polo Day interviewed Ignacio Fernández Llorente, polo referee and the undisputed head within this sport. Here we talk about how it started, his passion for the profession and his world record for refereeing in one day.
Ignacio Fernández Llorente, at what point did you realise you liked polo so much?
IFL: Actually I was born surrounded by polo, and my free time was devoted to perfecting my game of polo as much 
as possible. At that time I only thought about practice and learning how to use the polo mallet and ball. I started playing with a little mallet, then bike, then pony, then horses, and then any horse.
How did you choose to be a referee?
IFL: I always liked it. When playing as a professional I did not have time to be a referee so when I stopped playing, I became a referee.
Where did you learn and how long did it take you to become a referee?
IFL: To be a referee consists of testing one’s technical and psychological skills, and then a year testing with matches. It is obvious that, as a requirement, one must have played previously with a minimum handicap of 5.
Do the refs have a handicap system and promotions?
IFL: Until now there have been 4 levels of referees. We have an inspector who reports on our actions and the Argentina Polo Association commission of referees defines what level you are.
Who is your role model in the sport?
IFL: The only reference I have is the inspector, as he is the only one who teaches me and with whom I can discuss all topics.
How do you get to referee at the Palermo Open final?
IFL: It is a long road, but basically the people who come are those who can best handle people inside a polo field.
How many referees are in a polo match and what the roles of each?
IFL: In Argentina, as in almost every game, there is only one referee, but in tournaments such as the Triple Crown and some other tournaments, there are two referees on the pitch and one outside if they cant agree.
What were your greatest pleasures while refereeing a game? And what are your frustrations?
IFL: My greatest pleasure is to do my job, and to be fair to the 8 players no matter who they are. But what amuses me most is filming the matches with a camera on the helmet, and then everyone can watch the games, and those videos teach and have been building my website Polo In where I show all of this.
My frustration is when I’m wrong and it really hurts when you have penalized someone. I also resent the politics surrounding the work and how difficult it is to try to improve things.
Do you have a story you can remember?
IFL: Yes, last year (2013) I had the world record of refereeing in one day, I did 42 chuckers (14 games of 3 chuckers). I remember it was a hot day and I drank soda all day. In the last game I had a fresh horse who ran as if she had just started, it was almost evening, and the tournament was a success. As the chuckers passed, the participants could not believe I was still the referee. I have often done between 30-39 chuckers in one day, but 42 was a record.
And a story that has been repeated to me often, is that I find very old polo players who saw my video tutorials and who have learned new things and I appreciate it. There are also players who have started playing for the first time in their lives who were playing because of my videos.
W
hat advice would you give to someone who wants to start playing polo?
IFL: First learn how to ride a horse for polo, learning this is quite easy and super fun. There are people who play and teach the game as a team.
What would you say to someone who wants to play High Handicap?
IFL: You are only going to be able to with very good horses and you will have to invest everything in horses.
What are your wishes for 2014?
IFL: To be able to referee in a lot of games and in many countries, and to continue filming and preparing video tutorials on the rules of polo.
https://plus.google.com/+ArgentinaPoloDay
Follow us in 
Compartí en tus redes!
