The story of Eduardo Greghi is an unusual one. So much so that he says that people in Hollywood are thinking about making a film based on his story. "I was born in Mococa, on the outskirts of Sao Paulo. I lived on a cattle farm with my family who worked the land. I was a cowboy and everything I did on horseback was working to bring in the cows. For that reason, for me, outdoor life was synonymous with distress not relaxation. I didn't know anything about polo when I was a kid, for me the horse was just an animal used for work. When I moved to Europe, in 2003, I looked for a white collar job because I wanted to overcome my upbringing as a labourer," said the Brazilian to CLIICKPOLOUK.
After living in Germany, England, Italy and Switzerland, he took establishment in the Kusnacht Practice in Zürich, a 5-star rehabilitation clinic that requires 18 hours of work per day. "One afternoon, a little over a year ago, a friend took me to see a polo match. I did not like it. But my friend insisted and invited me to take a class at Polo Park Zürich. It was a magical moment. I hadn’t ridden a horse for almost 15 years and once again I felt the beautiful sensation of controlling an energetic animal. Now playing polo has become a necessary part of my daily life. It is the therapy that I need to balance my work obligations."
An unforgettable weekend
-How did you start playing, as an adult?
"I began taking classes with Francisco Podestá, in Switzerland. And Nico San Román and Francisco Furchi helped me a lot too. I became a fan of polo. I bought horses and started playing. I put together the team, I designed the logo and I put the name half in Portuguese and half in Spanish (Los Garotos). This season I played 254 chukkas in my club and played tournaments in the UK (Emsworth and Berkshire) and Germany."
-How was the experience at Emsworth’s Arena?
"They invited us to play the Arena Challenge and I thought it was a good opportunity to have a good time, with friends, in a magnificent club and very well accompanied. I had played with Hugo Taylor and D'Artagnan Giercke before and had had a great time so it was great to play with them again. What I did not expect was to win the tournament against the hosts. That made this weekend unforgettable."
-What are your objectives in polo?
"I want to grow as a player, as far as my skills allow me to, and I want to grow polo in the places where I live. I want it to become more popular because it's a great sport. It has served me personally and I use it with a lot of the patients from my clinics to recover physical fitness and confidence."
