Why Ellerstina is the Most Established Brand in Polo

Mercado magazine, a prestigious publication specializing in finance and economics with a deep understanding of the Argentine market, analyzes how the Pieres family's team has permanently transformed the business landscape of Argentine polo.

The organisation, founded by Gonzalo Pieres, revolutionised the sport's commercial model, culture, and international projection. Today, it continues to evolve through innovative team formats and global partnerships.

It began as a visionary idea on the fields far from Buenos Aires, at a time when Ellerstina was not yet a brand but an ambitious project. In the 1990s, Gonzalo Pieres, already established as one of the world's greatest polo players, conceived a structure merging high-performance sport, elite horse breeding, and professional management of the international calendar. A partnership with Australian businessman Kerry Packer provided the financial scale to turn that vision into a world-class organisation.

In an era where polo remained a sport of families and rural estates, Ellerstina introduced a new logic. It was not merely about assembling four talented players; the goal was to build an integrated system. This included private grounds, a dedicated equine genetics programme, teams across various leagues, and a schedule synchronising the Argentine season with those in the US, England, and other emerging markets.

Palermo became the stage where this model crystallised. From the mid-nineties, Ellerstina featured regularly in the Argentine Open finals. The black and white jersey became a fixture on the final Sundays of the season, with the Pieres name synonymous with a style combining precision, intensity, and technical mastery. The team further introduced a new elegance, streamlining its appearance with an iconic 'total black' aesthetic.

The Era of the Heirs

The second chapter arrived with the emergence of Gonzalo Pieres’s sons. Facundo, Gonzalo Jr, and Nicolás, raised amongst horses and high-handicap finals, joined the main team with a seamless transition that seemed inevitable. For nearly two decades, the organisation built a sporting project around this generation, maintaining its elite status.

The Palermo seasons record a sequence of finals and titles where the Pieres brothers were central. Concurrently, Ellerstina solidified its name in the global polo business: horses from their estates competed internationally, and the brothers became reference points worldwide. The organisation’s 'Z' brand emerged as a commercial powerhouse.

This era was defined by a distinctive trait: Ellerstina did not just win; it projected an image. The sleek presentation of teams and horses, sophisticated sponsor relations, and professionalised management placed it in a unique category. It functioned as a laboratory for an increasingly globalised sport.

Realignment, Rivalries, and New Directions

As an established power, the organisation navigated a cycle of change. The rise of other formidable projects, like La Dolfina and later La Natividad, redrew the competitive map. The rivalry with Adolfo Cambiaso’s teams produced a defining series of Open finals, compelling Ellerstina to review its strategies and player combinations.

This period included significant turning points. Facundo Pieres eventually left to join La Natividad, where he won titles at Palermo. From a business perspective, this move signalled the maturity of the system: elite players could transfer between organisations without diminishing their own or their original team's identity.

For Ellerstina, these years served to reorder priorities. It maintained its breeding and training infrastructure, sustained international sponsor ties, and worked on alternatives to return to the hunt for major trophies with a renewed project.

The Alliance with Indios Chapaleufú and the Return to Centre Stage

The right combination emerged in 2025 through a sporting merger with Indios Chapaleufú to compete in the Triple Crown. The agreement united two emblematic lineages: Ellerstina's modern structure with the Pampa traditions of the Heguy family. Facundo and Gonzalo Pieres joined Cruz and Antonio Heguy, forming Ellerstina Indios Chapaleufú with extraordinary symbolic weight.

The team concentrated sporting expectations and a compelling narrative. The Pieres family's technical orthodoxy combined with a new Heguy generation's energy, aiming to restore a historic brand. For Ellerstina, it meant opening its structure to partners bringing mística and character; for Chapaleufú, access to an integrated organisational model.

Initial results vindicated the decision. A finalist campaign in Tortugas showed the team had quickly found an identity. Their performance in Hurlingham solidified the alliance as a project with continuity. Finally, their run in Palermo, crowned by winning the Turkish Airlines Polo Cup and reaching the decisive Open stages, confirmed Ellerstina's return—now in a collaborative form—to centre stage.

A Model That Transcends the Scoreboard

Ellerstina's history exceeds match results. Over three decades, it has built an operational method on three pillars: professional management, sustained investment in horse breeding, and an international presence. This has allowed it to navigate change without losing its status among Argentine polo's great icons.

Brand expansion beyond the pitch is central. Ellerstina is synonymous with high-performance horses, specialised infrastructure, and links with global brands. The alliance with Turkish Airlines—sponsoring the Open and its namesake cup—fits this framework perfectly. The organisation is a natural partner for companies seeking association with polo's most competitive segment and its high-net-worth audience.

Simultaneously, it coexists with the sport's family dimension. Behind corporate structures lie estates, grooms, veterinarians, and breeders who have supported every stage. Here, Ellerstina acts as a hub, connecting the countryside with Palermo, local genetics with global markets, and tradition with strategy.

The Projection of a Dynasty in the Age of Globalisation

The victory in the Turkish Airlines Polo Cup, shared with the Heguys, is another chapter in a dynamic history. The organisation founded by Gonzalo Pieres has proven it is possible to combine family continuity, business logic, and international ambition in a sport of aristocratic origin now conducted through contracts and sponsorships.

The alliance with an airline connecting 131 countries indicates Ellerstina's trajectory. The same horses that gallop across the Pampa are shipped globally; the same players lifting a trophy in Palermo join teams in European or US leagues; the same surnames that were novelties thirty years ago are now part of a dynasty.

In this journey, Ellerstina has established itself as an essential reference for understanding Argentine polo as an economic and cultural phenomenon. In 2025, the Turkish Airlines Polo Cup served as visible proof: a new trophy built upon a long history, written with the unique combination of strategy, equine excellence, and decisions that made the organisation a central protagonist of the world's best polo.