Coca-Cola’s Tommy Collingwood has made quite an impression on the polo scene this season at the Internati0onal Polo Club as his Coca-Cola team managed to defend their 2012 Herbie Pennell Title and have won their first two games in the Ylvisaker Cup.  Powerful backhanders, aggressive ride-offs and disciplined teamplay make him an asset to any team, but  what might be his biggest asset as he attempts to climb the polo ladder is the fact that he comes mounted.

It has often been said that the horse is 80% of the game, and that without the proper mounts even the most talented of athletes would be unable to excel on a field of his peers.  It has often been said that “if you can’t get to the ball, you can’t hit it”, and superior horses allow a player to get to the ball before the others.

Tommy began playing the game at the age of seven at the Ligonier Polo Club in Pennsylvania under the tutelage of the club’s polo manager, his father, Dennis Collingwood.  Tommy totally immersed himself in the game from the get-go and managed to attain a 3-goal handicap over the years.  He was born in Argentina but moved to the United States at the age of five and became a citizen just last year.  A product of Wellington High School and numerous PTF youth clinics and tournaments, Tommy recognized the need for good horses at an early age, and has worked steadily improving his string.

“Right now I have 15 horses,” he offered, “and I plow everything I earn back into them.”

He recently picked up a horse from American 9-goaler Julio Arellano, a couple horses from Marcos Villanueva and a fourth from the Coca-Cola stables.

“I know that without quality horses I can’t be an asset to my team or my teammates,” he said.  “I continue to make moves to improve my string, an ongoing process in the game,” he smiled.

Collingwood has won the approval of spectators, teammates and opponents alike as he stakes his claim to a position on the polo scene.

“This is the most important season yet,” he said with enthusiasm.  “This is my first shot on the high-goal scene,” he added.

The report on the 21-year-old so far has been nothing but positive.  He plays a cool, calculated Back for the Coca-Cola team and is thrilled with his teammates.

“It’s the most unselfish group of players I could ask for,” he said, “Julio (Arellano), Sugar (Erskine) and Gillian (Johnston) have all been so supportive,” he said.  “They really make you want to leave it all on the field for them,” he added, “and I do.”

As impressive as his defense has been, it has been amply compensated by his offensive skills as he has registered goals from incredible angles and at break-neck speed.

“In the end, it all comes down to the horses,” he humbly offers, but veteran observers might give him a little more credit for his success than he would like to acknowledge.  He’s made an impressive entrance on the 20-goal stage at the International Polo Club this season, and looks to become a regular in the future.