Facundo Pieres

I'm usually woken up by the birds and by my schnauzer, Rafa - for me that's the best start to the day. I jump out of bed, throw on some clothes, and race to the polo ground.

We have the best sporting event in the world in polo, and yet it is weak.

In Argentina, we're surrounded by polo ponies. The farm covers roughly 170 hectares, and there are no cattle or sheep, just horses.

We have two trainers at the polo ground and do a mix of aerobics, gymnastics and stretches before we start riding. As polo players, it's very important for us to keep in shape. We do a bit of yoga and Pilates sometimes, too.

Buenos Aires is less than an hour's drive from the ranch, and in the evening, we might meet friends for dinner there. I get recognised a bit, but I'm lucky that polo isn't as popular as other sports.

When I was 12 or 13, I realised I was good, but I never knew how far I'd get.

I think polo players are at their best in their 30s. You've got the talent and the experience. You play with your head - you learn to lose and how to win.

I've got nothing to complain about. I have to enjoy and be grateful. Lots of people would like to be in my shoes.

When you get on a good horse, you just know. They are powerful, they stop quickly, they can turn in both directions, and they are fast.

Thanks to my father, we were always in good horses.

I've seen a lot of great players that couldn't get to the top because of horses, and I've seen a lot of normal players that got higher and higher because of horses.

If you don't have good horses, it's very tough to win.