Ellestina’s loss against La Dolfina was an enormous blow for the team, who, despite having won the Tortugas Open, were unable to achieve their objective: to win the Argentine Open. The team suffered many injuries; the first to get injured was Hilario Ulloa, in the opening match of the Tortugas Open. Nicolás Pieres followed, after suffering a heavy fall during the match against La Dolfina Brava in the Hurlingham Open. Nico was unable to continue playing; he travelled to the US over the weekend and underwent surgery successfully. Following Ellerstina’s win against La Ensenada, Hilario Ulloa spoke to PoloLine, and gave an assessment of Ellerstina’s year.

“Obviously, we did not achieve what we expected to with Ellerstina,” he said. “My dream, and Ellerstina’s, was to win Palermo. We aimed for that, and we worked hard for it, so we are very disappointed.”

“I knew when I broke my finger that I had enough time to make a full recovery and be 100% to play the Open,” continues Ulloa. “I could save my horses, be fresh and in shape. Then, we were unfortunate with Nico. Things did not go as expected. I can say many things, but excuses won’t help anyone. The most important thing is that we stayed together.”

The Lincoln-born player also noted the positive aspects of the season, mostly on a personal level: “On average, I have to say it was a fun season. It was great to play the final of the Jockey Club Open with my two brothers, my organisation is growing and improving a lot. I am currently playing my own horses, and I was able to mount Tito Ruiz Guiñazu to play with Alegria Fish Creek.”

But beyond his personal achievements, the 2021 Argentine season left Hilario with a bitter taste: “I am happy because I could play with my horses and my brothers, but I didn’t win Palermo.”

WATCH THE COMPLETE INTERVIEW WITH HILARIO ULLOA HERE (POLOLINE TV)