The Castagnola brothers – Barto and Jeta – have been in the spotlight since they started competing. They have played almost every tournament hosted by the AAP and won several of them. This year, in their third Argentine Open, they have qualified for the final. 

“From the moment we built this team, we were confident in our chances of winning,” Barto Castagnola told PoloLine following their 17-14 win over RS Murus Sanctus. “From the beginning of the season, our goal has been to win Palermo. We are not there yet, but we have made it to the final. Now we need to think about how to play the game and try to win.” 

A look at the final result might indicate that they had an easy win, but the truth is that they had to fight hard on many occasions, at times struggling against a good contender. In addition, RS Murus Sanctus made a big comeback in the last chukka.“I think we were ahead by three at one point, and then they got within one following an amazing goal by Sapo Caset,” continues Barto. “They were making a comeback, and Jeta made an amazing breakaway and scored a great goal, sending the ball to Libertador Avenue. I think that might have been they turning point of the game.”

Looking over La Natividad’s horses, there are horses shared by all team members, with a very clear objective. “I have many good horses,” continues Barto. “Fortunately, I brought many over from abroad, so I managed to make a good list. I lent some to Nachi. The idea is for all of us to be as well mounted as possible. That may mean that I use one that is not as good as the one I lend Nachi, but the idea is that we are equally mounted.”

Barto also gives special credit to his brother Benicio, who is always present and ready to help his family: “Benicio is fundamental, he always goes to the Libertador end with the spares. He is one of the key members of this team. “He is very supportive, and he gets really nervous. He is great.”

La Natividad now prepare to play their first ever Argentine Open final on Saturday. They will face the great La Dolfina, meaning the Cup will definitely head to Cañuelas. But beyond their rivalry, Barto keeps his head up. “I’m so happy right now, my biggest dream is to win Palermo. We have wanted this since we started playing polo, so now all we have to do is try and win it.”

WATCH THE COMPLETE INTERVIEW WITH BARTO CASTAGNOLA HERE (POLOLINE TV)