Final bell
In association with Aprés Polo
What is your biggest passion and why? Polo – it’s unique in that you get to step in the same shoes of and play with, some of the greatest sportsmen in the world, and when you win, taste victory with them. What is your all-time best polo memory? Winning The Cartier Queen’s Cup was the best day of my life, and one which I don’t think I’ll better until I get married and have kids.
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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022
Favourite song/ album? Dreams by Fleetwood Mac… Hard to beat that!
Favourite food/ dish? You can’t beat a good American cheeseburger. Favourite hobby outside of polo? Ski touring. Most prized possession? Small Axe, one of the first mares I bought and a true champion. She won Best Playing Pony in the Final of The 2020 Gold Cup, as well some blankets under Barto in 2021. Photograph by Mark Beaumont Photography
Who were/are your favourite teammates? Barto Castognola. There is great chemistry when you play polo with Barto. He is a true team player, who always works to make the whole team play better. He also wears the weight of the team on his shoulders – and when he plays well, the whole team plays well. Cruz Heguy is also an incredible talent and playing the high goal season with him in 2020 was a great pleasure, which I am looking forward to continuing in 2022 high goal season!
I have been playing polo with Aristide Faggionato since I was 16-years-old and winning The French Open with him was a fantastic experience we shared. Through Aristide I’ve also become good friends with Robert Strom, one of France’s highest ranked players, and I have known and played with Max Charlton since I was 13-years-old, one of the best arena polo players in the world. We are a team importantly of friends, which makes us competing in The 2022 Snow Polo World Cup in St Moritz all the more special and fun. Hardest opponent? That depends on the team and the season but invariably, it is Adolfo Cambiaso. He is such a clever player and a gruelling opponent to come up against. Psychologically, it is always hard when you know you are playing against Adolfo. Which sports do you like outside of polo? Squash, tennis, paddle, as well as skiing and kite surfing. Favourite film and why? La Grande Bellezza. Oscar in 2014 for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year. Italian film at its best.
Photograph by ©www.imagesofpolo.com
Dillon Bacon took the European high goal circuit by storm, winning The Cartier Queen’s Cup and The French Open in 2020, as well as reaching The Gold Cup Final and The Prince of Wales Final in the same year. This year his team reached The Gold Cup Semi Finals and we can’t wait to see what he can achieve in his Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz debut in January 2022 – watch this space!
Are you passionately superstitious? Absolutely not. I take pleasure in teasing my superstitious friends by insisting to pass the salt shaker by hand. Describe yourself in three words… Passionate. Dedicated. Thankful.
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