61st Jockey Club Open: Lolo Castagnola Returns to the Field with La Natividad La Dolfina
The Argentine spring season is officially underway.
The 61st Jockey Club Open opened the new high-goal season in San Isidro, bringing together some of the leading names in Argentine polo — and one particularly special return.
At 56, Bartolomé “Lolo” Castagnola stepped back onto the field, joining his sons Bartolomé “Barto” Castagnola and Camilo “Jeta” Castagnola, together with his nephew Poroto Cambiaso, in the 34-goal La Natividad La Dolfina line-up.
And the return could hardly have started better.
A Different Kind of Return
Lolo Castagnola is no stranger to the biggest stages of Argentine polo.
A former 10-goal player and seven-time Argentine Open champion, he has spent recent years away from competitive polo while remaining deeply involved in the development and support of the next generation.
This time, however, he was back in the saddle.
The opportunity came from Jeta, who encouraged his father to join the team for the Jockey Club Open, giving the family the chance to compete together.
For Lolo, the experience was about more than simply returning to competition. It was an opportunity to share the field with his sons and nephew — something that would otherwise be almost impossible within the demanding rhythm of the Argentine season.
A Winning Start for La Natividad La Dolfina
La Natividad La Dolfina entered the tournament as the highest-rated team in the competition, with 34 goals, and began its campaign against Don Ercole, a 31-goal side.
The match ended with a 15-10 victory for the Cañuelas-based organisation.
The score developed progressively throughout the six chukkers:
2-0, 5-3, 7-6, 9-7, 11-8 and 15-10.
It was not a perfect performance — understandable for a team playing its first competitive match of the spring — but La Natividad La Dolfina gradually found its rhythm and established control of the game.
Lolo's First Goals Back
The most symbolic moments came from the player wearing the number four shirt.
With the younger members of the team initially creating opportunities without finding the goal, Lolo opened the scoring with a long, accurate shot from around 60 yards.
He added another goal in the second chukker and completed his personal tally in the sixth, finishing a run with a short touch to close the match.
Three goals on his return.
But his contribution went beyond the scoreboard.
Playing with a different role from the one he occupied during his peak years, Lolo brought experience, positioning and an understanding of the game developed over decades at the highest level.
A Family on the Field
There was something particularly unique about this La Natividad La Dolfina line-up.
Four members of the team were connected by family: Lolo with his sons Barto and Jeta, alongside his nephew Poroto.
For Lolo, the occasion represented a different kind of enjoyment — one based not only on competition, but on sharing the field with the players he has helped develop.
“I’m not at their speed or rhythm, but at my speed, I was where I needed to be,” was the essence of his assessment after the match.
The role may have changed, but the competitive instinct remains.
The objective was still the same: to win.
The Next Step Towards the Triple Crown
The Jockey Club Open is only the beginning of the Argentine spring.
After this tournament and the following Abierto del Club San Jorge, attention will turn towards the three major Opens that form the Argentine Triple Crown: Hurlingham, Tortugas and Palermo.
La Natividad La Dolfina arrives with a 34-goal line-up and, naturally, as one of the teams attracting the most attention.
The road ahead will demand a different level of consistency, but the opening victory provides an encouraging first step.
For Lolo, meanwhile, the season has already delivered something memorable.
At 56, he is back on the field.
And he is doing it alongside the next generation of the Castagnola family.
More Than a Comeback
Some returns are measured in goals, trophies and results.
Others are measured in the opportunity to share something that may never happen again.
For Lolo Castagnola, this return is both.
He has already experienced the highest level of the sport as a player, winning seven Argentine Opens and reaching the top of the game alongside some of its greatest names.
Now he has stepped onto the field again — this time alongside his own family.
The first match ended in victory.
The Argentine spring has only just begun.
