Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships: Horses and Horsepower

When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5. Where: WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale. Admission: $20 general admission in advance, $30 at the door, children 12 and under free; Twilight ticket for admission after 3 p.m. $10 in advance and $20 at the door; Sideline Parking $120-$455, Twilight Tailgating $50 per vehicle, VIP ticket options $50-$350 in advance and $60-$215 at the door. Details: 480-423-1414. thepoloparty.com. Sunset Match between Stick & Ball and SOHO Scottsdale Divinas Mujeres. The women’s polo match features some of the country’s top female polo players, including United States Polo Association cover model Pamela Flanagan and toprated Arizona player Natalie Camacho.

In polo, players try to score against the opposing team by landing a ball through the opposite goal using mallets, all while on horseback. Each polo team generally has four players, who play defensive or offensive positions.

Roldan hopes that the exhibition matches will get more people in Arizona interested in watching and playing polo.

“It’s a beautiful sport, and there’s beautiful animals that are involved. It’s a very visual sport. Its speed and intensity are things that spectators love to see,” Roldan said. “There’s a lot movement. It’s a fast game, [with] a lot of body checking, a lot of hooking.”

Like many top players, Roldan comes from a polo family.

His father and grandfather both played the sport, and he started at around 3 years old.

Roldan went pro at 14 and became the youngest player to win the U.S. Open Polo Championship at age 15.

Roldan said that polo requires both natural abilities and year-long training, especially for top players.