Benito T. Gutierrez (October 1935 – July 25, 2024) was an American professional polo player. He was inducted into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in 2003. The Polo Ralph Lauren logo is based on an image of Gutierrez.
Biography
Benito T. Gutierrez was born in October 1935 in San Antonio, Texas. He started playing polo after being taught by his father, who worked for polo families.[1]
He was one of the highest rated polo players during the 1960s and 1970s. He reached an 8-goal handicap in 1968, before there were any American 10-goal players.[2] He suffered a serious injury at Boca Raton's Royal Palm Polo Club, which ended up with him retiring from professional polo shortly after. After retiring, he continued to train polo ponies and managed high-goal polo teams.[2]