At the Tianjin polo season opening match in mid-June, Guan was part of the winning team that included coach Palacios. The weekend tournament on the manicured lawn of their home club under clear blue skies drew nearly 3,000 spectators online and offline.

"I like being part of a team, facing the competition together," says Guan, who also sets aside time to train with 13 of her horses in Argentina.

"Polo is exciting, intense and spontaneous; even for audiences, when they are up close to the galloping horses, it's exhilarating," she says.

"I hope more people get to try it. For those who are wondering what it's like, I'd also encourage them to just get up the horse and go for it."

Contact the writer at alexishooi@chinadaily.com.cn