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Great win for Halcyon Gallery

Champions of the Bledisloe Warwickshire Cup at Cirencester Park PC

Godolphin won the Subsidiary Bathurst Cup

By Kim Croutear

The sun finally came out on Cirencester’s Ivy Lodge ground in time for the last clash of the Bledisloe Warwickshire Cup, with Halcyon Gallery and Black Bears eventually meeting in the final. The historic cup was clinched by Halcyon Gallery in a knife-edge sixth chukka following a tactical spectacle of a game, with Ali Paterson scoring a phenomenal deciding goal in the dying seconds, nine goals to eight the final score. 

George Hanbury of Halcyon Gallery described the game as "very close" and said that "having been in the final before it was great to finally win the trophy. "

The match started in style with the match ball flown in by a parachute display team. The excitement continued into the first chukka with George Hanbury the first to claim a goal - storming out in front and leveling Black Bear’s one goal handicap start.  Heguy soon took them into the lead converting a 30yard penalty and it looked as though they may get on a roll. Not the case however as Black Bears brought it level again with not the prettiest goal but enough to set them up to regain the lead once more as Guy Schwarzenbach took off on a speedy grey taking it all the way from before half way to score an outstanding goal.

Early in the third chukka Alec White capitalised on a nasty bounce going the wrong way for George Hanbury and went on to score making it 4 - 3 to Black Bears. Pelon Stirling leveled proceedings once more finding his way past all the defence to make it four all. Another penalty converted by Heguy left them with the five to four advantage at half time.

Going into the second half Stirling managed to stretch Halcyon Gallery’s lead to two. This was very short-lived however as Schwarzenbach plucked the ball out of the air and went on to score. Another penalty allowed Heguy to put all his experience to work and deliver another lofted on target shot. 

At eight - seven to Halcyon Gallery going into the sixth chukka there was all to play for and both teams were giving it everything they had. John Paul Clarkin made it eight all with a 30 yard penalty. It was looking set for an extra chukka when seconds before the bell Ali Paterson, having not featured prominently in previously in the game, scooped an amazing under the neck shot from nowhere to find the posts. After the game Paterson described it as a career highlight, but emphasised that despite being delighted to claim the winning goal it was very definitely a team effort which earned them the trophy.

Black Bears' Juan Gris Zavaleta was named MVP and Guy Schwarzenbach's Marley, a grey Australian home bred, took BPP honors.

Early in the morning Godolphin Polo Team beat Felix nine goals to eight to win the Bathurst Cup final. 
 
Meanwhile, Godolphin beat Felix 9-8 and took the Subsidiary Bathurst Cup.