Kazak and La Dolfina Scone qualified to the championship match of the British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup, following their wins over La Dolfina Marqués de Riscal and Ferne Park, respectively, in the semifinals that took place on Wednesday July 16, at Cowdray Park Polo Club, en Midhurst, West Sussex. The tournament, one of the three Grand Slams of Polo, alongside the Argentine Open and the US Open, and the highlight of the season in England, sees eighteen teams up to 22 goals, in participation.
- SEMI #1 – KAZAK 12-11 LA DOLFINA MARQUÉS DE RISCAL
As expected, Kazak and La Dolfina Marqués de Riscal clashed in a very even contest, or at least until the fourth chukka, when the match could be anyone’s. The story would change in the fifth chukka, when Sébastien Aguettant and his boys overwhelmed their contenders by an impressive 4-1, to close the penultimate chukka with a four goal advantage – 12-8. However, Alejandro Aznar and Co., stepped into the last chukka with fierce determination to bounce back and aimed to win at least for one goal or force an send the contest into extra chukka. It would never happen, because Kazak already sealed the deal in the previous chukka, and thoroghout the last chukka then were able to handle the pressure from the Spaniard team. Therefore, Kazak claimed a 12-11 win, and will play the final of the British Open for the first time. It’s worth to note that all of Kazak’s goals were produced by the three professional players – Francisco Elizalde, Nicolás Pieres and Chris Mackenzie, four each.
- SEMI #2 – LA DOLFINA SCONE 10-5 FERNE PARK
Unlike the previous contest, La Dolfina Scone, with Adolfo Cambiaso and his daughter Mia, had no trouble at all to defeat Ferne Park, a foursome who did very well thoroghout the tournament. But they were unable to do it in the semifinal, and were overwhelmed by a powerful foursome who were the dominant force during the six chukkas of play, with Adolfo Cambiaso as the top scorer (he produced six goals). By half time, La Dolfina Scone had an impressive 8-3 lead. They widened the gap to 9-4 in the fourth chukka, and after a scoreless fifth chukka, the Cambiasos and Co, produced a couple of goals in the last, to seal the deal and secured the second spot in the final of the most important tournament in England.
THE TOURNAMENT IS ENTIRELY STREAMED LIVE THROUGH COWDRAY TV, WITH THE PRODUCTION OF POLOLINE TV HERE
Kazak and La Dolfina Scone are due to play the championship match of the British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup on Sunday July 20, at 3pm (UK time).
The tournament was established in 1956 by Weetman John Churchill Pearson, Third Viscount Cowdray and the man behind the revival of polo in England after the devastating Second World War, is most significant contest of the competitive English season. Thoroghout the years, the British Open saw a large number of stars of the sport in participation, and several had lifted the coveted golden trophy. This significant achievement has been shared by fathers, children and grandchildren on several occasions. The first lineup to claim the British Open, back in 1956, was an Argentine lineup, Los Indios, made of Jorge Marín Moreno, Pablo Nagore, Antonio Heguy and Juan Echeverz. Antonio Heguy was the first member of the legendary great family of polo who won the British Open, and his legacy continued with his grandsons – the first to make it were Eduardo and Ignacio Heguy, in 1996, with CS Brooks; then, Bautista Heguy, with Geebung (2000), in a foursome that saw him playing together with no less than Adolfo Cambiaso. The last member of the Heguy family to claim the British Open was Marcos Heguy, in 2004, with Azzurra.
More info and data about those who made history at Cowdray Park HERE.
British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup – Teams & Fixture
Cover photo by Mark Beaumont.