Great Oaks Les Lions and Park Place Vaara will clash on The Queen’s Ground, Guards Polo Club’s main field, to play the championship match of the Queen’s Cup, one of the most important tournaments within the international calendar, on Sunday June 12. Founded in 1955 by His Royal Highness Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen’s Cup was set in 1960 in honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II; and this was indeed a very special Queen’s Cup, in the year of the Platinum Jubilee, and event that saw several events to conmemorate Her Majesty’s 70 years in the throne, the longest reigning British monarch in history.

Great Oaks Les Lions claimed the Queen’s Cup in 2020; only Dillon Bacon remains from that lineup – back then, composed by Dillon, Santiago Laborde and the Castagnola brothers, Barto and Camilo -; on this occasion, Dillon is joined by the young Cruz Heguy, the grandson and son of two remarkable legends of the sport – Alberto Pedro and Eduardo Heguy, respectively. Cruz has definetly demonstrated amazing skills and he is already up to the polo blood that runs in his veins. The foursome is completed by two extraordinary and seasoned players, who have won the coveted trophy on a number of occassions, such as the British James Beim, who lifted the trophy for the last time in 2019, the year Scone made a remarkable debut within British high goal; and Juan Martín Nero, considered by many the best back of the world. Nero won the Queen’s Cup in 2007 with Loro Piana and in 2016, with Dubai.

For Park Place Vaara, this will be their first opportunity to play the Queen’s Cup final. Although Andrey Borodin’s organisation was a runner up three times (2018, 2019 and 2020), it was the second team who qualified to the championship match. And they do have the talent and skills; like their contenders, Park Place Vaara is a combination of experience and youth – Hilario Ulloa and Juan Britos, plus Josh Hyde – who alreday played alongside the two of them in the Gauntlet of Polo – and Santos Merlos, Sebsatian’s son. Vaara defeated no less than King Power in quarter finals, although they had to fight hard to beat La Magdeleine in semifinals.

It is worth noting that Great Oaks Les Lions beat Park Place in the 2020 final, and now they sidelined them from the final. So, let’s see whether Dillon Bacon and company make it two, or whether Andrey Borodin’s organisation is the luckiest one this time.

Previously, UAE and King Power will play the final for the Subsidiary Cartier Cup.

The Queen’s Cup saw fifteen teams up to 22, compete for the coveted trophy.

ROAD TO THE FINAL

GREAT OAKS LES LIONS

9-10 vs. Scone

14-9 vs. Vikings

10-8 vs. Murus Sanctus

13-7 vs. Park Place

12-10 vs. UAE (cuartos de final)

9-5 vs. Park Place (semifinal)

PARK PLACE VAARA

20-11 vs Thai Polo 20-11

12-9 vs. La Magdeleine

13-15 vs. Dubai

9-10 vs. Clinova

11-9 vs. King Power (cuartos de final)

10-9 vs. La Magdeleine (semifinal)

THE QUEEN’S CUP – FINAL – SUNDAY JUNE 12

3,30pm – GREAT OAKS LES LIONS vs. PARK PLACE VAARA

Great Oaks Les Lions: Dillon Bacon 2, Cruz Heguy 5, James Beim 6, Juan Martín Nero 9. Total: 22.

Park Place Vaara: Joshua Hyde 0, Santos Merlos 4, Hilario Ulloa 10, Juan Britos 8. Total: 22.

SUBSIDIARY CARTIER CUP FINAL

12pm: UAE vs. King Power

UAE: HH Sheikha Maitha 0, Barto Castagnola 9, Juan Ambroggio 6, Tomás Beresford 7. Total: 22.

King Power: Top Srivaddhanaprabha 1, Nicolás Pieres 9, Mackenzie Weisz 5, James Harper 7. Total: 22.

The Queen’s Cup – Teams & Fixture