The British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup continued in full swing thorugh Wednesday June 25 and Thursday June 26, in the historical Cowdray Park Polo Club, set in Midhurst, West Sussex. The highlight of the season in England, and one of the three Grand Slams of Polo, alongside the Argentine Open and the US Open, sees eighteen teams up to 22 goals, in competition.
The results were as follows;
- Wednesday June 25
Gaston 7-5 La Magdeleine
Gaston and La Magdeleine played a very balanced match until the fourth chukka; Gaston made an impressive comeback in the fifth chukka, 6-3, that left the contest almost said and done.
La Dolfina Scone 12-9 Signet Thai Polo
Signet Thai Polo had a stronger start, remaining in the lead in the first two chukkas. But from the third chukka onwards, La Dolfina Scone seized the reins, and remained as the dominant force for the remaining of the game.
White Crane 13-12 Calatagan
With Felipe Dabas subbing in for Lorenzo Chavanne, a determined White Crane foursome claimed a commanding 4-1 advantage in the first chukka. Calatagan had to struggle hard to finally close the gap to just one goal in the fifth chukka, but the damage has been already done; White Crane bounced back in the last chukka, and sealed the deal by producing three unanswered goals.
- Thursday June 26
Kazak 13-10 Sujan Indian Tigers
The match saw Sujan Indian Tigers on the lead until the third chukka; Kazak bounced back after half time – they claimed the fourth chukka 9-8 and maintained the advantage in their favour for the remaining of the contest.
La Dolfina Marqués de Riscal 9-8 Ferne Park
In a very tough and intense game, La Dolfina Marqués de Riscal – with Alejandro Aznar back on the saddle – managed to hold on to the lead and widened the gap to four goals (9-5) in the penultimate chukka. However, and far from giving up, Ferne Park made a comeback in the last chukka; and although they won 3-0, the effort didn’t pay off, and Marqués de Riscal was victorious.
THE TOURNAMENT WILL BE ENTIRELY STREAMED LIVE THROUGH COWDRAY TV, WITH THE PRODUCTION OF POLOLINE TV HERE.
The British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup will resume on Friday June 27, with the following order of play:
12pm: Aureus vs. King Power MB
3pm: Jehangiri vs. UAE
(UK times)
The championship match of the British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup is due on Sunday July 20.
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.