UAE and Thai Polo will go head-to-head on Cowdray Park Polo Club’s main ground, overlooking the splendid ruins of the Cowdray Castle, in a battle for the British Open Gold Cup. The tournament is recognised as one of the three Grand Slams of Polo, alongside the Argentine Open and the US Open. Thirteen teams, up to 22 goals, were in competition.
The final will be a spectacular way to end the Gold Cup. One one hand, UAE will be playing to claim their second title of the season (after their recent Queen’s Cup win), while Thai Polo will be hoping to go all the way and win their first high goal title.
HH Sheikha Maitha’s UAE, with the one and only Lucas Monteverde guiding the organisation, have already shown that they mean business, giving a spectacular performance throughout the season. The powerful organisation has grown steadily throughout the years, with teams in Dubai, Argentina and England. This year in Englnd, they presented two teams in the Queen’s Cup, two in the Gold Cup, and a women’s teams in the British Ladies Open Championships. Their place in the final is well deserved, after years of hard work and determination. Monteverde’s contribution has been crucial, both in terms of his advice but also when it comes to putting a fantastic string together. Polito Pieres, Tomás Beresford, and Tomás Panelo have given Sheikha Maitha the key to the season.
Facing them will be Thai Polo, the biggest surprise of the Gold Cup. Despite claiming the Prince of Wales Trophy at Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club, they didn’t fare too well in the Queen’s Cup, they managed to provide a big surprise in their debut match at the Gold Cup, by defeating before losing to King Power and next claiming wins against Emlor and Murus Sanctus. In the quarters, they defeated King Power, but the biggest surprise of all was that they managed to sweep Scone once again, with an extraordinary 12-4 win in semifinals. One thing is for sure, Ned and Louis Hine, Nicolás Pieres, and James Harper are confident enough to face their tough rival.
UAE and Thai Polo promise a great final! Sunday, July 25, at 3pm – not to be missed!
BRITISH OPEN GOLD CUP FINAL – SUNDAY, JULY 25, 3pm:
UAE vs. THAI POLO
UAE: HH Sheikha Maitha 0, Tomás Panelo 6, Pablo Pieres 9, Tomás Beresford 7. Total: 22.
Thai Polo: Louis Hine 2, Ned Hine 4, Nicolás Pieres 9, James Harper 7. Total: 22.
ROAD TO THE FINAL
- UAE
8-11 vs. Talandracas
16-12 vs. BP Polo
14-13 vs. Great Oaks Les Lions
10-9 vs. Monterosso
13-9 vs. Park Place (quarter final)
12-10 vs. Great Oaks Les Lions (semifinal)
- THAI POLO
11-5 vs. Scone
13-15 vs. King Power
9-7 vs. Emlor
14-10 vs. Murus Sanctus
11-10 vs. King Power (quarter final)
12-4 vs. Scone (semifinal)