The Gold Cup for the British Open Polo Championship went to the UAE team on Sunday, after a final at Cowdray Park that was decided with about a minute to play. UAE beat Dubai 12-11 on the Lawns to take the most famous trophy in British polo.
A late winner
UAE started quickly, scoring the first three goals of the match in the opening chukker. Dubai steadily clawed their way back and had cut the gap to a single goal by half-time. The second half stayed close, and it was Lukin Monteverde who scored the winning goal with roughly a minute left in the final chukker. For the neutral it was an excellent advertisement for 22-goal polo, with the result in doubt until almost the last ball.
A historic name on the trophy
The UAE side was Kayley Maria Smith, Tommy Beresford, Lukin Monteverde and Barto Castagnola. Smith was playing in place of the injured Sheikha Maitha, and the victory made her the second woman ever to lift the Gold Cup. It was her first title in the competition, and a well-deserved one, given how steadily she played in a very fast match.
Barto Castagnola was named Most Valuable Player, and the Best Playing Pony award went to Solar, who was ridden by Castagnola and is owned by the UAE Polo Team. Castagnola is a two-time winner of the British Open, so the title adds to a strong record at Cowdray. The Best Playing Patron Pony prize went to Chalo Galaxy, ridden by Rashid Albwardy, and the Umpires Trophy was awarded to Jason Dixon, Peter Wright and Tim Bowen.
Dubai come up short again
It was a hard result for the Dubai team, who had a good tournament and pushed UAE all the way. Defeat by a single goal in a final is never easy, and they will no doubt be back next year looking to make amends.
The English summer so far
With the Queen’s Cup already decided at Guards and the Gold Cup now settled, the English high-goal season is past its peak. There is still plenty to look forward to, with a busy end of summer in Europe, including Deauville and Sotogrande, not far away.
We will be watching how the teams that came through this fortnight perform when they head abroad for the rest of the summer.
Sources: Cowdray Park Polo Club
