As the Cartier Queen’s Cup approaches, we thought a look at the club that hosts it was overdue. Guards Polo Club, at Smith’s Lawn in Windsor Great Park, is as much a part of the English summer as Wimbledon or Henley.
The beginning
The club was founded on 25 January 1955 as the Household Brigade Polo Club. Its name changed to the Guards Polo Club in 1969, a nod to the Guards Division of the British Army. Colonel William Gerard Leigh, who lived from 1915 to 2008, guided the club for 25 years, first as a player and then, from 1955, as chairman.
Royal connections
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was president from the club’s formation until his death in April 2021, and Queen Elizabeth II was its patron. King Charles III was announced as the new president in May 2024. The Queen and Prince Philip opened a purpose-built clubhouse and Royal box at Smith’s Lawn on 26 April 2009, which gave the club a grandstand worthy of the occasion.
The grounds
The club has ten polo pitches on 53 hectares, about 130 acres, in Windsor Great Park. The stables, paddocks and training facilities sit about four miles away at Flemish Farm. Guards claims the largest membership of any polo club in Europe, and its season runs from April to mid-September.
The calendar
Guards is one of four British clubs that stage elite high-goal tournaments, alongside Cirencester Park, Cowdray Park and the Royal County of Berkshire. Its key events include:
- June: the Queen’s Cup, a high-goal tournament sponsored by Cartier, alongside the Royal Windsor Cup for medium goal.
- July: the Inter-Regimental tournament, which reflects the club’s military roots.
- Late July: the HPA’s International Day, which has drawn crowds of more than 30,000.
- September: the Nations Cup.
This summer
Guards will host England against Brazil for the Coronation Cup on 26 July. England have won all three previous meetings in the fixture, in 1996, 2001 and 2011. It is the HPA’s 150th anniversary year, so the occasion should be extra special.
For all the grandeur, what we most like about Guards is that it remains a real club. If you have never been, go on a smaller match day first. The setting alone is worth the trip, and the polo is never far behind.
Sources: Wikipedia, Guards Polo Club, HPA, Coronation Cup opposition
