The Gold Cup for the British Open began last Tuesday at Cowdray Park Polo Club in West Sussex. The tournament runs from 24 June to Sunday 20 July, and it is the centrepiece of the English high-goal season.
A trophy with a long history
The Gold Cup was founded in 1956 by the 3rd Viscount Cowdray, and it celebrated its golden jubilee in 2006. It is the premier 22-goal tournament in Europe, played over about three weeks, and the final takes place on the Lawns ground with the Cowdray ruins as a backdrop. The opening match this year was the Carlos Gracida Memorial Cup, played on the first day. Bentley has been announced as a partner for the 2025 championship.
Storylines to follow
Adolfo Cambiaso is the name most people will look out for. He shares the record for Argentine wins in the Gold Cup with Eduardo Moore at eight titles each, so a ninth would take him clear. He won the U.S. Open in April, and he arrives in England in fine form.
The trophy has also been won by women. Nina Clarkin won it in 2003 and Kayley Smith won in 2023, both British players.
- When: 24 June to 20 July
- Where: Cowdray Park Polo Club, West Sussex
- Level: 22 goals, the top of the British game
- Records: Cambiaso and Eduardo Moore share the Argentine record of eight wins
Who comes in with form?
Park Place won the Cartier Queen’s Cup on 15 June, beating La Dolfina/Marqués de Riscal 9-8, with Hilario Ulloa named Most Valuable Player. They also took the USPA Gold Cup in Florida. That puts them among the sides to beat in Sussex, though a long tournament and a deep field leave plenty of room for upsets.
How to watch
The club schedules over 40 matches across the tournament, with the semi-finals and final the headline days. The semi-finals fall in the middle of July, and the final is the Sunday after. We will follow the competition week by week and bring you the semi-finals and the final.
If you can get to Midhurst, early rounds are a relaxed way to see top-class polo up close, and the atmosphere builds all the way to final day.
Sources: PoloHub, Gold Cup background, Sussex Express, Gold Cup history
