While the biggest names in the sport fight it out at Cowdray, it is worth remembering that British polo is built on its grassroots, and this month has brought two good stories from the lower rungs of the ladder.
Windrush race into the semi-finals
A young team called Windrush has secured a place in the semi-finals of the KBIS 4 Goal Super League. The HPA reports that the team has won its way through the card at every tournament so far, and that it had an undefeated run in the Central league. They began their campaign with a win at Binfield Heath and never looked back.
The KBIS Super League is a low-goal competition, but the standard is high and the stakes are real. KBIS, which is the HPA’s official equine insurer and has become the title sponsor of the series, has helped to give grassroots clubs a national platform. A semi-final place is a fine achievement for a young side, and it shows that success in British polo does not depend on a high handicap.
Victor Futurum at Cowdray
At Cowdray Park, the second and final Victor Futurum tournament of 2025 is being played alongside the Gold Cup. The Cowdray Next Generation Challenge has three play dates, Sunday 29 June, Sunday 6 July and Sunday 13 July, and it is designed to showcase the rising stars of polo under 16. The format puts the emphasis on participation and enjoyment rather than intense competition. All the teams play one another, off the stick, and a points-based league decides the winners.
- The four teams are named after Cambridge, Meadowbrook, Hurlingham and Calcutta, which are the oldest surviving continuous polo clubs in England, the USA, Argentina and India.
- It follows the Guards Next Generation Challenge, the first leg of the series.
- Windrush Polo and Polo Stallions UK support the event.
The series is one of the first practical results of the HPA’s under-16 reforms, which came into force this season. We think the team names are a lovely touch, because they tie the youngest players to the long history of the sport.
The week ahead at Cowdray
The Gold Cup for the British Open reaches its business end this week, with the semi-finals midweek and the final on Sunday 20 July. We will have the full story next Monday.
Sources: HPA, Windrush races to KBIS Super League semi-final, HPA, Cowdray Next Generation Challenge
