History was made at Cowdray Park on Sunday. La Dolfina/Scone beat Kazak 9-8 in the final of the British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup, and Adolfo Cambiaso won his ninth Gold Cup with his daughter Mia playing alongside him.
The match
La Dolfina/Scone led 5-3 at half-time and were 9-7 ahead when Adolfo was replaced late on after breaking three fingers in a fall. The collision was ruled a foul against him, and Kazak scored from the resulting penalty to make it 9-8. The French side, who were making their first appearance in a Gold Cup final, pressed hard but could not find the equaliser.
- La Dolfina/Scone: Adolfo Cambiaso, Mia Cambiaso, Hugo Taylor and Paco de Narváez, with Tommy Panelo as a substitute.
- Kazak: Sébastien Aguettant, Chris Mackenzie, Nico Pieres and Francisco Elizalde.
Mia’s moment
Mia Cambiaso was named Most Valuable Player, and her mare DS Altamira took the best playing pony award. She is the first Argentine woman to win the Gold Cup, and only the third woman overall to win the trophy, following Nina Clarkin in 2003 and Kayley Smith in 2023. She is also the fourth woman to reach a Gold Cup final. It is hard to overstate how much that means to the women’s game in polo, which has grown rapidly in recent seasons.
Cambiaso’s record
For Adolfo it was a ninth Gold Cup title, which moves him clear of Eduardo Moore, with whom he had shared the Argentine record of eight. It was also his first win alongside his daughter. The British Open is one of the sport’s three Grand Slam events, along with the U.S. Open and the Argentine Open, and Cambiaso has now won two of them this year, after the U.S. Open in April.
The tournament ran from 24 June to 20 July with 18 high-goal teams, and for Kazak the final was a fine debut at the highest level. Their line-up was an international mix, and they had the game within a goal at the finish.
What next?
The next big day is Saturday 26 July, when the HPA’s International Day takes place at Guards Polo Club with England facing Brazil for the Coronation Cup. We will be there, and we will bring you the report on Monday.
Sources: Cowdray Park Polo Club, Cambiasos make history, U.S. Polo Assn. press release
