England’s women and France shared the Silver Jubilee Trophy on Saturday after a 5-5 draw at Cirencester Park Polo Club. The teams shook hands at the final whistle, and nobody could really argue with the result.
The teams
England were led by Milly Hine, who captained her country for the first time. Two players made their senior debuts: Jemima Walker and Tegan Bristow. The HPA announced the teams on 17 June.
- England: Milly Hine (9, captain), Heloise Wilson-Smith (6), Jemima Walker (4) and Tegan Bristow (3).
- France: Elena Venot (7), Pearl Venot (6), Ambre Ploix (5) and Lucie Venot (4).
Nina Clarkin, who recently received the HPA Medal of Honour, coached the England team and hosted the match at Cirencester Park.
How it unfolded
Walker made a dream start with two quick goals to put England 2-0 ahead. Ambre Ploix set up Elena Venot to make it 2-1, and Pearl Venot then levelled. England went in front again through Hine’s attack, and Hine later converted a penalty to make it 5-3 with about two minutes left in the first half. Elena Venot reduced the gap with a long shot at half-time to make it 5-4.
In the second half, a French goal was disallowed for an infringement. Ploix’s backhand then set up Pearl Venot to equalise at 5-5. Neither side scored again, though both had chances, including a penalty 3 for France, and late attempts by Hine and Walker did not find the target.
Awards
- Most Valuable Player: Jemima Walker, on her debut.
- Best Playing Pony: Lemon, played by Lucie Venot.
- Best Playing Retrained Racehorse: My Vicky, played by Milly Hine.
Context
The match was the follow-up to last year’s Diamond Jubilee, in which England beat Argentina 6-3. A draw is a less dramatic result, but it was a very good advertisement for the women’s game, and the debutants did themselves proud.
The Cowdray Gold Cup starts tomorrow, and we will have plenty to say about that next week.
Sources: HPA, England and France share the Silver Jubilee, HPA, Silver Jubilee team announcement
