Polo Season is Underway in England

While the high goal polo season in Wellington has ended, it’s just getting started in England with some familiar faces.

The season, one of the most prestigious alongside Argentina and Wellington, is already under way with the first two recently completed tournaments, Justerini & Brooks Prince of Wales Trophy at Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club and Trippetts Challenge at Cowdray Park.

Legendary Adolfo Cambiaso, one of the winningest players at the National Polo Center, has already lost his season-opening tournament with his La Dolfina Jindal teammates Naveen Jindal, 0, Rufino Merlos, 6, and Gonzalo Ferrari, 7. Cambiaso, who was playing some of his cloned horses, has not won the Justerini & Brooks Prince of Wales Trophy since 2017.

In a thrilling game despite rain, windy conditions, and low fan turnout, ⁠Cibao La Pampa’s 8-goaler Paco de Narvaez, Juan Pepa, 2, Ollie Cudmore, 5 and Toly Ulloa, 7, rallied in the final minutes of regulation to take an 8-7 lead with back-to-back goals by de Narvaez, who rode off Cambiaso hard before scoring. Ferrari’s 30-yard penalty conversion with five seconds left sent the game into overtime, where Pepa scored the golden goal with 4:51 to win 9-8. Both teams combined for 21 missed shots.

After three runner-up finishes in the tournament, Cudmore was named Most Valuable Player. 

“Really happy to have won it, we lost three finals and I was pretty desparate to tick it off the list,” said Cudmore in a post-game interview with British Polo Review. “We have a really fun team with great guys. Juan is a great guy to play for, and Toly and Paco are great teammates. We have really good team spirit. We’re having fun. So far it’s been great.  

“We started a bit slow,” Cudmore added. “We knew it was going to be a tough game. Luck was with us today and Juan scored an amazing goal.”

Antu Walung Rumba, aged 12, played by de Narvaez and bred and owned by Francisco de Narvaez, was Best Playing Pony.

At the Trippetts Challenge, teenage sensation Lorenzo Chavanne, 18, took up where he left off in the Gauntlet of Polo. His team, Balanz Capital La Hechicera won with an impressive 17-6 victory over defending champion Gaston (Jean-Paul Luskic, Beltran Lauhle, Pelon Sterling and Cruz Heguy) in a battle of the unbeatens. The Trippetts Challenge, featuring teams up to 22 goals, is considered one of the most competitive high goal tournaments.

Balanz Capital La Hechicera shut out Gaston in the third and fourth chukkers with Chavanne scoring six goals in two chukkers for a 10-3 lead after four chukkers. Chavanne was joined by Pilot teammate and 10-goaler Jeta Castagnola, Ned Hine, and patrons Pablo Galante and Claudio Porcel. Chavanne swept MVP and Best Playing Pony honors with V8 Back Home.

Chavanne, winner of the USPA Gold Cup and U.S. Open with Pilot, MVP in both tournaments, and best mounted in the Gauntlet with the top string, is playing a new string in England. 

Also playing across the pond are Juan Martin Nero, Hilario Ulloa, Polito Pieres, Barto Castagnola, Sapo Caset, Gonzalito Pieres, Tommy Panelo, Benjamin Panelo, Pablo MacDonough, Diego Cavanagh, Nico Pieres, Francisco Elizalde, Louis Hine, Chris Mackenzie, Tommy Beresford, Juan Martin Zubia, Mackie Weisz, Matt Perry, and Hazel Jackson. 

In addition to Adolfo Cambiaso, his son Poroto returns. At 51, Adolfo Cambiaso was recently lowered from 10 to 9 goals in the U.S. Poroto Cambiaso remains at 10 goals and is playing for La Dolfina Marques De Riscal with Alejandro Aznar, Simon Prado, and Félix Esain.

The most prestigious and coveted tournaments in England are the 22-goal Cartier Queen’s Cup which gets under way this week at Guards Polo Club and British Polo Open for the Cowdray Gold Cup at Cowdray Park, considered the “Home of British Polo,” where more than 400 matches are played. 

Twenty high goal teams will compete either in the 22, 18, and 16 goal tournaments. All tournaments are free to view live and on demand on polocamtv.