Cartier International Day 2010

England win HPA’s Coronation Cup

By Herbert Spencer

England defeated New Zealand 9-7 Sunday to take the Coronation Cup at the Hurlingham Polo Association’s flagship Cartier International Polo Day in Windsor Great Park.


Both teams were handicapped at 27 goals, but Audi-sponsored England, led by 7-goal captain Luke Tomlinson, looked the more seasoned team as they dominated the Kiwis into the fourth chukka, leading 7-1. 


Then England appeared to lose the script as 8-goaler John-Paul Clarkin, skipper of EFG-sponsored New Zealand, led a rally by the visitors to a 7-7 tie in the sixth chukka. England then recovered with goals by Tomlinson and James Beim to run out the winners. Beim was named most valuable player of the match.


Their Coronation Cup victory gave Audi England a 2-1 win-loss record in this season’s at-home international test matches.

 

Other members of the big England squad of the country’s leading players formed two teams to play for the HPA’s Golden Jubilee Trophy In an 18-goal morning match. Hurlingham defeated The Prince of Wales’s Team 7-6 in extra time.  


The HPA’s 39-year old International Day, the world’s biggest one-day polo event with upwards of 20,000 spectators this year, is hosted and organised by Guards Polo Club. HRH The Prince of Wales presided for the association.