England had an extraordinary fourth chukka of the Golden Jubilee, snatching victory from the USA with standout star Louis Hine netting an brilliant eight goals. A packed crowd at the Beaufort International were treated to a fantastic game on Saturday 14 June 2025.
From the opening throw-in, Hine charged forward, scoring within the first 15 seconds to put England ahead. The Americans quickly retaliated—Mackenzie Weisz breaking away, only to be denied by a last-ditch challenge from Tommy Severn. Ed Banner-Eve followed up with a crucial backhand to thwart another USA attempt, but a Penalty 2 awarded to Weisz levelled the score at 1-1 by the two-minute mark.
A foul on Severn by Nico Escobar handed Hine the first of six Penalty 2 conversions, easily slotted to make it 2-1. The USA responded with flair: a huge drive from Nico Escobar found Weisz again, who coolly tapped the ball home. Nico Escobar then stormed through midfield on Delicia, scoring a stunning field goal to take the lead. Moments later, a scuffle between Alfie Hyde and Weisz resulted in another Penalty 2, confidently dispatched by Weisz to extend the USA’s lead to 4-2.
England looked to claw their way back in the second chukka. A massive drive from Banner-Eve found Hine lurking near the posts, but he was edged out at the last moment. A foul by the USA handed Hine another Penalty 2, narrowing the deficit to 3-4. Yet another Hine field goal was denied—this time saved on the line by Lucas Escobar—before the USA added to their tally with another Penalty 2, making it 5-3.
Banner-Eve soon ignited the home crowd with a superb run toward goal, showcasing the power and agility of his string—finely tuned this year for the faster-paced, more open play enabled by the live-blocking rule. Just as he closed in, Weisz rode him off but carried the ball over his own backline. England’s resulting Safety 60 missed its mark, and a monster 100-yard shot from Severn drifted just wide, leaving England still trailing by two goals entering the third.
Midway through the third chukka, Nico Escobar broke free from a thundering ride-off by Severn but sent his shot inches wide. England’s Hyde had a promising chance of his own in the final seconds, but couldn’t quite get there and the scoreboard held steady at 5-3 as the buzzer went for half time.
Enter Glen Gilmore. Making his debut as England coach, the Australian legend wasted no time in rallying his team, and they emerged on fire in the fourth chukka. Putting enormous pressure on the opposition with organised play and brilliant teamwork, two quick fouls gave Hine back-to-back Penalty 2 conversions to tie the game 5-5, and England’s momentum continued to climb when Severn unleashed a superb neck shot, echoing his 2024 Whitbread heroics, to put England ahead for the first time since the opening stages.
Hine’s precision and poise continued to unravel the American game. A foul just yards from goal led to a Penalty 1, extending England’s lead to 7-5. Moments later, another Penalty 2 from Hine made it 8-5. The USA pulled one back via Weisz to make it 8-6 with a minute to go, and the buzzer went to make it a 4-1 chukka for England, having reversed their fortunes to head into the final chukka.
The fifth and final chukka brought high tension. The USA nearly converted a frantic 30-second goalmouth scramble, eventually earning a penalty which Nico Escobar coolly finished to bring it to 8-7 and the USA back within one. Then came one of the day’s standout moments: Hine intercepted a USA attack on the goal line and charged the full length of the field aboard his ex-racehorse Trinny (formerly Newton Place), only to be ridden off by Nico Escobar. Play resumed and another foul against England allowed Hine to add one more from the 30-yard line, pushing the lead to 9-7 with three minutes remaining. Though a determined Nico Escobar clawed one back in the dying seconds, it was not enough and the England team came home the winners after a tough match on both sides.
There was no doubt that Louis Hine would be awarded the Explora Most Valuable Player prize, netting an incredible 8-night adventure through Chile and Peru with the World’s Leading Expedition Company, England sponsor Explora.
The Explora Best Playing Pony rug went to Delicia, an 8-year-old mare owned and played by Nico Escobar
The Best Playing Retrained Racehorse could be none other than Newton Place (Trinny), a 10-year-old mare owned and played by Louis Hine
ENGLAND (9)
Alfie Hyde (3)
Louis Hine (5)
Ed Banner-Eve (5)
Tommy Severn (5)
USA (8)
Hunter Azzaro (0)
Nico Escobar (6)
Mackenzie Weisz (6)
Lucas Escobar (6)
Umpires: Pepe Araya, Julian Appleby, and John Martin
Photo credit – Art of Polo