While rain delayed play, the heat was brought on the fields of Cowdray Park Polo Club and spectators enjoyed two fast-faced, high goal matches for the British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup on Sunday 6th July.
Match 1:
The first match was a dominant performance by Kazak to defeat Valhalla 11-4. A strong start from Kazak saw them shoot to a 7-0 advantage by the end of the second chukka. They were then able to relax somewhat as they visibly took their foot off the gas although still ensuring at least 1 goal a chukka until the end of the game while Valhalla struggled to get a look in, scoring only once in the first half and going into the last 10-1 down. While they had opportunities at goal, 12 of their shots to goal went wide while Kazak sent home 7 of their 20 as well as 4 penalty goals. It was a comfortable win by Kazak, their 3rd of the tournament, and it puts them in a great position as the quarter finalists are decided over the next few days.
Match 2:
The second match of the day was a more evenly matched affair with Gaston Polo Team putting in an excellent performance to defeat the previously unbeaten UAE Polo side. UAE took a while to find their rhythm and allowed Gaston to secure a vital lead in the first half. Although Gaston gave away quite a few penalty resulting fouls, their accuracy from the field kept them on top and they played consistently throughout the game to earn their 3rd win of the tournament. They have surprised everybody by being one of the only unbeaten teams in the tournament so far. They are in a strong position for the final rounds of the qualifying section of the tournament. While UAE have suffered their first loss they remain strong.
Watch all Gold Cup matches here: https://cowdraypolo.co.uk/cowdray-tv/
Image credit Mark Beaumont
Stats provided by International Polo Academy