New tournaments added to Cowdray polo programme

Cowdray Park's 2016 polo season opens on Saturday, April 23, with matchplay starting in the eight-goal Barrett Cup and the 12-goal Tyro Cup.
By The Newsroom
Published 15th Mar 2016, 13:00 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 18:32 BST

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Last year's Last Day Farewell Cup winners at Cowdray / Picture by Clive Bennett - www.polopictures.co.ukLast year's Last Day Farewell Cup winners at Cowdray / Picture by Clive Bennett - www.polopictures.co.uk
Last year's Last Day Farewell Cup winners at Cowdray / Picture by Clive Bennett - www.polopictures.co.uk

After a massive 485 matches were played in 2015, in order to satisfy increasing demand the Polo Club are introducing two new tournaments in 2016.

The Petworth 12-goal trophy will be played between June 4 and 12 and the Heyshott six-goal cup will be played from June 21 to July 3.

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Ranked alongside the Argentine and USA Opens, there will be four weeks of thrilling high-goal action in the British Open Polo Championship for the Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup, when spectators can expect to see the majority of the world’s ten-goal players in action on Cowdray’s world-class pitches.

The Gold Cup was launched in 1956 by the late John Cowdray, third Viscount, and 13 teams are predicted to be competing in the Diamond Jubilee year of the most coveted trophy in polo, including, for the first time since 2009, a Cowdray team.

The Hon Charles and Lila Pearson are proud to be entering a Cowdray Vikings team led by their son George, grandson of John Cowdray, who is a talented young two-goal player and a student at Oxford University.

The 2016 Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup tournament starts on June 21 with the King Power side of ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha returning to defend the title of British Open champions which they won in 2015.

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Highlights of the tournament include the Midhurst Town Cup on Sunday, June 26, with entry at just £5 per person, under-12s free.

The historic local cup will be contested as the principal match of the afternoon. The following weekend sees the popular Argentine Ambassadors Cup being played on Sunday, July 3, also at just £5 for adult entry.

The semi-finals of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup will be played on Wednesday, July 13, and the high-octane final will take place on Sunday, July 17.

The British Ladies’ Open Championship runs during the final week of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup with its final on Saturday, July 16.

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Six tournaments in the highly-popular HPA Series, which are open to all-comers and attract large entries, are spread over the season and a full range of domestic tournaments at low and medium goal level complete the calendar with the season closing on September 18. The total list of fixtures is available at www.cowdraypolo.co.uk.

Non-playing (social) membership of Cowdray Park Polo Club costs just £175 per annum giving the badge holder and a guest free access to all Cowdray Park’s fixtures throughout the season.

There is a one-off joining fee of £50. Junior membership for under-21s costs £50 per annum. For further details call the polo office on 01730 813257.

LIZ HIGGINS

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