The British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup is an annual polo tournament held at Cowdray Park, West Sussex, England.
It is the premier polo tournament in Europe at High Goal (22 goal) level.
The tournament is held at Cowdray Park Polo Club with matches being played at their Lawns Grounds and Ambersham Grounds over the course of a 3-week period. Culminating in the Gold Cup Final held at Lawns grounds in the shadows of the Cowdray Ruins.
History The tournament was established in 1956 by 3rd Viscount Cowdray. Players have included members of the British royal family including Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and King Charles III, Kerry Packer and his son James Packer.
It was formerly sponsored by champagne house Veuve Clicquot and watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre.
According to polo player Mark Tomlinson, it is "the most important tournament in the UK".
According to polo patron of la Lechuza Caracas Team Victor Vargas, it was "the most important tournament for my career as a polo Patron and a polo Player. Winner of British Gold Cup in 2007.https://hurlinghampolo.com/past-winners-of-the-gold-cup/
List of Champions
Year Team Players 1956 Los Indios J M Mareno, J Nagore, A Heguy, J E Harriott 1957 Windsor Park Juan Nelson, E Lalor, Col H P Guinness, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh 1958 Cowdray Park Lt Col P W Dollar, Lt Col A F Harper, Rao Raja Hanut Singh, J Lakin 1959 Casarejo Baron Elie de Rothschild, R Gracida, A Gracida, P Domecq La Riva 1960 Casarejo Baron Elie de Rothschild, R Gracida, A Gracida, P Domecq La Riva 1961 Cowdray Park Brig M A Baig, Paul Withers, Lt Col A F Harper, C M T Smith-Ryland 1962 Cowdray Park Brig M A Baig, Bryan Bethell, Paul Withers, C M T Smith-Ryland 1963 La Vulci Marquess Giacinto Guglielmi di Vulci, J M T Zavaleta, C de la Serna, D Gonzalez 1965 Jersey Lilies R Diaz, P Kemple, Rao Raja Hanut Singh, E Moore 1967 Woolmers Park E Zorilla, Dr J Marin Moreno, J L Lucas, C Garros 1968 Pimms Earl of Brecknock, Julian Hipwood, D Gonzalez, A Goti 1969 Windsor Park Major Lord Patrick Beresford, Marquis of Waterford, The Duke of Edinburgh, Paul Withers 1970 Boca Raton J Casey, Jack Oxley, Roy Barry Jnr, John T Oxley 1971 Pimms Lord Brecknock, E Zorilla, D Gonzalez, Major R I Ferguson 1972 Pimms Lord Brecknock, R Tongg, D Gonzalez, Major R I Ferguson 1973 Stowell Park Lord Vestey, Hon Mark Vestey, E R Moore, Héctor Barrantes 1974 Stowell Park Lord Vestey, D Gemmell, E Moore, Héctor Barrantes 1975 Greenhill Farm J R Sharp, L Armour III, T Wayman, Major R I Ferguson 1976 Stowell Park J N Williams, Hon Mark Vestey, E R Moore, Héctor Barrantes 1977 Foxcote P G Palumbo, Hon Mark Vestey, E R Moore, D Devrient 1978 Stowell Park Lord Vestey, A P Marriage, E R Moore, Héctor Barrantes 1979 Songhai Ollie Ellis, Alan Kent, Gonzalo Pieres Sr., A Pieres 1980 Stowell Park P Elliott, Hon Mark Vestey, E R Moore, Héctor Barrantes 1981 Falcons A Ebeid, Gonzalo Pieres Sr., H Merlos, L Amaya 1982 Southfield D Yeoman, Carlos Gracida, J Walker, Lord Charles Beresford 1983 Falcons A Hine, Carlos Gracida, M Gracida, A Ebeid 1984 Southfield D Yeoman, Alan Kent, Owen Rinehart, David Jamison 1985 Maple Leafs Julian Hipwood, A Devcich, Galen Weston, L Amaya/M Glue 1986 Tramontana Anthony Embiricos, Martin Brown, Carlos Gracida, Jesus Baez 1987 Tramontana Anthony Embiricos, R Gonzalez/M Azzaro, Carlos Gracida, David Jamison 1988 Tramontana Anthony Embiricos, Valerian Aguillar, Carlos Gracida, David Jamison 1989 Tramontana Anthony Embiricos, R Gonzalez, Carlos Gracida, David Jamison 1990 Hildon M Amoore, T Llorente, H Hipwood, N Lobel 1991 Tramontana Anthony Embiricos, Adolfo Cambiaso, Carlos Gracida, Adam Buchanan 1992 Black Bears Urs Schwarzenbach, S Merlos, P Merlos, M Brown 1993 Alcatel P Webb, Gabriel Donoso, P Alberdi, I Gonzlez 1994 Ellerston Black O Taylor, R Gonzalez, Carlos Gracida, James Packer 1995 Ellerston White O Hipwood, Carlos Gracida, Gonzalo Pieres Sr., Kerry Packer 1996 C S Brooks Sebastian Dawnay/John Fisher, Ignacio Heguy, Eduardo Heguy, B Johnson 1997 Labegorce H Perrodo, J Novillo Astrada, Carlos Gracida, Jamie Le Hardy 1998 Ellerston James Beim, Adolfo Cambiaso, Gonzalo Pieres Sr., J Fisher 1999 Pommery J Manconi, H Brett, J Bollini, Alejandro Díaz-Alberdi 2000 Geebung D Allen, Bautista Heguy, Adolfo Cambiaso, Rick Stowe 2001 Dubai A Albwardy, L Castagnola, Adolfo Cambiaso, Ryan Pemble 2002 Black Bears Urs Schwarzenbach, J Novillo Astrada, E Novillo Astrada, A Novillo Astrada 2003 Hildon Sport Nina Vestey, Mark Tomlinson, Luke Tomlinson, J P Clarkin 2004 Azzurra Negro Novillo Astrada, Juan Martin Nero, Marcos Heguy, Stefano Marsaglia 2005 Dubai Tariq Albwardy, Lucas Monteverde, Alejandro Díaz-Alberdi, Agustin Nero 2006 Black Bears Guy Schwarzenbach, Eduardo Novillo Astrada, Javier Novillo Astrada, Lucas James 2007 Lechuza Caracas Victor Vargas, Pite Merlos, Sebastian Merlos, Henry Fisher 2008 Loro Piana David Stirling, Alfio Marchini, Juan Martin Nero, Jamie Peel 2009 La Bamba De Areco Jean Farncois Decaux, Gonzalito Pieres, Facundo Pieres, Tomas Garbarini Islas 2010 Dubai Rashid Albwardy, Francisco Vismara, Pablo Mac Donough, Adolfo Cambiaso 2011 Zacara Gonzalo Deltour, Lyndon Lea, Hillario Ulloa, Ignatius Du Plessis 2012 Cortium Francisco Elizalde, Polito Pieres, Jaime Huidobro, Adrian Kirby 2013 Zacara Facundo Pieres, Lyndon Lea, Rodrigo de Andrade, Mathew Perry 2014 Dubai Rashid Albwardy, Ali Paterson, Diego Cavanagh, Adolfo Cambiaso 2015 King Power Foxes Top Srivaddhanaprabha, Hugo Lewis, Gonzalito Pieres, Facundo Pieres 2016 King Power Foxes Tal Srivaddhanaprabha, Hugo Lewis, Gonzalito Pieres, Facundo Pieres 2017 King Power Foxes Hugo Taylor, James Fewster, Gonzalito Pieres, Facundo Pieres 2018 El Remanso Charles Hanbury, Oliver Cudmore, James Beim, James Harper 2019 Dubai Camilo Castagnola, Rashid Albwardy, Bartolomé Castagnola Jr, Ignatius Du Plessis 2020 Next Generation Jean Francois Decaux, Poroto Cambiaso, Diego Cavanagh, Adolfo Cambiaso 2021 Thai Polo NP Louis Hine, Ned Hine, Nicolas Pieres, James Harper 2022 Park Place Andrey Borodin/Josh Hyde, Louis Hine, Francisco Elizalde, Facundo Pieres 2023 UAE Tommy Beresford, Lukin Monteverde, Bartolomé Castagnola Jr, H. H Sheika Maitha sub Kayley Maria Smith 2024 Dubai Camilo Castagnola, Antonio Heguy, Beltran Laulhé, Rashid Albwardy 2025 La Dolfina Scone Mia Cambiaso, Hugo Taylor, Paco de Narvaez, Adolfo Cambiaso 2026 Gaston Jean-Paul Luksic, Gonzalo Ferrari, Beltran Laulhe, Cruz Heguy
Statistics
Titles by team RankTeamTitlesWinning years1Dubai62001, 2005, 2010, 2014, 2019, 20242Stowell Park51973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980Tramontana51986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 19914Cowdray Park31958, 1961, 1962Pimms31968, 1971, 1972Black Bears31992, 2002, 2006Ellerston / Ellerston Black / Ellerston White31994, 1995, 1998King Power Foxes32015, 2016, 20179Windsor Park21957, 1969Casarejo21959, 1960Falcons21981, 1983Southfield21982, 1984Zacara22011, 2013
Titles by player The list below highlights athletes with 3 or more titles. RankPlayerTitles1Carlos Gracida102Adolfo Cambiaso83E. R. Moore74Facundo Pieres65Anthony Embiricos5Héctor Barrantes57D. Gonzalez4David Jamison4Gonzalo "Gonzalito" Pieres Jr.4Gonzalo Pieres Sr.4Mark Vestey4Rashid Albwardy413Lord Vestey3Major R. I. Ferguson3Paul Withers3R. Gonzalez3
References
https://cowdraypolo.co.uk/gold-cup/ https://hurlinghampolo.com/past-winners-of-the-gold-cup https://cowdraypolo.co.uk/news/gold-cup-final-2021/ https://cowdraypolo.co.uk/dubai-polo-team-win-cowdray-gold-cup-2024/