Gold standard

On the 60th anniversary of the esteemed Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup, the competition at Cowdray Park is as fierce as ever, writes Liz Higgins

It was a very different world when John Cowdray launched the Gold Cup in 1956, and in its Diamond Jubilee year, he would be both amazed and thrilled to see the assembly of world-class players taking part in the annual celebration of polo that has become the Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup for the British Open Polo Championship.

Sponsors Jaeger-LeCoultre have been closely involved with Cowdray Park since 2006, when it became Official Timekeeper to the club. The luxury watchmaker extended its support by becoming title sponsors of the Gold Cup in 2015. This year, the brand celebrates the 85th anniversary of its iconic Reverso watch – the historic timepiece developed in the 1930s specifically for the sporting gentleman who played polo – with a new Reverso collection: the Reverso One is dedicated to femininity; the Reverso Tribute for men has a contemporary Art Deco inspiration; and the Classic collection for men and women introduces an automatic movement on a number of models.

Cowdray Park’s high-goal season opened with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Trippetts Challenge for the James Wentworth Stanley Cup, giving locally based teams a good warm-up for the demanding competition ahead. The La Indiana team of Michael Bickford with Julian de Lusarreta, Agustin Merlos and Nic Roldan achieved a confidence-boosting win, and as they contemplate the 2016 Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup opening on 21 June, a wider look at all the teams entered reveals some new and very exciting combinations.

Two Jaeger-LeCoultre brand ambassadors are playing, including Luke Tomlinson with Nick Clarke’s Clarke & Green. His side includes Juan Gris Zavaleta and John-Paul Clarkin, making for an evenly matched and powerful combination. Sir Charles Williams lends the support of his Apes Hill Club, Barbados, to George Hanbury. The 2016 Apes Hill side also includes Mark

This page 2015 Gold Cup final at Cowdray Opposite Jaeger-LeCoultre ambassadors (from left) Luke Tomlinson, Clare Milford Haven and Eduardo Novillo Astrada

Tomlinson, Alec White and Jaeger-LeCoultre ambassador Eduardo Novillo Astrada. The team reached the semi-finals in 2015. Last year’s winners, King Power, return as King Power Foxes, and Top Srivaddhanaprabha has cannily taken on 17-year-old Jose Ramon Araya, who played so well for UAE in his debut year in the 2015 Gold Cup. He joins the side’s 10-goal stars Gonzalito and Facundo Pieres. Ben Soleimani has retained the 9-goal skills of Nico Pieres and added a second 9-goaler to his line-up, Brazilian player Rodrigo Andrade. Ali Paterson, no stranger to success in the Gold Cup, completes this powerful side.

Britannia El Remanso is composed of four English professionals brought together by Charlie Hanbury – Ollie Cudmore playing off 5 goals, England captain James Beim (7) and James Harper (6) at the back door. The Pailloncy brothers’ HB Polo team has seen a significant change with the addition of 10-goaler David ‘Pelon’ Stirling playing alongside ‘Cubi’ Toccalino in the middle order, the side now forming a 22-goal line-up.

Cowdray Park welcomes USA patron Bob Jornayvaz, who brings Valiente to the Gold Cup. With a team comprising Juan Martín Nero, Adolfo Cambiaso and young English player Ralph Richardson, it’s no surprise the team is highly rated. But there will be many who fancy Zacara’s chances: Lyndon Lea has retained talented young Jack Hyde but has also brought in heavyweights Lucas Monteverde and Pablo Mac Donough, who nearly carried off a victory for UAE in 2015. Edouard Carmignac retains Polito Pieres and ‘Sapo’ Caset, both 9 goals in the UK but 10 in Argentina, and has added Tommy Beresford to the Talandracas team. Jean-François Decaux makes a welcome return with his La Bamba de Areco side. He is joined by Cristian Laprida, Diego Cavanagh and Rodrigo Rueda.

How fitting that in the cup’s Diamond Jubilee year, there will be a Cowdray team playing for the first time since 2009. Local support will be huge for Cowdray Vikings and particularly for young George Pearson (2), whose parents, Charles and Lila, have both played in the Gold Cup. George takes the number 1 position with 6-goalers Jack Richardson and Chris Mackenzie in the middle order and Alejandro Novillo Astrada (8) at back.

Sadly, John Cowdray, George’s grandfather, died before he was born, but how satisfied he would have been to witness the worldwide prominence that his wonderful golden trophy has achieved – and that there is once again a Cowdray team taking part.