From 23rd June to 19th July, 14 teams will fight at Cowdray Park Polo Club for one of the most coveted titles in the sport of polo: the Jaeger-LeCoultre Cup at the British Open Championship. The high goal tournament was held for the first time in 1956 and today is meeting point for the international polo elite. This year six 10-goalers will participate in the tournament: Adolfo Cambiaso, Juan Martin Nero, Gonzalito Pieres, Facundo Pieres, Pablo Mac Donough and David Stirling. The event guarantees highly competitive matches and close runs.
Last year’s winner – Rashid Albwardy’s team Dubai including polo player No. 1 Adolfo Cambiaso – have also announced their attendance and the players will do their utmost to defend the title. In 2014, Dubai won the Gold Cup for the fourth time.
Following their impressive debut in the past year – at their first appearance team King Power of Aiyawatt “Top” Srivaddhanaprabha (0) made it to the final – this year Top returns with his team King Power Foxes and a double support of the Pieres brothers. His brother Apichet “Tal” Srivaddhanaprabha will play for the second King Power team.
Not only do the teams include old acquaintances, but there will be also three new participants: team La Indiana of Michael Bickford, team RH Polo of Ben Soleimani and team VPS Healthcare Sifani of Dr Hilali Noordeen.
Chris Bethell, Polo Manager for Cowdray Park, comments: “We are delighted that fourteen teams have entered the 2015 Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup, indicating once again the stature of the British Open Polo Championship in world terms. Every team will draw for a place in three leagues. I guarantee every team four league games, and the top eight, determined by points and goal difference, go forward to the quarter finals leading to the final knock-out phase of the British Open tournament.”
This year the Swiss watchmaking manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre has assumed the title sponsoring for the Gold Cup for the first time. Zahra Kassim-Lakha, Director UK Market and Global Strategy of Jaeger-LeCoultre says: “We are thrilled to have taken on the title sponsorship of this world-class tournament. In 2015 the Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup for the British Open Polo Championship will embrace the historic roots of polo in which the Maison has been a stakeholder since 1931 when the iconic Reverso watch was specially designed for its players.”
The 2015 Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup will start on Tuesday, 23rd June with the match for the Carlos Gracida Memorial Trophy. The quarterfinals will be held on 11th and 12th July, the final will take place on Sunday, 19th July.
The teams:
GROUP A
Apes Hill (+22)
Mark Tomlinson (+6)
Ralph Richardson (+1)
Eduardo Novillo Astrada (+9)
Tom Morley (+6)
King Power Foxes (+22)
Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha (+1)
Hugo Lewis (+1)
Gonzalito Pieres (+10)
Facundo Pieres (+10)
Zacara (+22)
Juan Martin Nero (+10)
Lyndon Lea (+1)
Rodrigo Andrade (+9)
Jack Hyde (+2)
El Remanso (+22)
George Hanbury (+3)
Charlie Hanbury (+4)
David Stirling (+10)
Ollie Cudmore (+5)
GROUP B
La Indiana (+22)
Michael Bickford (+1)
James Beim (+7)
John Paul Clarkin (+8)
James Harper (+6)
Salkeld (+22)
Nick Clarke (+1)
Juan Zavaleta (+7)
Joaquin Pittaluga (+7)
Luke Tomlinson (+7)
VPS Healthcare Sifani (+22)
Hilali Noordeen (0)
Max Charlton (+7)
Agustin Merlos (+9)
Malcolm Borwick (+6)
Talandracas (+22)
Edouard Carmignac (0)
Polito Pieres (+9)
Guillermo Caset (+9)
Zac Hagedoorn (+4)
GROUP C
HB Polo (+20)
Ludovic Pailloncy (+1)
Cristian Laprida (+8)
Ignacio Toccalino (+8)
Sebastien Pailloncy (+3)
King Power (+22)
Tal Srivaddhanaprabha (0)
Alejandro Muzzio (+7)
Marcos Di Paola (+8)
Guillermo Willington (+7)
Dubai (+22)
Rashid Albwardy (+2)
Martin Valent (+4)
Alejo Taranco (+6)
Adolfo Cambiaso (+10)
RH Polo (+21)
Ben Soleimani (0)
Francisco Elizalde (+7)
Nico Pieres (+9)
Santiago Von Wernich (+5)
UAE (+22)
Jose Ramon Araya (0)
Santiago Stirling (+4)
Lucas Monteverde (+8)
Pablo MacDonough (+10)
Thai Polo (+22)
Harald Link (0)
Matias Torres Zavaleta (+7)
Nic Roldan (+8)
Tomas Garcia del Rio (+7)
