Mon 22nd Jul 2024The British Open Polo Championship for The Cowdray Gold Cup Final 11-3 win for Dubai against La Dolfina Great Oaks
Huge crowds gathered on Sunday 21 July at Cowdray Park Polo Club with high hopes for a battle between the giants in The British Open Polo Championship for The Cowdray Gold Cup Final with Dubai versus La Dolfina Great Oaks.
La Dolfina Great Oaks went into the Final as strong contenders having begun the high goal season lifting The Justerini & Brooks Prince of Wales Trophy and reaching the Final of both The Cartier Queen’s Cup and The Cowdray Gold Cup. Dubai were unbeaten in this year’s Cowdray Gold Cup and had reached the Final in 2023 and 2022 – would this be the year they could secure their sixth Cowdray Gold Cup win?
Dubai was the youngest team in the tournament with a total combined player age of just 90 years old, but La Dolfina Great Oaks also had youth on their side with 18-year-old 9 goaler Poroto Cambiaso having displayed his flair for open play in the Semi Finals.
17-year-old Beltrán Laulhé began the scoring for Dubai showing their intent to dominate this Final from the outset, which they continued to do through all six chukkas, with a green wall of shirts slowing down any attacks made by La Dolfina Great Oaks and limiting their ability to utilise their usual style of fast, flowing polo. They marked La Dolfina Great Oaks like bees to honey and left them little chance to get on the scoreboard, which was reflected in the 5-1 score in favour of Dubai at the end of the second chukka.
There were flashes of open, fast-paced play from La Dolfina Great Oaks’ Cambiaso, but his horsepower was more than matched by Dubai and Castagnola followed these breaks away like a shadow. Dubai worked together tirelessly to mark La Dolfina Great Oaks out of any opportunities they had. The pressure appeared to get on top of La Dolfina Great Oaks as well, with penalties not converted, which only widened the gap as Dubai relentlessly pushed towards goal and left La Dolfina Great Oaks fighting for every single inch.
Dubai came out after half-time seemingly determined not to let La Dolfina Great Oaks get back into the match at all; Castagnola carried the ball the length of the ground at a full gallop and deftly slotted it in between the posts to increase the lead to 8-2, and proving just why he is rated at 10 goals. Each year Castagnola returns playing better and better, the chat amongst the spectators rated him above the 10 goal maximum handicap during the Final and this year saw a new dimension with the incorporation of his teammates into his electric style of play. Laulhé ended the Final as he began, with a final goal for Dubai to secure the win 11-3 and with it Dubai’s sixth Gold Cup title.
Castagnola was named Most Valuable Player, Alberta Gulfstream, played by Castagnola, was the Best Playing Pony and Dubai Chalita, played by Rashid Albwardy, was the Best Patron Playing Pony.
A full report will be in the August issue of Polo Times, click here to subscribe today.
The British Open Polo Championship for The Cowdray Gold Cup Final Teams:
Dubai (22): Jeta Castagnola (10), Rashid Albwardy (2), Antonio Heguy (5) & Beltrán Laulhé (5)
La Dolfina Great Oaks (22): Dillon Bacon (2), Kian Hall (3), Diego Cavanagh (8) & Poroto Cambiaso (9)
Photograph: Dubai, winners of The British Open Polo Championship for The Cowdray Gold Cup. By ©www.imagesofpolo.com
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