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W E S T C H E S T E R C U P , R O Y A L C O U N T Y O F B E R K S H I R E P O L O C L U B , J U L Y 2 0 1 8
A C T I O N
T H E W E S T C H E S T E R C U P
With both teams hungry for victory, England pressed the home-ground
advantage to emerge triumphant over the USA, writes Carolina Beresford
The Westchester Cup unites everything polo
represents: history, international tradition,
and fierce competition.The trophy, played for
by teams representing the United States and
United Kingdom, has been highly regarded
since the end of the 19th century. Last played
in 2013, the event underwent a major
renaissance, resurfacing at the Royal County
of Berkshire Polo Club on a windswept
Saturday in July.The United States Polo
Association (USPA) presented a 28-goal
team, captained by Nic Roldan, while the
Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA) selected
James Beim to lead their 25-goal national
team. England were sponsored by Flannels
and outfitted in Hurlingham 1875, both on
and off the field, while USA teammembers
donned US Polo Association apparel.
The competition has varied in length over
the years, from a single game to the best of
three. Although America had lost the last
three encounters (1997, 2009, 2013), they
still lead the series overall, with 10 wins to
England’s seven. This year’s Westchester Cup
marked the 18th clash between the two
superpowers, and both national teams were
as hungry as ever to prove their superiority.
Roldan recruited Jeff Hall, Julio Arellano, and
youngster Peke Gonzalez, and the USPA
worked hard to secure the best horses on
offer. England not only had the advantage of
playing on home soil, but of harbouring a
type of familiarity that is rare in international
polo. Fresh from their Gold Cup win with
T H E D AY M A R K E D T H E B E G I NN I N G O F
A N E W E R A O F I N T E R N AT I O N A L P O L O
