H&C is excited to learn that 20 teams have entered the 2010 Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup for the British Open Polo Championship. Entries suddenly rocketed from an early expectation of 13 to include several teams entering the Gold Cup for the first time, say Cowdray Park Polo Club.

2009 Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup winners, La Bamba de Areco, with Patron Jean-Fancois Decaux Pieres brothers Gonzalito and Facundo, defend the title of British Open Champions with the inclusion of Edmund Parsons as fourth team member. Finalists in the 2009 Gold Cup, Dubai, return with Rashid Albwardi, son of Patron Ali Albwardy, Adolfo Cambiaso, Francisco Vismara and Pablo MacDonough.

2008 winners Loro Piana return with a new line-up to Alfio Marchini’s team which includes Santiago Chavanne at No: 2, Juan Martin Nero at 3 and young William Beresford at Back. Victor Vargas and his 2007 winning team Lechuza are back, this year with talented young English player Max Routledge, 4 goals, included in the side. Also high up in the list of contenders is Ossama Aboughazale’s Sumaya team, this year with Carlos Gracida at no: 3 making a bid for his eleventh Gold Cup win.

Other contenders from 2009 making a renewed bid to win the most coveted trophy in polo, include Stefano Marsaglia, whose team this year is re-named Piaget, Adrian Kirby, also with a new team name – Silver Spring, and Talandracas with French patron Edouard Carmignac who has drafted in Luke Tomlinson at Back. Les Lions 1 and 2, the teams of father and son patrons Jo and Max Gottschalk, have also made their entries. Nick Clark is back again with Salkeld and Lyndon Lea with his Zacara team, while El Remanso this year features English brothers Charlie and George Hanbury playing alongside Jaime Huidobro and David ‘Pelon’ Stirling, a previous Gold Cup winner with Loro Piano.

After several years’ absence, Roger Carlsson returns to the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup with his team now re-named Billingbear Park, and Swiss patron Fabien Pictet also returns after a four year gap with a new Emerging side.

Brand new to the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup are Nigel Warr, a Cowdray member entering the high goal for the first time, Panthers entered by Philip Magor and featuring his son Ed Magor, La Dolfina Polo Ranch, entered by Hector Gutierrez and Cirencester Park Polo Club, the team entered by Nick Britten Long.

Sadly in Cowdray Park’s centenary year there is no Cowdray team, and local support is likely to transfer to the only team actually based on the Cowdray Estate - Enigma, the side of French patron Jerome Wirth, returning with a completely unchanged line-up from 2009.

The Draw to decide matchplay in the opening rounds takes place on 8 June and there is palpable excitement at the prospect of such an open tournament ahead.

The Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup tournament opens on 22nd June leading to Quarter Finals on 10-11th July, Semi Finals on 15th July and the Final on Sunday 18th July. For further information or to book online visit the link below.