Polo has a long and storied history with many prestigious trophies that are played for by teams from all over the world. Some of the cups still played for today are over a hundred years old and feature some of the most well-known names in polo. Here you will find the story behind some of polo’s most coveted trophies.
The Coronation Cup
First played in 1911, and now the feature match of the HPA’s International Day since its revival in 1971.
Coronation Cup
The Coronation Cup was first played in 1911 in honour of the coronation of King George V. Until 1939, it was played by the winners of the London Open Tournaments; Hurlingham, Roehampton, Ranelagh, and the Inter-Regimental. After two earlier post-war revivals, since 1971 it has been played as part of the Hurlingham Polo Association’s International Day.
The Coronation Cup trophy was designed by renowned London goldsmiths D & J Welby, who operated for nearly 150 years, closing their doors in 1974. The trophy has been valued in excess of £100,000, standing over a metre tall and weighing in at 550 t.oz.
The legendary Howard Hipwood clocked up the most appearances in this match, playing for England 22 times over a 26-year period to just pip his older brother Julian Hipwood to the title on 21.
Only eight players have made more than ten appearances, with third-ranked James Beim the most successful of these, taking nine wins from 14 consecutive appearances – a whopping 64% win rate!
Alan Kent and Luke Tomlinson have 13 appearances each, while Mark Tomlinson, Henry Brett, and HPA Chairman Will Lucas round out the pack with 11 matches apiece.
The Westchester Cup
First played in 1886, this match between England and the USA is based on an historic rivalry that continues to this day.
The Westchester Cup
The first Westchester Cup meeting was in 1886, when John Watson took a team from Hurlingham to play against the Westchester Club at Newport, Rhode Island. Great Britain defeated the United States on this occasion and in 1900 and 1902, starting a rivalry that continues into the modern era. The match was played sporadically, a total of 13 times, until 1939 when it was prevented by the war and looked at risk of being consigned to the history books. It was happily revived at Windsor in 1992 and 1997 before another long hiatus until 2009. Since then, the Westchester has been a regular feature on the international calendar, played in 2013, 2018, 2019, and 2023.
The trophy itself was designed by Tiffany & Co, valued in excess of $250,0000, and it is not only one of the most coveted prizes in polo, but undoubtedly the most beautiful.
The Golden Jubilee
A small trophy with a truly royal history
The Golden Jubilee
It may not be the biggest trophy in the cabinet, but the Golden Jubilee Trophy has been won by none other than the Duke of Sussex, playing with James Harper, Nacho Gonzalez, and Andrew Hine to win at Guards in 2005. In recent years, the Golden Jubilee has become a feature match during the Gloucestershire Festival of Polo, hosted at Beaufort Polo Club in June each year. In 2023, England played their first international match against Peru for this trophy, with a young England team of Alfie Hyde, Luke Wiles, Dom Lodge and captain Zac Beim scoring a win to keep the trophy on home soil.
The Diamond Jubilee
One of the newest trophies on the international polo calendar.
The Diamond Jubilee
The Diamond Jubilee is one of the newest trophies in international polo, commissioned in 2012 in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th year on the throne and designed by renowned sculptor Emma MacDermott. The bronze is around 20inches high and the leopard represents the fact that Queen Elizabeth II was staying at Treetops Hotel in Aberdares, Kenya – well known as leopard country – when her father died and she became queen.
It was first played for between Young England and Young Commonwealth, and was presented to the winning England team by HRH Prince Philip to mark the occasion; Max Routledge, Max Charlton, George Meyrick, and Richard Le Poer were the first to have their names engraved on this beautiful trophy.
It has since been played for on numerous occasions, and is now usually reserved for a women’s fixture at the highest level (20+ goals). It was last won for England in 2024 by Nina Clarkin, Milly Hine, Charlotte Pykett, and Hazel Jackson against Argentina.
The Silver Jubilee
Reintroduced in 2023 and previously played for by King Charles III
The Silver Jubilee Cup
The Silver Jubilee Trophy was reintroduced in 2023 after a long absence. It was won on this occasion by England’s women’s team, playing against the USA in a brilliant match at Cirencester on 24 June. The enormous trophy was played for by King Charles III in the 1970’s, and we hope that it will be a regular feature on the international calendar in the future.
The Gold Cup
The most coveted trophy in British high goal polo, played since 1956.
The Gold Cup
The highlight of the English polo season, the British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup is widely regarded as the most important tournament in the UK. It was introduced in 1956 by the 3rd Viscount Cowdray, a former HPA Chairman, and spans over three weeks in the polo calendar. The winner’s roll for this trophy is a who’s who of polo, and a victory in the Gold Cup is one of the most sought-after achievements in a player’s career.
The Queen's Cup
One of the most prestigious trophies in polo.
The Queen's Cup
One of two major high-goal tournaments in the England polo season, the Queen’s Cup was established in 1960 and attracts the best players and ponies in the world from May until the finals in June.
Queen Elizabeth II presented the trophy during the first tournament, and it has enjoyed a royal presence ever since. Prince Philip competed in both 1964 and 1966, while King Charless III won with Les Diables Bleus in 1986 and has continued the tradition of presenting the trophy. Adolfo Cambiaso, one of polo’s greatest players in history, has won the cup ten times.
The Prince of Wales Trophy
The trophy signalling the start of the England high-goal season.
The Prince of Wales Trophy
Bryan Morrison opened the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club in 1986, just one year after he purchased the land as a rundown estate, succeeding in the monumental task of converting the 220-acre estate into a fully functioning polo club. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales (now King Charless III) opened the club as its first member, and this trophy is played in his honour. The Prince of Wales Trophy is the first of the four high-goal tournaments in played England, and signals the official start of the high goal season.
The Warwickshire Cup
The oldest of the four high goal trophies.
The Warwickshire Cup
The Warwickshire Cup is a historical polo tournament with its inception in 1894. The Warwickshire Polo Club hosted challenges until 1913, and the tournament returned in 1932 following the wars, as a trophy for the winner of the challenges between Roehampton and Hurlingham, or a foreign team. Since 1959 the Warwickshire has been played as part of the England high goal season.
The Olympic Trophy
Celebrating polo’s Olympic history.
The Olympic Trophy
Polo was among the first equestrian events to be included in the Olympics in 1900, and in London 1908 it was the only equestrian discipline included, where Great Britain were the gold medallists. It appeared again in 1920 and 1924 before its final appearance in 1936, although it remains a recognised sport by the IOC. The Olympic Trophy represents this rich history, and is played for in central London at the annual Polo In The Park event.
The Bryan Morrison
The International Day of the arena season.
The Bryan Morrison Trophy
The Bryan Morrison Trophy was first played in 2009, in memory of its late namesake. Bryan was an enthusiastic supporter of polo, founding the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club in 1985. His Majesty King Charles III was among the first members, and RCBPC is home to the UK’s first all-weather arena. Bryan was a leading music mogul, managing acts including Pink Floyd, Wham!, and George Michael, but he is best-remembered by the polo community for his unwavering love of the sport and his enormous contribution to the game.
The Donoso Trophy
Awarded in memory of one of polo’s greatest players.
The Donoso Trophy
The Donoso Trophy is traditionally presented to the captain of the opposition in the Coronation Cup, and was donated in memory of Gabriel Donoso, who won the Coronation Cup in 1998 and 2004. Gabriel was one of Chile’s most brilliant players, and this trophy is awarded in recognition of his outstanding contribution to polo in Chile and across the globe. In 2023 it was awarded to Fred Mannix Jr., and was presented by Gabriel’s sister Teresa Beresford.
Young England & Junior Trophies
The Whitbread Tankard
The Whitbread Trophy
The Whitbread Tankard was originally presented by the Colonel W. H. Whitbread Charitable Trust, which supports organisations to promote activities around education, welfare, and amateur sports and sporting endeavours that Colonel Whitbread enjoyed such as Ocean racing, Finn Class sailing, National Hunt Racing, Flying, Field sports, Eventing, and Polo. The Charitable Trust has been a long-term supporter of the Young England fixture for the Whitbread trophy, ensuring that young players get an opportunity to compete.
The Buckmaster Trophy
The Buckmaster Trophy
Walter Buckmaster, born in 1872, was a British polo player who played in both in the 1900 and the 1908 Olympics, where he won the silver medal. He was also a winner of the Westchester in 1902. In 1911, he became the first British player to be awarded a 10-goal handicap, cementing him as one of the greatest English players in history. He retired in 1923 to become a polo umpire. This trophy is played in his honour as a Young England fixture at the Gloucestershire Festival of Polo.
The Ferguson Trophy