Saturday 10th May marked the first Final of the 2025 season, as Cowdray Park Polo Club welcomed a bustling crowd to witness Gould face off against Bad Boys Polo Team.
Lining up for Gould were George Gould (0) at 1, Brigitte Boher (0) at 2, Jack Aldridge (2) at 3, and New Zealander Jimmy Wood (4) at Back. For Bad Boys, Mathieu Van Delden Jnr (0) took the 1 position, with his father Mathieu Van Delden (0) at 2, 4-goaler Ollie Cork at 3, and Pedro Ferrero (2) at Back.
With the sun shining down over Lawns 2, the match kicked off with a goal straight from the lineout by Jimmy Wood. Moments later, a foul by Bad Boys resulted in a successfully converted 30-yard penalty by Wood, giving Gould an early 2-0 lead going into the second chukka. Another costly foul by Bad Boys allowed Wood to add a 40-yard penalty conversion. Determined not to fall behind, Bad Boys responded with a great goal by Van Delden Jnr to put them on the scoreboard. A neck shot by Cork kept them in pursuit, but a late goal by Wood just before the buzzer gave Gould a 4-2 lead at half-time.
A foul in the lineup early in the third chukka handed Gould yet another opportunity, which Wood successfully took. Cork answered back with a well-timed goal, but another foul continued to cost Bad Boys’, with Jimmy Wood converting yet another 40-yard penalty. Wood then capitalized on a breakaway to score his seventh goal, ending the third chukka with Gould leading 7-2. The final chukka showcased excellent teamwork from Bad Boys, with a goal out from 60 yards by Cork assisted by Van Delden, followed by a well-taken penalty by Cork. However, it wasn’t enough to reel in the dominant Gould side, as Wood capped off his impressive performance with an eighth and final goal securing an 8–5 victory for Gould.
A thrilled George Gould stepped forward to receive the Jubilee Cup from The Hon. Mrs. Lila Pearson. The X-Zony Best Playing Pony Rug was awarded to the New Zealand Off The Track Thoroughbred Black Dot, played and owned by Jimmy Wood, and beautifully turned out by groom Bridget Stewart.
