Nine teams entered the penultimate 6 goal tournament of the season, The West Sussex Cup, with Benn Shepherd’s Oriflamme taking on Peter O’Rourke’s Strategic Help For Heroes in a close Final on August Bank Holiday Monday on Ambersham 1.
Benn Shepherd wore the number 1 shirt for Oriflamme with Noah Hyde at 2 and 3-goalers Jack Berner and Jason Warren at number 3 and Back respectively. For Strategic Help For Heroes, Peter O’Rourke was positioned at 1 alongside Rufus Uloth at 2, Jack Aldridge at 3 and Matt Evetts at Back. With a combined handicap of 5 goals, Oriflamme started the match with a half goal advantage.
Oriflamme were first onto the score board with a field goal from Jack Berner to give them a one goal advantage which they held for the duration of the chukka. Despite a couple of Safety 60 penalty opportunities, Strategic Help For Heroes were unable to concede a goal. Oriflamme led 1.5 – 0 at the end of the chukka.
Berner scored again for Oriflamme at the start of the second, however Matt Evetts responded with a goal for Strategic Help For Heroes, to be followed by two consecutive successful attempts by young Rufus Uloth to give Strategic Help For Heroes a half goal lead by the end of the second chukka; the scoreboard reading 3 – 2.5.
Following the half time break, Berner struck again for Oriflamme to claim back the advantage. Despite several attempts to score by Evetts, Strategic Help For Heroes were unable to concede and remained goalless for the chukka as Oriflamme held a 3.5 – 3 lead.
Jack Alridge found form at the start of the fourth and final chukka to push Strategic Help For Heroes ahead again, however Oriflamme were to determined to regain their advantage and it was Noah Hyde who was able to score the last goal of the game to secure the win for Oriflamme with a final score of 4.5 – 4.
Benn Shepherd was delighted to receive the trophy for Oriflamme from Jane Bradstock-Smith and the X-Zony Best Playing Pony rug was awarded to Tubby, played and owned by Jack Berner.
In the Selham 2 Goal Trophy, TLC Polo were victorious against Los Hamblinos in the Final on Ambersham 5 with a final score of 7-6. Tony Lorenz stepped forward to receive the trophy and the X-Zony Best Playing Pony rug was presented to Fizz played by Josh Cork and owned by Wills Harper.
Following several years break due to the Covid period, the annual Cowdray versus Ham match was also played on Bank Holiday Monday. Justin MacRae played at number 1 for Cowdray with Mathieu Van Delden at 2, Ollie Cork at 3 and Jimmy Wood at Back. For Ham, Taris Concalues was positioned at 1 alongside Manu Perez Altuna at 2, Matt Thake at 3 and Benji Davis at Back. In a close contest on Ambersham 2, Cowdray got off to a slow start in the first chukka and consequently couldn’t make up the deficit as the determined visiting team fought hard to secure a 6.5 – 5 victory. Polo Manager, Chris Bethell presented the prizes to the winners and finalists.
