The British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup decides its 2026 edition this Sunday, July 19, at 3pm (UK time), at Cowdray Park Polo Club in Midhurst, West Sussex. After almost a month of play, only two of the 19 teams that started out on June 23 are left: Dubai Polo Team and Gaston Polo Team.
Dubai, who last won this tournament in 2024, will line up with Tariq Albwardy, Santos Merlos, Antonio Heguy — a champion in 2024 — and Bartolomé Castagnola, who celebrated this same title with Dubai in 2019. Gaston, chasing a first win in this competition, respond with Chile's Jean Paul Luksic, Beltrán Laulhé, Cruz Heguy and Gonzalo Ferrari, who has had to step in for the injured David Stirling — no easy task, and one he has handled more than well.
One of the biggest draws of what happens on Sunday is that the same surname appears on both shirts: Heguy. Antonio, son of Alberto Jr. "Pepe", and Cruz, son of Eduardo "el Ruso", are cousins, close friends and teammates at Ellerstina Indios Chapaleufú during the Argentine high season. On Sunday they meet over a Trophy with a long history in the family: their great-grandfather, also Antonio Heguy, was part of Los Indios, the Argentine team that won the tournament's first edition in 1956. Among their fathers, Eduardo took the title in 1996 with CS Brooks.
Dubai arrive unbeaten, having won all six matches they have played. Through the qualifying stage, they beat La Dolfina/Marqués de Riscal 11-6 in the quarter-finals. In the semi-final, played last Wednesday the 15th, they got the better of Ferne Park for the second time in the tournament, this time 15-12, with Facundo Pieres and Joaquín Pittaluga on the other side.
Gaston's road was a strong one, though it included a setback: they lost 13-10 to Black Bears on June 29 and have not been beaten since. They saw off Jehangiri Polo, Akasha and Valhalla. In the quarter-finals they ran into the Panelo brothers (Black Bears) again, and this time settled it 12-7. The semi-final was the tightest match of the round: 12-11 against La Hechicera, the only 23-goal quartet in the tournament, with Camilo Castagnola (10) and Lorenzo Chavanne (8) as their main attacking weapons. Gaston went into the last chukker a goal down, turned the story around and booked their place in the final with a Cruz Heguy goal on the final bell.
The golden trophy was lifted last year by La Dolfina Scone, with Adolfo Cambiaso and his daughter Mia, after a very even final in which they beat Kazak 9-8. The title is therefore vacant and ready to be claimed by Dubai or Gaston.
For Bartolomé Castagnola there is a family ingredient: his brother Camilo took the Queen's Cup, the other big trophy of the English season, only a few weeks ago. Santos Merlos is yet to celebrate a high goal title in England, though his father Sebastián, a former 10 goaler, won the Gold Cup twice. For Cruz Heguy -Queen’s Cup winner in 2022- and Gonzalo Ferrari, two of the young players pushing hard on the circuit, it is the chance of a major title in England. It is worth remembering that Beltrán Laulhé was part of the Dubai side that lifted the trophy in 2024.
Two 22-goal teams, an unbeaten record on the line and two cousins who know each other inside out. The rest will be decided over six chukkers.
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