The Roehampton trophy is the oldest polo trophy in the United Kingdom. The trophy was first played for at the Roehampton Club in 1902 and was won by Buccaneers. Today it is played for at the Ham Polo Club, the tournament is played for at an 6-goal level and the finals are held in August.
History
The Roehampton Cup is the oldest cup still played for in the United Kingdom, the earliest date on its plinth is the season of 1902 and it was the premier trophy at the Roehampton Polo Club until its demise in 1955. The Trophy itself was donated by Mrs Alison Cunninghame of Craigends upon the opening of the Roehampton Club in 1902.
Roehampton, before the great war, was one of eight metropolitan clubs and the third largest, with over 300 playing members and 550 non-playing members. Those were the days in which an estimated 10,000 polo ponies were stabled in and around London during the season and Roehampton, with Hurlingham and Ranelagh, was the base for one of the three Open Championships of the time.
The Roehampton Cup has seen some notable holders. In 1911, for example, the trophy was won by Comte Johnnie de Madre's Tigers Team, who wore pure silk shirts, hand embroidered with gold thread. Lord Rocksavage and Captain J. F. Harrison (after whom the Harrison Cup at Cowdray was later named) were among the old Etonian winners in 1914, while in 1925 a high powered Argentine team, La Pampa, led by Jack Nelson was victorious.
Eric Horace Tyrrell-Martin, who was to play in the International Polo Cup final 1939, was in the winning team in 1934 and 1935; whilst J. F. Harrison, by then a Major, won the Cup for a second time for 'The Pandas' in the last pre war tournament at the club.
Suitably, as it was to turn out, Ham Polo Club newly revived by Billy Walsh, won the cup in the first post-war tournament of 1947. Later names engraved on the trophy include some of the leading players of their day; among them Peter W. Dollar, Alec Harper, Haunut Sing, Heskie Baig, Charles Smith-Ryland, John Lankin and Humphrey Patrick Guinness.
Following the closure of the Roehampton Polo Club, Edward Tauchert, then player at Ham Polo Club arranged for the Roehampton Golf Club to kindly donate the trophy to Ham Polo Club where it has remained ever since. It became a popular trophy at Ham and in the 1990s through the efforts of John O'Driscoll the Roehampton was reintroduced as a Tournament.
The Tournament Today
From 2008 until 2015 the League stages of the tournament were being played at Ali Albwardy's private polo grounds in Windsor, the base of Dubai Polo Team. The finals though were still held at Ham Polo Club on the Number One ground. From 2016 onwards the early games have been held at the Black Bears grounds in Henley-upon-Thames with the finals day still taking place at Ham Polo Club
In 2012, the 110th year of the competition, a sponsorship deal was signed with Bang and Olufsen of Kingston with the tournament becoming known as the 'Roehampton Trophy brought to you by Bang and Olufsen of Kingston'. In 2015, 2016 and 2017 sponsorship was taken on by London Square, the developers behind the restoration of the Royal Star and Garter Home, Richmond. In 2020 the title sponsorship was taken by Fabergé.
From 2016 to present the Best Playing Pony and MVP awards have been sponsored by Hugs & Co.https://www.hampoloclub.com/sponsorship
The Roehampton takes place in late August to avoid overlapping with HPA Victor Ludorum tournaments played at the same handicap.
Sponsors 2012 - Bang and Olufsen / Aston Martin 2013 - Bang and Olufsen / Aston Martin 2014 - Bang and Olufsen / Aston Martin 2015 - London Square 2016 - London Square 2017 - London Square 2018 - 2019 - 2020 -Fabergé 2021 -Fabergé 2022 -Fabergé
Winners
Not counting the years of the two world wars when polo ceased in England, there are 35 years missing from the commemorative plinth. The recorded winners are as follows.
Year Team Players 1902 Buccaneers Harold Ernest Brassey Honorable R. Ward Frederick C.G. Menzies Captain George Marjoribanks 1903 Magpies Captain Leopold Christian Duncan Jenner Captain Godfrey Heseltine Captain John Hardress Lloyd Ulric Oliver Thynne 1904 Students Cecil Grenfell Riversdale Grenfell Morres Nickalls Patteson Womersley Nickalls 1905 Roehampton Cecil Grenfell Riversdale Grenfell Morres Nickalls Patteson Womersley Nickalls 1906 Woodpeckers Captain Herbert Haydon Wilson Frederick C.G. Menzies Captain Brownlow Mathew-Lannowe Captain John Hardress Lloyd 1907 Leopards Captain Leopold Christian Duncan Jenner M. C. Pilkington Morres Nickalls Captain Claude Champion de Crespigny 1908 Leopards Captain Leopold Christian Duncan Jenner Captain Herbert Haydon Wilson Captain Claude Champion de Crespigny Honorable Ivor Guest, 1st Viscount Wimborne 1909 Beauchamp Hall Leopold Christian Duncan Jenner Captain Percy Desmond FitzGerald Frederick Agnew Gill Captain C. F. Hunter 1910 Ranelagh Captain Leopold Christian Duncan Jenner Frank Brereton Hurndall Captain P. D. Fitzgerald Major H. R. Lee 1911 Tigers Jean de Madre Captain C. Mac G. Dundar Ralph Gerald Ritson Captain Leslie St. Clair Cheape 1912 Wanderers Captain G. E. Bellville Major P. D. Fitzgerald Major E. H. Brassey Frederick Agnew Gill 1913 Pilgrims Captain Teignmouth Philip Melvill Alfred Grisar Captain Edward Arthur Wienholt F. Rich 1914 Old Etonians Geoffrey H. Phipps-Hornby, Sr. Captain John Jacob Astor Lord Rocksavage Captain J. F. Harrison 1919 Scouts Major W. T. Miles Brigadier General P. D. Fitzgerald Captain Honorable Frederick Edward Guest Major Frederick W. Barrett 1920 Roehampton Captain A. S. Wills Lieutenant Colonel Hugh C. S. Ashton Major F. Penn Lieutenant Colonel Charles Darley Miller 1921 Eastcote S. Sandford Earle Hopping Major Philip Magor John Arthur Edward Traill 1922 Cirencester Captain Maurice John Kingscote Honorable A. Hastings Captain Richard Reginald Smart Captain L. Shedden 1923 Cirencester Captain Maurice John Kingscote Honorable A. Hastings Captain Richard Reginald Smart Captain L. Shedden 1924 Optimists Honorable K. Mackay Major H. Colmore Captain C. Tresmoyne Major A. L. Tate 1925 La Pampa Juan Nelson Marquis de Villavieja A. M. Pena John Arthur Edward Traill 1926 Templeton P. M. Forsyth-Forest Major Geoffrey H. Phipps-Hornby, Sr. Major Frederick W. Barrett Captain Frederick Edward Guest 1928 Hurricanes S. Stanford Captain Charles Thomas Irvine Roark Desmond Miller Major J. F. Harrison 1929 Pilgrims Captain Maurice John Kingscote Major Geoffrey H. Phipps-Hornby, Sr. Lieutenant George E. Prior-Palmer Alfred Grisar 1930 17th-21st Lancers R. B. Cooke Desmond Miller H. Walford Vivian Noverre Lockett 1931 Hurricanes S. Sanford W. Whitebread Captain Charles Thomas Irvine Roark Colonel Percival Kinnear Wise 1932 Merchiston D. J. Frost H. Hughes F. H. George Major Evelyn Fanshawe 1933 Friar Park A. David Captain J. Butler Captain H. G. Morrison J. Robinson 1934 Panthers John Crichton, 5th Earl Erne Major Geoffrey H. Phipps-Hornby, Sr. Eric Horace Tyrrell-Martin Major Philip Magor 1935 Panthers Major N. W. Leaf S. Stanford Eric Horace Tyrrell-Martin Captain D. J. Norten 1936 Not Played 1937 Someries House Colonel Sir Harold Augustus Wernher Major Claude Ernest Pert Captain David Dawnay Andrew Horsbrugh Porter 1938 Someries House Colonel Sir Harold Augustus Wernher Captain Honorable Richard Gustavus Hamilton-Russell Captain David Dawnay Captain Andrew Horsbrugh Porter 1939 Pandas A. David K. J. Price Captain J. H. Montagu Douglas-Scott Major J. F. Harrison 1950 Sussex A. M. Gibb Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey H. Phipps-Hornby, Sr. Lieutenant Colonel Peter W. Dollar J. Larkin 1951 La Espadana Juan J. Reynal Luis H. Garrahan Juan R. Ross Carlos B. Buchanan 1952 Friar Park Major A. David Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Horsbrugh Porter Lieutenant Colonel Humphrey Patrick Guinness William Francis Walsh 1953 Park House F. L. Withers E. Lalor J. R. Ross J. I. Domecq 1954 Cowdray Park P. R. Curden Lieutenant Colonel P. W. Dollar Ras Rajar Hamit Singh John Lakin 1955 Grey Hounds S. Hill Colonel G. H. Critchley Lieutenant Colonel Alec Harper Charles Smith-Ryland 1956 Cowdray Park Brigadier M. A. Baig Charles Smith-Ryland Hanut Singh J. Lakin 1967 Silver Leys Alfred G. Boyd Gibbins Captain Gaje Singh Luis Sosa Basualdo C. R. Watt 1972 Squires Farm G. C. H. Lawson N. E. Wates B. Bethell C. A. Brodie 1974 Toulston P. Gaunt R. Rossiter Lt. Col. K. Singh J. N. Hinchliffe 1975 Wilmer Cottage C. Tauchert Major B. Singh Captain C. Lowther S. Houston 1976 The Bees R. Maple-Brown Bryan Morrison B. D. Arbeid M. Emmerson 1977 Invicta D. Fernandez C. C. Tauchert D. T. Copeland R. A. Houston 1979 Travelwise Tortugas W. Healy C. Tauchert J. J. Diaz Alberdi D. Fernandez 1981 Equus Q. P. Davis M. Willoughby W. Roberts D. I. Anderson 1983 The Watergate N. Lobel G. C. H. Lawson M. Glue D. Anderson 1986 Maidford J. N. Williams E. P. Marriage D. T. Copeland D. A. Brown 1994 Freebooters R. Barnes P. Bannister P. McCormack C. Graham 1995 Redcliffe Square D. Christian S. Allen M. Ventura T. Healy 1996 Dubai Exiles Peter McCormack Neil McLean Martin Glue Steven Lamprell 1997 Twelve Oaks I. Wooldridge G. Wooldridge John Horswell N. Brister 1998 Tournament Canceled for Rain 1999 Black Cats M. Wadhwa T. Phillimore N. Hancock M. L. Ward 2000 Ravenscourt Jinni Featherstone-Witty A. Blake-Thomas O. Mancini S. McLaren-Tosh 2001 Regal R. Singh S. Baselli T. Southwell M. Stegman 2002 Los Pinguinos Mark Persaud Alan Ruzzamam Martin fFrench-Blake Sam Gardner 2003 Clarita Clare Mathias Sam Gardner James Lucas Chris Mathias 2004 Clarita Clare Mathias Chris Mathias Sam Gardner James Lucas 2005 Clarita Clare Mathias Chris Mathias Sam Gardner Corin Gibbs 2006 Montana Polo Tony Gerrard Martin Roman Ariel Tapia Adam Leech 2007 Los Dientes Matthew Tooth Lucas Fernandez Sebastian Dawnay Oscar Mancini 2008 Avalon Polo Christopher Caesar J. A. Schlesinger Nicolas Talamoni Greg Keyte 2009 Tchogan Jason Norton Heiko Voelker Nico Talamoni (injured during play) Adolfo Casabal Greg Keyte 2010 Rios Profundos Hugo Davis Benjie Davis Matias Machado Martin Valent 2011 Bardon Andras Tombor Guillermo Healy Matias Machado Martin Valent 2012 Rosario Mats Ottossom Martin Roman Nico Fontanarossa Julian Drake 2013 Tchogan Ryan Pembal Jonathan Hare Heiko Voleker Sebastian Dawnay 2014 Tashan Polo Vivek Rawal Alex Webb Will Emerson Daniel Otamendi 2015 Harum Scarum Mel Hare Jonathan Hare Roddy Mathews Daniel Otamendi 2016 Snake Bite Max Kirchhoff Tom Meyrick Jack Berner David Ashby 2017 Jet Set Katherine Smithwick Tom Brodie Juan Cruz Araya Martelli Timor Nadine 2018 Ojo Caliente Ana Escoveda Georgina Brittan Ed Banner-Eve Jonny Good 2019 Cani Louise Jebson Celio Garcera Jack Aldridge Matias Amaya 2020 Ojo Caliente/Mount Loftus Ana Escoveda Georgina Brittan Terrence Lent Jonny Good 2021 Quel Domage Toby Bradshaw Hector Worsley Hugh Humfrey David Ashby 2022 Mount Loftus/Winkfield Park Georgina Brittan Rob Wilson Josh Clover Jonny Good 2023 Mount Loftus/Los Cariocas Georgina Brittan Tarsis Goncalves Richard Blake-Thomas Jonny Good 2024 The Mirror Sarkis Gabrelian Bella Lavinia Josh Hydes Nico Roberts 2025 Mount Loftus Georgina Brittan Quinn Ainsley Ross Ainsley Jonny Good 2026 Mount Loftus Georgina Brittan Patrick Harrisson Benji Mancini Jonny Good
The Trophy
The Silver Trophy itself, donated by Mrs Alison Cunninghame of Craigends, stands 53 cm high. The cup is detachable from the base section, this has caused trouble with over excited winning teams at presentations and as a result the trophy has a slight lean. The trophy also has a detachable lid though it has not been traditional in recent years to drink champagne from the trophy as a celebration.
Under the handles of the Trophy are the faces of two polo players wearing polo hats with wings, the trophy also bears an unhidden Hallmark on its front.