Guards Polo Club Official Yearbook 2017 Official Yearbook 2017 | Page 160

coronation cup
it was England who dominated as the clock
ticked down. Both Beim and James Harper,
another making his Coronation Cup debut,
shot through a goal each to bring the home
side back into contention and the spectators
out of their seats. Time, and Mackenzie,
were against them though and on the final
whistle the scoreboard read 12-11 to the
Commonwealth. 
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh presented
England’s Jack Richardson with the
Retraining of Racehorses-sponsored Best
Playing Pony prize for Light Nights. The
10-year-old bay mare is owned and was
made for polo by Richardson and so made
this prize particularly special.
Another trophy, which almost rivals the
Coronation Cup in size, was presented to
a player who was not competing on this
day. This was the HPA’s Ferguson Trophy,
presented to the Best Young Player of the
Year. Bruce Merivale Austin joined the
Duke to award this accolade to the young
Englishman Tommy Beresford, who had
been in outstanding form in the high-goal
for Talandracas earlier in the season.
HRH did not go home empty handed
either as he received a special tribute: a
one-off, Royal Salute 90th Anniversary
Limited Edition to honour HM The
Queen’s 90th birthday.  
In a change of format to the Royal
Salute Coronation Cup Day, the second
game was played at 5.15pm. This featured
a Piaget Young England team in action
against Ireland. Piaget Young England won
this contest, but only after some drama on
the field. Max Hutchinson had to retire
injured and his place was taken by the
experienced Irish international Sebastian
Dawnay. However, the addition of Dawnay
could not stop an on-form Young England,
led by Ollie Cudmore, winning the
Diamond Jubilee Trophy 4-3. Ireland’s
captain Niall Donnelly received the Best
Playing Pony prize for his mare Chelsea. 
England’s James Harper v Fred Mannix of the GT Bank Commonwealth Team
The winning GT Bank
Commonwealth Team with
the Coronation Cup –
Chris Mackenzie, Hissam
Ali Hyder, Fred Mannix,
John Paul Clarkin
England captain James Beim on a run in the Royal Salute Coronation Cup
Piaget Young England: Ollie Cudmore (5);
Matt Perry (5); Ali Paterson (4); George
Pearson (2). Ireland: Niall Donnelly 4);
Michael Henderson (4); Ryan Pemble (5);
Max Hutchinson (3).
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guards polo club official yearbook 2017
GT Bank Commonwealth: Hissam Ali
Hyder (6); Chris Mackenzie (6); John Paul
Clarkin (7) Fred Mannix jnr (8). England:
Jack Richardson (6); Max Charlton (7);
James Beim (7); James Harper (6).