LivingPolo.com

With less than 10 minutes to go before the 3pm finals of the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup 2011, there was no way I was going to leave the warmth and dryness of the car to battle with the torrential downpour and blustery gales that were sweeping across the epic grounds of Cowdray Park. We were ready to pack up and head back to London when suddenly the clouds cleared and a burst of sunshine lit up the glowing pitch to cheers from the hoards of people gathered beneath tents, brollies and car boots.

After a quick glance at the players for the line up, it appeared that the two teams had chosen their riders in a position of tactical opposition. Team Zacara had opted for a mix of mid-handicap players, ranging from 1-7; Ignatius Du Plessis leading with a handicap of 7 while the strong Gonzalo Deltour played close behind with a handicap of 6. Chris Mackenzie and Joachim Gottschalk, who played for Les Lions last year, were joined by the two Merlos brothers, Sebastian and Agustin; both holding a handicap of 9 and certainly the strongest players on the pitch this year, it was anyone's guess who was going to walk away with the Trophy.

Due to the heavy rain, the match was not the usual fast-paced, adrenaline-fuelled tournament usually witnessed at the Gold Cup. Nevertheless, Zacara were quick to score in under 30 seconds in the opening chukka, followed by another goal shortly after. After several near misses, a technical goal from Sebastian Merlos was scored in the last few seconds of the first chukka bringing Les Lions back into play.

The second chukka was a remarkable victory for the Merlos Brothers who played a tremendous double act of cat and mouse with team Zacara. Riding hard against Du Plessis they allowed Mackenzie to hold a strong defence with a dribble backhand pass as they picked up the ball and cleared the pitch, scoring 4 impressive goals before the end of the second half.

The two teams were head-to-head at the beginning of the 4th Chukka with Les Lions narrowly sweeping up 3 goals against 2 from Zacara and leading against Les Lions who had managed to score on penalties; 10-8 by the end of the 5th chukka.

Wet conditions were clearly tiring both riders and ponies, and the 6th Chukka was a notable stop-start affair with hearts pounding for the riders on the heavily overturned, slippery surface of the pitch. With minutes to go, a burst of sunshine offered sanctuary for the players who found a new lease of life, with non other than Lyndon Lea making a strong backhand pass to Deltour, causing confusion in the middle of the pitch. A 60 yard penalty was held due to a foul from a right side turning and a goal was scored for Zacara. This was followed shortly by Les Lions bringing the two teams neck and neck in the final seconds of the match.

It was Zacara who scored an unbelievable final goal, literally in the final seconds of an immense and hard fought game; two surprisingly well-matched teams both playing the game of their lives for the Trophy. The Most Valuable Player went to Gonzalo Deltour for his outstanding energy throughout the match, with Most Valuable Pony going to Hilario Ulloas' beautiful pony 'Star'.

Those who did brave the drizzle that continued well into the evening were able to browse the wonderful stands at the top end of the grounds. With a huge selection of products from Astate Gallery art to Guilt Lingerie, Pampeano Polo Equipment to Lycia Tuirkish Property, there was something for everyone. And of course, the day wouldn't have been what it was without the Wonderful Veuve Clicquot Champagne Garden and the Gold Bar.