Prince Aly Albwardy’s Dubai team were crowned as British Open Champions for the first time on Sunday, having completely outplayed their opponents 14-9 to win the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup final at Cowdray Park, Sussex.
Invariably first at the ball was the extraordinary 10-handicap Argentine Adolfo Cambiaso, who is regarded as the strongest player in the world. In partnership with nine-goal fellow-countryman Lolo Castagnola, the pair achieved an impressive 5-1 lead by the second chukka.
The match was disappointingly one-sided as opponents Los Tamaraos, despite a strong line-up boasting the 10-handicap Argentinian Bautisto Heguy and Mexican Memo Gracida, failed to contain Cambiaso.
Cambiaso also received the Wildenstein Cup for the best playing pony for Mater, an eight-year-old chesnut mare which he played in the second and fifth chukkas.
