The Roehampton trophy is the oldest polo trophy in the United Kingdom. The trophy was first played for at the Roehampton Club[1] 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.[2]
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.[3]
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.
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.
The Roehampton takes place in late August to avoid overlapping with HPA Victor Ludorum tournaments played at the same handicap.
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[4] Captain John Hardress Lloyd Ulric Oliver Thynne | |
| 1904 | Students | Cecil Grenfell Riversdale Grenfell Morres Nickalls Patteson Womersley Nickalls | |
| 1905 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | Captain Maurice John Kingscote Honorable A. Hastings Captain Richard Reginald Smart Captain L. Shedden | ||
| 1923 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 |
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.
Not including the years that Britain was at war and the trophy was not played for, there are 35 years missing from the base including 1947, the first year it was won by Ham Polo Club.