Les Lions entered the record books last Sunday when they became only the second team in the history of the Archie David to win the cup twice. They join the Hutchinson's Tayto team in this elite club. For three chukkas of this final, which was played on The Queen's Ground last Sunday, it looked like it was going to be a different story as Jada had the edge. Les Lions came back into the game in the fourth and final chukka, taking the lead for the first time, and then going ahead to win the game 7-6.
Although the spectators may have been doubtful about the outcome, Les Lions' Nicky Evans, who had scored the goal to give the dark blues the advantage, had no such insecurities. "I always thought that we were going to win," he said after the game. "We just needed to start playing well adn and once we did we got straight back into the game."
Les Lions' number three, Francisco Elizalde was rewarded with the Pommery/Polo Magazine Man of the Match Award while Jada's Ryan Pemble stepped up to receive the Best Playing Pony Award from Martin and Lotta Young. He was especially pleased to receive this honour as it was presented for Rosita, an English Thoroughbred, seven-year-old chestnut mare whom he both owned and had ridden in the first chukka.
Martin Young, from the sponsor Meyado attended the presentations in his polo whites as he then had to mount up as his own Meyado team were playing in the subsidiary final for the Caterham Cup. They won this game, defeating Francois Lurton Bodegas Y Vinedos 5-3. This final was rather more fraught than the previous game and resulted in the sending off of Leroux Hendrix of Francois Lurton due to "unofficial use of an elbow".
The morning had seen the final of the Claude Pert Cup featuring Asprey London and Lost Boys. This tournament is exclusively for Guards teams that don't make it through to the final stages of the Meyado Archie David Cup. Honours this year went to Asprey London, who defeated Lost Boys 6-5.
Les Lions: Richard Hine (-1); Lanto Sheridan (2); Francisco Elizalde (4); Nick Evans (3). Jada: Mauriec Salem ((-1); Edward Morris-Lowe (0); Juan Cruz Guevara (4) Ryan Pemble (5).
Meyado: Alec Banner-Eve (-1); Martin Young (2); Guillermo Cuitino (6); Manuel Toccalino (3). Francois Lurton Bodegas Y Vinedos: John Kent (1); Leroux Hendrix (3) Alan Kent (4); Wilfrid Koulitchenko (0)
Asprey London: Simon Holley (0); Max Charlton (3); Chris Hyde (6); Denzil Fernandez (-1). Lost Boys: Stefan Sund (0); Tomas Elliot (3); Howard Smith (4); Oliver Browne (1).
