THE crowds were out in force for some top class polo held at the Beaufort Polo Club grounds near Tetbury last weekend (June 18-19).

As hosts of one of just three international polo test matches to take place in the UK, England took on New Zealand on Saturday with a strong team consisting of James Beim, Mark Tomlinson, Luke Tomlinson and Nacho Gonzalez.

England beat New Zealand 10-6.5 in an exciting five chukka match, with Prince Harry putting in a last minute appearance just in time to present the trophy to the winning England team.

“Winning at Beaufort gives us a real boost going into the Cartier International later in the year. It was a new formation and despite a heavy and slow ground due to the weather, it worked really well,” said England captain Luke Tomlinson.

On Sunday, an early goal for Prince Harry pleased the 3000-strong crowd, which included Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall, as his Strathisla team took on home side Beaufort in a four chukka charity match.

Although the Prince’s team ultimately went on to lose the Bernard Weatherill Polo Cup 7-5, he played a fast and furious game from the off.

“Prince Harry scored a stunning early under the neck goal from an incredibly accurate angle” said Mark Tomlinson, England regular and team-mate.

“It is always good fun and a privilege to play with the Princes as we know that the game is raising money for such good causes.”