On January 12, six of the top-rated arena polo players from England and America lined up to contest the historic Townsend Cup, a 23-goal challenge and the highest level of competitive arena polo in the U.S. Despite spirited play from the American players, England's teamwork took them to the top for a 10-9 victory in overtime.

First offered up by John R. Townsend in 1923 to encourage international play between England and the United States, this year marked the 90th year since the inaugural edition—and the first time in its history an English team has won the cup. Over those 90 years, the Townsend Challenge Cup has come a long way. After the first game on Manhattan Island in the bustling metropolis of New York City, the Townsend Challenge Cup went through an 81-year period of dormancy in which the trophy was awarded for the Senior Championship Tournament or forgotten altogether. But after the Cup's 2004 revival at Shallowbrook Polo Club in Storrs, Connecticut and the 2008 edition at Great Meadow Polo Club in The Plains, Virginia, the Townsend Challenge Cup moved to its current home at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. From its origins and revival on the East Coast, the Cup has now become synonymous with the Pacific Coast as the highest level of polo played west of the Mississippi River.

This year, the event had the added distinction of an international youth match before the main event, the International Collegiate Challenge Cup. In that event, the American collegiates—Nik Feldman, Kylie Sheehan, Ford MacCarty and Patrick Uretz—gave the English team of Alex Jacobs, Charlie Scott, Sam Browne and George Shelton a thorough beating, resulting in a final score of 18-8 (see page 26).

But the tone changed when the 23-goal teams took their place in the arena. Taking to the field for the Americans would be Kris Kampsen, Rob Yackley and the world's highest rated arena player, 10- goaler Tommy Biddle. But due to lastminute conflicts, Kampsen was unable to play, so 7-goal player Billy Sheldon stepped up to fill the gap. Sheldon, like Biddle, was a veteran of the Townsend Cup, winning the cup in 2008 and coaching for the winning 2011 team that saw Biddle's debut in the Cup.

Lining up in opposition, the English team consisted of Oliver Hipwood, Max Charlton and Sebastian Dawnay, the latter of whom was the only player to remain on the lineup from the most recent edition in 2011. Despite this year's new lineup, the team had spent weeks practicing together in the arena before leaving England, giving them a distinct advantage over the American team, which was unable to practice together before the match due to scheduling conflicts with the 20-goal season in South Florida.

Horses were donated by the Poway Polo Club, as well as by individuals like George Dill and Eric Wright, to ensure parity between the teams' mounts, and players were given an opportunity to test the horses prior to the game.

From the beginning, it appeared the English were itching to revenge their defeat at the hands of the Americans two years prior. Dawnay was the first to put a goal on the board, but Tommy Biddle rejoined with a goal for the Americans. Sensing all 10 goals of Biddle's handicap bearing down on him, Dawnay vied for quick action, breaking downfield to score back-to-back goals and supporting Charlton as he scored his first of the day. Leading 4-1 at the outset of the second chukker, the advantage was undoubtedly with the Brits. But Biddle tilled the soil of a rally as he changed his plays, tested the English defenses and put the Americans back in the game with back-to-back goals. Sheldon followed suit to tie the English tally, but a counterattack by Dawnay restored England's lead and a second goal by Charlton extended it to 6-4 before the halftime break.

"In the first chukker I was sitting back and hitting long balls and trying to put the pressure on them, and they were beating Rob and Billy to a lot of plays," said Biddle, "We had to change our style ... we slowed it down, started bringing it in more." Sheldon added, "... problem was, the footing made this change in tactic difficult."

If the first chukker belonged to the English, the third chukker certainly belonged to the Americans. Yackley was the first to action, putting the Americans within one goal of the English. Then that indefatigable ace of the Americans Tommy Biddle followed up on the attack to gain two more goals, answered by one from Charlton.

Tied 7-7 at the beginning of the final period, the sure advantage the English had won with their first chukker blitz was eroded, and victory seemed within reach for either side. Tension was high in the Empire arena as opposing sides volleyed goals back and forth: first from Dawnay, then Yackley, then Charlton and Dawnay again before Biddle smashed through the final two goals of regulation play. With a deadlocked chukker, the game remained tied 10-10 as the final horn sounded.

After a short break, teams returned to the arena to contest the overtime period. By now bitterly cold for California weather, the crowd had begun to thin, with a few of the more resilient fans still cheering the teams on. Play continued on the pattern of the final chukker, with powerful attacks from both teams but no decisive results to show for it. That rhythm of indecision came crashing down, however, as a penalty was called in favor of the English team, allowing Sebastian Dawnay the opportunity to get in position for a shot on goal. Dawnay, who had not missed a penalty shot the whole game, stepped up, swung hard—only to miss the goal by about a foot.

Sheldon, the closest American player to the action, made a desperate lunge to control the ball as it rebounded from Dawnay's missed shot, but Hipwood was there to pressure him on a ride off. Striking at the ball, Sheldon hit it up, only for the ball to be deflected off his own pony and into the Americans' own goal. With that, the English team took the Townsend Cup 10-9.

The Americans remarked on the tight teamwork of the English team. Biddle said after the game, "the last time we played those guys, they were a very individual team ... but the English team that played this time was very unselfish and a very good unit. I was more impressed with how they played this time than the last time we played those guys." Sheldon added, "I believe it was Sebe [Dawnay]'s leadership of the team; he dictated play and distributed the ball very well."

"We fought hard and we had our shots," Biddle continued, "and I would like to see for us in the future to have a couple more practices as a team unit and be a little bit more organized. Because of the time of year it is, it's very difficult to get organized properly."

"I think, all and all, I'm disappointed in the end result, but I think we did great considering all the factors that went into it," Biddle concluded.

–– By Steven Rizzo