🏇It All Comes Down to Sunday: The Fauquier Gold Cup 10-G Final

After a month of 10-goal polo, two teams are left standing. North Wales and Salamander meet on the field at Beverly this Sunday for the Fauquier Gold Cup Final — the last match of a summer that has run three cups across the season.

Sunday Polo is always worth the afternoon. A final is another thing entirely. There is a particular quality to the last match of a season: the crowd arrives earlier, stays later, and watches more closely. Nobody drifts off in the fifth chukker of a final.

The Final

North Wales vs. Salamander. Two strong lineups, one trophy, and one more match to decide who takes the Gold Cup home.

The Fauquier Gold Cup is the last of three cups contested at Beverly across the summer, alongside the Marla Cup and the Beverly Invitational — all three presented by The Baldwin Group.

Also on Sunday’s card: the Land Rover Chantilly Pro/Am

Sunday is also the second of only four Land Rover Chantilly Pro/Am weekends this season. Pro/Am play pairs professionals with amateur players on the same field, and it is some of the most watchable polo of the year — the format rewards the spectator who is paying attention.

Gates open at 4pm, the Pro/Am starts at 4pm, and the Gold Cup Final follows. Come at four. Arriving in time for the Pro/Am is the difference between watching a final and spending an afternoon at the polo.

On the VIP Deck

The deck is where the afternoon settles. This Sunday it carries more than usual:

• The Devoucoux Lounge, on the deck for the final.

• Swing a mallet on the Devoucoux horse model — a recurring favourite, and harder than it looks from the sidelines.

• The Beverly polo photo cut-out, new this season. A large stand-in circle. Step inside it, and the picture takes care of itself.

• And the cars. New Range Rovers on the grounds from Land Rover Chantilly, out for your inspection.

VIP deck passes are available for the day. For a final, it is worth considering.

What to Wear to the Finals

We wrote a guide to this a couple of seasons ago and the advice has held up, so here it is again with the finals in mind. The short version: wear your finals best, and remember that you will be standing on grass.

For women. Blouses or tunics with shorts or capris in lightweight fabrics — cotton or linen — or a sundress. Flats or sandals, which are practical for walking on grass. A wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and a light scarf or wrap for when the afternoon cools.

For men. A casual polo shirt in breathable cotton or linen with chinos, shorts or jeans. Loafers, boat shoes or casual sneakers. Sunglasses, a hat, a watch — and binoculars, because the field is huge.

For everyone. Light colours and fun patterns are ideal. Prioritise comfort for sitting on grass or standing for a chukker or two. And a final is the one Sunday of the season to dress up a little more than you would otherwise — the photographs from finals day tend to circulate.

The original guide is here: What to Wear to the Finals: Sunday Polo at Beverly.

Thank You to Our Partners

A season of 10-goal polo does not happen on its own, and finals day is the right moment to say so.

The Baldwin Group is presenting sponsor of our summer 10-goal leagues, supporting the Marla Cup, the Beverly Invitational and the Fauquier Gold Cup across the whole season. Three cups, one partner behind all of them.

Sunday Polo is presented by The Salamander Collection, whose support runs the length of the season rather than a single afternoon.

Land Rover Chantilly brings the Pro/Am weekends — four across the season — and the new model range you will see on the grounds on Sunday.

Devoucoux brings the lounge on the deck and the horse model that has produced more attempted mallet swings than we can count.

Boxwood joins us on the deck this season as our winery partner, and Tri-County Feeds continues its support through the Best Playing Pony award, which is presented at the end of the match.

Come Spend the Afternoon Fieldside

Gates at four. Pro/Am at four.

The Fauquier Gold Cup Final to follow.

Wear your finals best, come early, and see who takes the Gold Cup home.

It all comes down to Sunday.