Polo Test Matches
The complete history of international polo test matches — the Westchester Cup (USA vs England, 1886), the Coronation Cup, the Cup of the Americas, and the other great traditions of national polo competition.
What Is a Polo Test Match?
A polo test match is a formal bilateral competition between two national polo associations, played under a perpetual trophy. Unlike club-level polo or open tournaments, test matches represent national teams — players selected by their national association to represent their country.
The tradition follows the model established in cricket (Test Matches) and rugby (Five Nations / Six Nations) during the Victorian era. Polo adopted the format in 1886 when the first Westchester Cup was played at Hurlingham, London — making it one of the oldest formalised international sports competitions in the world.
Test matches are typically played as a best-of-three series, at high-goal level (often featuring 10-goal players from both nations), and alternate between the home venues of the two competing nations.
Key Characteristics
- National representative teams (not club teams)
- Perpetual trophy contested in successive renewals
- Governed by formal agreement between associations
- High-goal standard — best available players selected
- Series format — typically 2 or 3 matches
- Home-and-away rotation between venues
The Major Test Match Trophies
Four trophies form the core of international polo test match history. Each has a unique founding story and national significance.
Westchester Cup
USA vs England
The oldest and most prestigious international polo trophy. Founded in 1886 when American James Gordon Bennett Jr challenged the Hurlingham Polo Association. USA and England have contested the cup 22 times, with the USA winning the majority of renewals.
Venue: Alternates between England and USA
Format: Best-of-three matches series. Each match is 8 chukkas. High-goal standard — typically the best national players from both associations.
Current holder: USA (last played 2019)
Coronation Cup
England vs Visiting Nation
Founded in 1911 to celebrate the coronation of King George V. The Coronation Cup brings a visiting international team to England to face a representative English side. Argentina, the Rest of the World, and other nations have participated.
Venue: Guards Polo Club, Windsor Great Park, England
Format: Single high-goal match (sometimes a two-match series). Played at Guards Polo Club during the English season.
Current holder: Various — format evolves each renewal
Cup of the Americas
Argentina vs USA
Founded in 1928 to give South American and North American polo a formal international competition. Argentina has dominated, winning the vast majority of renewals. Considered the second-most prestigious test match after the Westchester Cup.
Venue: Alternates between Argentina and USA
Format: Best-of-three matches series. High-goal format — often featuring 10-goal players from both countries.
Current holder: Argentina
Avila Camacho Trophy
Mexico vs Argentina
Named for Mexican President Manuel Ávila Camacho, this test match was established to formalise competition between the leading North American and South American polo nations of the 1940s.
Venue: Mexico or Argentina
Format: Series format. Argentina has dominated given their overall polo strength.
Current holder: Argentina
Westchester Cup — Key Results
Selected results from the Westchester Cup's history since 1886 — the world's oldest polo test match trophy.
| Year | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1886 | England 10, USA 4 | Hurlingham, London |
| 1902 | USA 2, England 1 (first US win) | Hurlingham, London |
| 1909 | USA 9, England 5 (two matches) | Meadow Brook, USA |
| 1914 | England 8, USA 3 (two matches) | Hurlingham, London |
| 1924 | USA 16.5, England 11.5 (series) | Meadow Brook, USA |
| 1939 | USA 11, England 7 (series) | England |
| 1992 | USA 13.5, England 5.5 (series) | Windsor & Oak Brook |
| 1997 | England 10, USA 9 (closest modern series) | Cirencester & Cowdray |
| 2019 | USA 21, England 11 (series) | Guards Polo Club |
Coronation Cup — Key Facts
1911
Founded for the coronation of King George V
Format
England vs visiting national team. Rotates through international opposition.
Venue
Guards Polo Club, Windsor Great Park. Played during the high-goal season (June/July).
FIP Connection
The Coronation Cup serves as a major international FIP fixture and is often timed to attract visiting Argentine teams.
Recent History
England vs Argentina, England vs Rest of the World, and format variations used in recent years.
Other Notable Test Series
FIP World Polo Championship
The broadest international competition — not strictly a test match but the pinnacle of national team polo. Nations compete for the FIP World Championship every 4 years.
Format: Multi-nation group stage and knockout. 6-goal limit per team in earlier editions.
New Zealand vs Australia
Regular trans-Tasman test matches in the Southern Hemisphere season, organised by Polo New Zealand and Polo Australia.
Format: Bilateral series, typically played during Australasian season (October–April).
Pakistan vs India
Historical test match series between South Asian neighbours, reflecting the colonial origins of polo in the subcontinent. Political relations have affected the frequency of modern renewal.
Format: Series format. Played intermittently.
England vs France
European test match played under FIP European Championship structure. France has historically been England's strongest European rival.
Format: Part of FIP European Championships. Also bilateral test matches arranged between national associations.
Recent Results
Westchester Cup 2019
USA 21 – England 11
Guards Polo Club
Coronation Cup 2019
England vs Argentina — England won
Guards Polo Club
FIP World Championship 2022
Argentina won the championship
Netherlands
Cup of the Americas (last played)
Argentina won
Buenos Aires
Where Tests Are Played
Guards Polo Club, Windsor
Coronation Cup, Westchester Cup (England legs)
World's largest polo club. Windsor Great Park grounds have hosted international polo for over a century.
International Polo Club Palm Beach
Westchester Cup (US legs), Cup of the Americas (US legs)
The premier American polo venue, hosting the US Open and international test matches in Wellington, Florida.
Campo Argentino de Polo (Palermo)
Argentine Open, Cup of the Americas (Argentina legs)
The iconic Buenos Aires venue known as the Cathedral of Polo. Home of the Argentine Open — the sport's biggest event.
Hurlingham Club
Historic venue for early Westchester Cups
The founding home of British polo. The original Westchester Cups were contested at Hurlingham in the late Victorian era.
Polo Test Match FAQs
Common questions about international polo test match competitions
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