The 15 goal Bryan Bethell Cup, open to Cowdray and non-Cowdray teams, saw an entry of six teams including King Power and El Remanso but it was Dr Badr-El-Din ‘s Golden Falcons and Alejandro Peñafiel’s Rosario which made it through to the Final. Golden Falcons fielded Ned Hine at the front door in place of Khalid Badr-El-Din, Tom Beim (3 goals) at 2, and 6 goalers James Harper and James Beim at 3 and Back respectively. Peñafiel played at 1 for Rosario with Hernan Muzzio (3 goals) at 2, Matt Perry (5 goals) at 3 and Alejandro Muzzio (7 goals) at Back.
In temperatures which necessitated plenty of pony changes, a blistering start saw five goals see-saw onto the scoreboard in four minutes, a last minute goal by Hernan Muzzio ending the chukka at 3 goals apiece. England players James Beim and James Harper played their usual instinctive game to give Golden Falcons a 6-4 lead to close chukka 2. Chukka 3 saw excellent play by Hernan Muzzio, his first goal coming within seconds of the start. His brother Alejandro contributed another and Hernan’s next was the third goal of the chukka before the first whistle of the match was blown. Awarded a 60 yard penalty, James Beim lofted a straight ball between the posts to even the score at 7-7. Rosario were onto the ball from the throw-in, the Falcons snatched it back, but suddenly Alejandro Muzzio re-claimed it and sent it forward to his brother who made another goal look easy. The score moved on to 8-7 in Rosario’s favour.
At the opening of the second half, James Beim demonstrated both class and accuracy with a lovely run to make goal number 16. Rosario won the ball from the throw and Hernan Muzzio was racing away to take the lead once more on 9-8. A cheeky steal by Beim saw the number 4 carry the ball all the way to the goal posts to equalize at 9-9. With everything to play for in the final chukka, there was no let-up in the pace. Matt Perry made his fourth goal of the match. Young Ned Hine won the ball from the throw in and made a wonderful measured run all the way to the goal to equalise for Golden Falcons on 10-10. But suddenly the goals all went in favour of Rosario with Alejandro and Hernan Muzzio tying up the match between them making three goals and ending with a victory for Rosario on 13-10.
Mrs Annette Bethell presented the Bryan Bethell Cup, donated to the club in memory of her husband Bryan, father of Cowdray Park Polo Club’s Polo Manager Chris Bethell, to a delighted Alejandro Peñafiel.