The 2024 polo season ended with a bang at the Downs Polo Club at the weekend, with the 51st Downs Shield going 3-1 to Goondiwindi in a tough low-scoring A Grade match against the Downs Black Rams.
Thirteen teams converged on the Clifton grounds to contest four grades of polo over the weekend. A little ran on Saturday evening wouldn’t damped spirits as record crowds gathered at the Downs Polo Club to enjoy a host of polo action on Sunday as part of the event, a highlight of the Downs Shield Tournament.
Sunday finals were underway with a hotly contested Colliers C grade competition which saw local team Downs Webster Cavanagh (Pip Gilmore, Chris Slack, Scott Chambers and Beau Skerrett) take on visiting team Elegant Thoroughbreds (Jack Luxford, Antonio Savedra, Graham Mann and Craig Holman).
A hard-fought game ensued with both teams giving it their all to take to get the win. Upon the final whistle it was local side, Downs Webster Cavanagh who were able to secure the win and lift the Des Bosworth Trophy.
At the same time, the D grade competition played out on field two at the Clifton grounds which saw Downs Pursehouse Rural (Hannah Billett, Sam Kenny, Justin Rous and Simon Doolin) prevail as winners of the D grade round robin.
As part of the event, spectators got stuck in to all the polo traditions including a divot stomp before the B grade and A grade finals, the most fun way to level out a field which has played host to eight weekends of polo at the Clifton club this season.
The Black Toyota B grade final saw Goondiwindi II (Declan O’Rourke, Dave Coulton, Gary Hoey and Will Gilmore) take on Brinks (Olly Clark, Steve van den Brink, Indi Bennetto and Nick Keyte). Both teams battled it out on the number one field at the Downs Polo Club, eager to secure the win. A strong contingent of fans from Goondiwindi cheered on their side who managed to come out victorious in the competition and lift the Ken Telford Memorial Cup.
The final game of the day was a hotly contested AEW Horse Walkers A grade final which saw the Downs Black Ram side (Derek Gilmore, Damian Allport, Beau Skerrett and Jack Mantova) go head-to-head with an a grade Goondiwindi side (Richard Marchant, Andrew Coulton, James Shephard and Will Gilmore). Father and son, Derek and Will Gilmore, went to battle for opposing teams in the A grade final, both eager to win the 2024 Downs Shield.
A hard-fought game played out on the field with huge efforts in defence. The Goondiwindi side were eventually winners of the Downs Shield, with a 3-1 victory over the Downs Black Ram side, a notably low scoring game highlighting the toughness of the game.
The 2024 polo season now draws to a close on the Darling Downs as players head to the border regions for the next two weekends for carnivals in North Star and Goondiwindi. Polo will be back on the Darling Downs next April, but the Downs Polo Club will continue to nurture grass roots polo with practice games and clinics in the off season.
