Tomas ‘Tommy’ Beresford was born into a true polo pedigree. His father, Lord Charles Beresford, was a seven goal professional player, and both José and Gabriel Donoso, Beresford’s uncles on his mother’s side, played high goal polo as well.
Tommy’s family history with polo goes even deeper with his Grand father John Hubert de la Poer Beresford, 8th Marquess of Waterford serving as the captain of the All-Ireland Polo Club and for over a decade was a member of the late Duke of Edinburgh’s Windsor Park polo team, winning the Cowdray Gold Cup twice.
These roots brought Tomas into contact with legendary players such as Gonzalito and Facundo Pieres, Pablo and Matias Macdonough, Pelon Stirling, and Juan Martin Nero from the very beginning of his career. These incredible mentors helped shape Tomas into the formidable player he is today; England’s first 8-goaler in 22 years at the age of 28.
Tomas Beresford’s Debut
Although Tomas Beresford’s career began early, he wasn’t widely known until his participation in the 2017 Queen’s Cup with RH Polo. This incredible quartet included Ben Soleimani, Rodrigo Andrade, and number one player in the world, Adolfo Cambiaso. At the time, Cambiaso was chasing his 10th Cartier Queen’s Cup victory, which looked like a guarantee in the first half with RH Polo leading by four goals, but in the second half team El Remanso was able to tie the match 11 to 11. But, in a shockingly close finish, Beresford scored a 30-yard penalty goal to secure RH Polo’s place in the finals where they would win it all against team La Indiana. Beresford’s impressive control and skill under pressure threw him into polo popularity, and he has not slowed down since.
Career Highlights
Tomas Beresford has had an outstanding 2023 season with the UAE Polo Team. With the conclusion of the latest season, Beresford has competed three consecutive times with H.H. Sheikha Maitha’s team alongside Lukin Monteverde and Barto Castagnola. During the 2023 season, Beresford led the UAE Polo Team to victory against the Dubai Polo Team in a nail biting finish of 12 goals to 11.
In addition to this accomplishment, Beresford also made waves as the captain for England’s team under the Hurlingham Polo Club in the Westchester and Coronation Cups.
The 2023 Westchester Cup was held at the National Polo Center in Wellington, Florida. Having won the last cup in overtime in 2019, the United States was prepared to defend their victory over England. But Beresford, playing as captain, with James Beim, Max Charlton, and Mark Tomlinson took the win with 12 goals to 9. Beresford’s leadership and skill on the field earned him the title of Most Valuable Player. This victory for the 26 year old captain was closely followed by another in the Coronation Cup. These stellar performances all positioned Beresford to earn a spot in his first Argentine Open as a substitute on team La Hache La Roca, making him the first British player to compete since 2008.
In addition to Beresford’s many exciting firsts and anticipated returns to look forward to this year, he continues to add new victories to his growing list of accomplishments. In May of 2024, Beresford competed with team UAE at the Trippetts Challenge Cup at Cowdray Park. During the match, Beresford scored two goals back-to-back in the first chukker that established the teams early lead and then again in the third chukker to help close in on Ferne Park’s two goal lead. In the fourth, Beresford once again pulled team UAE back into the lead at 10 goals to 9, which were followed by three additional goals to win the match for UAE at 13 goals to 12. Beresford’s constant offensive pressure helped turn the tide of this match, securing the Trippetts Challenge Cup for team UAE.
Written in collaboration with Lily Brennan