The Mobil Oil Trophy, stolen from the Goodwood Estate.
On April 1, under cover of night, four men in a dark Range Rover drove onto the grounds of Lord March’s estate in West Sussex, England, more commonly known to automotive enthusiasts as the home of the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival. Stopping at the Kennels Clubhouse, the men broke in via a first floor window; once inside, they shattered four trophy cabinets to gain access to the bounty of awards inside. Within minutes, the burglars were gone, and another sporting institution had fallen victim to their smash and grab tactics.
The Goodwood Estate isn’t alone; since last summer, some five golf clubhouses in the region have also been hit, leading to both sentimental and financial losses. A single trophy stolen from the Farnham Golf Club has an estimated value of £100,000 ($153,000), so it’s easy to see why sporting clubs and trophies are being targeted.
In total, the Goodwood Collection lost between 28 and 33 trophies, including some with great meaning to Lord March’s family. Stolen in the raid was the Mobil Oil Trophy, presented to Lord March’s grandfather, Freddie March, for winning his class in the 1931 JCC British Double Twelve Hour Race at Brooklands. The sterling silver trophy’s easily-identifiable design (a shallow bowl, supported by torch-bearing maidens, on an octagonal base) may ultimately be its downfall; because it can’t easily be sold intact, chances are good it will be melted down and sold for the weight of the silver.
Freddie March holds a similar trophy at Brooklands, 1931.
Another stolen trophy, the 1916 Chichester Show Sheep Trophy, commemorated a best-in-show award for the family’s sheep and is also considered to be of great sentimental value. The trophy itself is a tall, two-handled cup with cover, on an engraved base. A Goodwood spokesman refers to the remainder of items taken as trophies relating to either golf or motorsports, and estimates the value of the loss at £15,000 ($23,000).
Police in Sussex, England, are actively seeking leads in the case, and Goodwood has offered a reward for the safe return of the irreplaceable antiques.