Gay Polo League Tournament Moves To International Polo Club Palm Beach
After tremendous growth since its inception, the Wellington-based Gay Polo League announced Wednesday that it is moving from Grand Champions Polo Club to a larger venue to accommodate more spectators and vendors.
The world-class International Polo Club Palm Beach is North America’s only high goal polo venue and sport’s winter capital of the world.
The 6th Annual International GPL Tournament, featuring top-rated pros and GPL players from around the world, will be held April 9-11, 2015 with the Founders Cup and Senator Cup games on Saturday, April 11.
The GPL is one of the largest growing sectors in polo. The 2014 event featured a record turnout of teams and addition of four new GPL players making their tournament debut.
A sellout crowd attended last year’s championship and week-long social eventsLive including the Polotini Party and IPC Sunday Brunch, attracting new fans to polo.
Since its fledgling first-year event, the GPL event has grown from 1,500 fans to more than 6,000
Chip McKenney, Founder and President of the Gay Polo League, said “I am thrilled our 2015 event will have a new home at the International Polo Club.
“The change of venue offers unlimited opportunity to continue to grow our event,” McKenney said. “IPC is an internationally-recognized first-class polo venue.”
Created in 2006, the Gay Polo League is an international organization and only organized gay polo league in the world.
The International Gay Polo League Tournament Week, which celebrated its landmark fifth anniversary with a record five teams, is the Gay Polo League’s flagship event.
The event was live-streamed worldwide for the first time and featured in a 15-page spread in Polo International Magazine, polo’s premier magazine.
Players travel from all over the world for not only the competition but camaraderie. The GPL has four U.S. chapters in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Wellington, where it is based.
GPL players come from several countries including France, England, Argentina, South Africa, Canada and Australia.
Californian Jean-Marc Herrouin, last year’s MVP and member of Senator Cup champion RBC Wealth Management, has competed in all five tournaments.
“We have the continued support of everybody in the polo world helping us to get better and bigger,” Herrouin said. “I think it will continue to grow and evolve. Everybody is friendly at the GPL tournament. The pros are amazing and it gives the sport exposure.”
The International GPL Tournament will be held during the 111th Maserati U.S. Open season-ending tournament.
Sponsorship package information and ticket prices will be announced at a later date.
The Gay Polo League will continue to make history in October when it makes its debut in the fourth annual Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships: Horses & Horsepower at WestWorld of Scottsdale. The event is America’s most attended polo event expected to attract 15,000 polo fans.