Weekend Of Festivities Planned As Annual GPL Tournament Returns To Wellington By Sharon Robb
When Melissa Potamkin Ganzi was in Santa Barbara, Calif., for the 2009 summer polo season, she met Gay Polo League founders Chip McKenney and Tom Landry. It was a polo match made in heaven. The Gay Polo League is a dedicated and fun-loving group composed of members of all ages, abilities and professions.
is thriving, attracting amateur polo players from around the world and a large fan base. The tournament is held annually in Wellington.
Ganzi, player-padrone for Piaget and owner of the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, aims to see polo embraced by general and mainstream sports followers and bring new, diverse people into the sport.
GPL’s fourth annual International Gay Polo Tournament, one of the highlights of the polo season, is expected to attract record numbers when Grand Champions Polo Club once again plays host to the tournament Saturday, April 13. Preliminary games are April 12.
“They explained to me their vision and passion for polo and their desire to come to Wellington and play,” Ganzi recalled. “I was excited that new people had an interest in polo. Polo should be accessible to everybody.” Four years later, the Gay Polo League has blossomed, and its annual International Gay Polo Tournament
“We are really looking forward to the 2013 International Gay Polo Tournament,” said Phil Tremo, GPL’s marketing director. “It is a blast; a really fun event. There is seriously good polo and fun on the sidelines.” Created in 2006, GPL is an international organization and the only
known gay polo league in the world. Its four established U.S. chapters are in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Wellington. GPL members include players from several foreign countries, including France, England, Argentina, South Africa, Canada and Australia. “The polo clubs like us because we are introducing new people to the sport right now,” McKenney said. “So it’s a win-win. We lease the polo clubs’ equipment and ponies, and we bring them members.” After centuries of being known as the sport of kings, polo is becoming more affordable and accessible. “Polo has all the ingredients to become a great sport for gay people to participate in,” McKenney said. “It
Players participating in the 2011 International Gay Polo Tournament gather for the trophy presentation. (Front row, left to right) Talbot Logan, Dan Haynia, Jack Hoffman, Bradley Graver, James Tweten and John Wigdahl; (back row) Thomas Landry, Juan Bollini, Gordon Ross, Chip McKenney, “The Senator” Glen V. Atkinson, Christine Finerty, Jean-Marc Herrouin and Dwight Tran.
|wellington the magazine| April 2013
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