Land Rover Palm Beach International Gay Polo Tournament Raises The Bar For LGBTQ Awareness
(Above) Chip McKenney riding in the 2017 GPL tournament. PHOTO BY SNOOPY PRODUCTIONS
(Top left) Land Rover leads the teams onto the field to kick off the matches. PHOTO BY PHELPS MEDIA GROUP
By Elaine Wessel
Over the past eight years, the annual International Gay Polo Tournament has grown from a local polo event to a worldrenowned four-day festival celebrating the “sport of kings” and its diverse group of players. Under the direction of Chip McKenney and his Gay Polo League (GPL), the event offers the opportunity to experience fast-paced action, as well as encourages inclusion and charity, with proceeds from the kickoff Polotini Party benefiting high-risk LGBTQ youth, primarily in the areas of education, homelessness and health. In 2018, the ninth annual Land Rover Palm Beach International Gay Polo 90
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Tournament and all its festivities will return to Wellington from April 5-8 at the world-class International Polo Club Palm Beach. This year, the tournament promises to be better than ever before, with both LGBTQ and straight players coming from around the world to compete and support the mission of the Gay Polo League. “Every year, the International Gay Polo Tournament gains valuable mo-
mentum. This year, we welcome new players, new sponsors and new fans,” said McKenney, founder and president of the Gay Polo League. “We also welcome returning players, sponsors and friends. We are vastly appreciative of the collective force behind our growth and recognize all who contribute in significant ways to the evolution of the GPL.” The Gay Polo League, the organizer and namesake of the tournament, is honored to formally support Compass, an LGBTQ community organization based in Lake Worth, during this year’s tournament. The Polotini Party, the kickoff event this year themed as “Wigstock,” will be held Friday, April 6 at the