When I was approached to go and cover some International Gay Polo event, I was excited for the trip. My first question was where? Come to find out, the event was just 32 miles away in Wellington Florida, greater Palm Beach Florida, just a simple 45-minute drive from my home in Fort Lauderdale. It takes me longer to get to my full time job in Miami. I quickly started asking people and friends around town about the International Gay Polo event, but many whom have lived here for decades did not know about it.
Examining gaypolo.com I found:
We’re a community that shares a love for adventure, fun, and the beautiful, challenging sport of polo. The Gay Polo League is committed to providing our members around the world with an enjoyable, supportive and competitive experience.
We represent a wide range of ages, backgrounds and skill levels – in fact, some of us had never been on a horse before joining. We actively train and compete in mainstream matches and events to test our skills, share our enthusiasm for the sport, and change perceptions about our community.
Our goal is to provide a safe place for active people to enjoy the excitement of competition and the camaraderie that comes with team sports, knowing that many of us didn’t have as many opportunities to play a team sport growing up. We welcome everyone from the LBGT community and beyond to participate and compete, or just cheer us on from the sidelines.
Polo is a sport rich with history, tradition, speed and skill – we encourage you to join us and experience it firsthand! – gaypolo.com
One of the main reasons I moved to Florida was to experience new things and mainly new gay things. I couldn’t turn down this opportunity.
Friday night found us attending the Polotini Party. A dressy yet casual event that blessed us all with an open bar and the buffet as well as meeting some of the major LGBT players at the Gay Polo Event, LGBT political players of the West Palm Beach area, and ones that had major influence at the state level. The bar, the hors d’oeuvres, the bar, the setting, the bar, the food, and the elbow rubbing were well worth the price of admission. Did I mention the bar?
FRIDAY, APRIL 1:
Polotini Party – April 1, 2016, 7-11 pm: $125 per individual
Come join us poolside at the exclusive Mallet Grill at the International Polo Club in Wellington for a traditional Argentine asado, hors d’oeuvres & hosted bar . Mix, mingle and dance–a wonderful way to kick off the weekend!
It was a great kick-off for the weekend, but I still did not know what to expect on Saturday.
We were being hosted by Discover the Palm Beaches and upon our arrival Saturday morning, we were informed they had the main tent on the western side of the field. To get there we had to pass beautiful horses and quarter of the tailgating tents. I was told there had been some wild costumes in the past and I should expect a great day bouncing from tent to tent, and that is what I started doing. It was a hot day in the Florida sun so a few of us took our time walking around, eventually making it to the middle of the sidelines, after being offered massages, food, and drinks from complete strangers.
There were 2 matches going on that day, but I told myself I would pay attention to the actual polo once I had seen everything. Well that never happened. Half way through the second match we noticed the Beerstream Lounge pull onto the field. I think it was supposed to be time to stomp divots, but walking around horse land mines and drinking champagne occurred instead.
We had called it a day just before the match ended since the early April Florida sun was beating down on us and warming up our drinks faster than we could consume them.
Would I do this event again? Most definitely. It is less than an hours drive from Fort Lauderdale so it would be a simple drive for me. For others from out of town, I will be blogging other ‘Discover the Palm Beaches’ blogs soon mentioning some of the great places, businesses, restaurants, and lodging in the area. So if you are planning a getaway for early April (still snowing in many parts of the country), keep the Gay Polo event in mind.
As for my attendance next year, I’m thinking tailgate with at least 5, maybe 10 of my friends and even do the dinner (and drinks) the night before since it is well worth the price of admission.
To help you plan ahead for next year, here are this year’s options for attendance.
SATURDAY, APRIL 2:
Finals of the International Gay Polo Tournament and Tailgate Competition
International Polo Club Palm Beach – Isla Carroll Field West
Gates Open 10 am for tailgate set up & 12 pm for General Admission
Matches at 1 pm & 3 pmTailgate – April 2, 2016: $375 (includes 6 tickets)
SOLD OUT !!! Please call 753-3389 for more information. General Admission still available!
Each tailgate ticket will include 6 general admission tickets, a 10×10 tent and one designated parking spot. You may decorate your tailgate however you would like – we encourage you to get creative! Although all innovative ideas are welcome, please do not bring any extra large vehicles (such as a car, boat, big trailer, etc.) as we are limited on space. If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call at 561.753.3389.VIP Tent on Tournament day – April 2, 2016, 12 pm: Table – $1,300 includes seating for six center field, open bar, gourmet food and tableside service throughout the matches.
SOLD OUT !!! Please call 753-3389 for more information. General Admission still available!
Positioned on the mid-field line, this VIP tent is the perfect alternative to a tailgate. Attendees will enjoy a gourmet, buffet-style lunch by the lovely, Aaron’s Catering. VIP attendees will also enjoy table-side service, cold refreshments, and 1 VIP parking spot. We look forward to sitting with you.VIP Individual Ticket – April 2, 2016: $250 per individual
SOLD OUT !!! Please call 753-3389 for more information. General Admission still available!
With your VIP ticket, we invite you to indulge in a plethora of gourmet, buffet-style food by the exquisite, Aaron’s Catering, cold refreshments, and VIP parking.General Admission Ticket – April 2, 2016: $25 per individual
Please bring a blanket or chair for seating. Bleachers are not available. – gaypolo.com