Wellington, Fla. (March 15, 2021) – Brooke USA’s Sunset Polo® & White Party is set to kick-off at 5:30 p.m. this Thursday, March 18, at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. The annual exhibition polo match is the highlight of the festivities, with three teams set to compete in the six-chukker round-robin tournament composed of three two-chukker games.
GJ Racing captured the win in 2019 and will return to defend its title for the fifth annual event. The Sunset Cabañas and Fiesta Tent guests will have prime views, as well as the opportunity to meet Brooke USA Equine Friend, Kate the Black Burro. Kate is known for her charming personality and love of posing for pictures while collecting donations on behalf of the organization. Guests can snap selfies while hearing the play-by-play of the game from International Polo Club announcer Rob Yackley.
The Sunset Cabañas and Fiesta Tent guests will have prime views, as well as the opportunity to meet Brooke USA Equine Friend, Kate the Black Burro. Kate is known for her charming personality and love of posing for pictures while collecting donations on behalf of the organization. Guests can snap selfies while hearing the play-by-play of the game from International Polo Club announcer Rob Yackley.
For GJ Racing sponsor Gill Johnston, a longtime sponsor of teams, youth tournaments and the Polo Training Foundation, she is thrilled to return to Brooke USA’s Sunset Polo® tournament for the chance to face-off for the winning title for the second year, a feat which has yet to be done. The team for the 2021 event, is comprised of Timmy Dutta (4), Jake Schaufeld (-1), Jessie Graham (-1), and Ignacio Cabrera (2).
Team Invicta will return to the field for its second year, hoping to claim the winning title, which was just out of reach with their previous second-place finish. Michel Dorignac (6), Milo Dorignac (2), Annalise Phillips (-1) and Michael Purcell (-1) will play for team sponsor, Lisa Bair.
The Celebrity Cruises® Polo Team will have its first chance to play in the tournament, with Tareq Salahi leading the team alongside former 8-goal player John Gobin (4), Marcos Bignoli (4) and Mick Matz (2).
Celebrity Cruises® not only joins the fifth-year event as a team sponsor, but also stepped forward to host the first Polo Kick-off Party at the home of Salahi and his wife, Lisa Spoden in Delray Beach. The event unveiled the team jerseys designed and produced by Polo Gear USA, as well as the Best Playing Pony blanket designed by Everything Equestrian.
The jerseys sport a one-of-a-kind geometric and 3-D design, flaunting bold colors for the teams, which have never before graced the Wellington polo scene. Gary Fellers and Jeanette Sassoon of Polo Gear have been steadfast supporters of Brooke USA and the event since its inception in 2016, and their creativity for the fifth year was met with resounding applause.
For the 2021 special edition event, a Brooke USA Ambassador will present the sublimated blanket with an exclusive design by Everything Equestrian to the honoree during the awards. Everything Equestrian also designed the game balls, which sport the Everything Equestrian and Celebrity Cruises® logos. Malvern Bank is the proud sponsor of the Most Valuable Player award, presented to the player who not only scores the most goals, but also shows the most respect to their sport horse on and off the field.
Brooke USA’s Sunset Polo® is coordinated by Gates Gridley of the International Polo School and Haley Bryan of the International Polo Club, providing horses for the game, as well as arranging for the riders to play in Brooke USA’s pivotal charity match.
Look no further than Brooke USA’s Sunset Polo® & White Party for an entertaining evening highlighted by an exciting sporting event, a delicious gourmet menu designed by Celebrity Chef Ingrid Hoffmann, Miami-based acclaimed band Tartara, dancing and fun, all within social distancing recommendations and CDC guidelines.
A limited number of seats are still available in the VIP Vista. Upon entering, guests will be enthralled at the Lugano Lounge. Lugano Diamonds, the presenting sponsor of the event, will have their masterful pieces of wearable art on display, and is donating a percentage of the proceeds to Brooke USA. VIP Vista guests and Sunset Cabaña guests will also receive an exclusive gift from Lugano Diamonds, to thank them for their support of Brooke USA on behalf of working equines worldwide.
Guest will also enjoy a contemporary art auction curated by renowned art consultant Julie Keyes. The highlight of the art auction is the sale of a painting by world-acclaimed Colombian figurative artist and sculptor Fernando Botero. Painted in 2004, Botero’s Woman On Horse starts the bidding at $300,000 and will be on display throughout the evening at Brooke USA’s Sunset Polo & White Party. There will also be a silent auction with more than 60 unique items to choose from, and the popular “Trips of a Lifetime” auction managed by charity partner AmFund.
Tickets at $675 per person are available only until 5 p.m. to the Brooke USA’s Sunset Polo® & White Party at BrookeUSAEvents.org. Follow Brooke USA on Facebook and Instagram. To support Brooke USA in its effort to fund projects around the world, go to www.BrookeUSA.org.
