Polo Up!

Thought to have originated in China and Persia, the sport of polo spread to India, and from there to Ireland, Britain, the USA, South America, and Australia (and more than 70 other countries today). Around 2000 years after its inception, the Gay Polo League is making history as the first and only league of its kind in the world, bringing this ancient sport to an entirely new audience and challenging its stereotype as the domain of wealthy heirs and aristocrats.

Meet Chip McKenney, founder of the Gay Polo League (GPL), who is creating a whole new paradigm for the “sport of kings”  just happens to be a darn good athlete to boot! We caught up with Chip to ask him a few questions about the GPL and were quickly hooked by the contagion of his passion for polo.

How did you personally get involved with polo? What inspired you to start the GPL?

I was first introduced to polo by an 80 year old friend who played. He invited me to watch a match, then suggested I stick and ball on his horse. I was hooked from that moment. I started the league because I wanted to meet gay men and women who shared my desire to explore new things and activities. Polo seemed like the perfect vehicle to do that. It is an ancient sport, a team sport, played all over the world at some of the most beautiful places.

You have players located across the country and even internationally. How does this all work?

The GPL is an international league. We have members in Los Angeles, San Francisco, NYC, Florida, and Texas. We also have members in Argentina, Australia, and France. We continue to attract new members from everywhere. So far, most of our activities have been on the West Coast, and our local members participate weekly. Our SF, NYC, Australian, and French members have flown in to participate in our events! Our goal is to establish GPL chapters all over the world.

Polo is definitely not a mainstream sport. How does the League recruit new members?

Originally, we used word-of-mouth to recruit members. More recently, we have received a lot of press that stimulates more members to join. Also, our website is a great source of recruits.

Adults can be challenging to teach and riding is a difficult sport. Who instructs the new players and what is it like for them?

Most of our members literally never rode a horse before joining the GPL. In order to ensure a safe and correct education, we designed a three-tier training program. Our professional instructors use it as a blueprint for teaching novice to more advanced riders. So far, the professionals who have taught our members have enjoyed the experience. After all, it’s a relatively unique group of people!

Polo is unique in equestrian sports as a team-based sport. Was that part of the draw for you?

Like most gay men, I had little experience with team sports. So, initially, I did not even factor that in when I started the GPL. However, now I find great joy in being part of a team. It’s an entirely new experience.

We’ve heard about the resurgence of polo in various areas. Do you find this to be true?

Polo is changing. Yesterday, only the wealthy could enjoy polo. Today, the economic climate is different, which in turn changed the way the sport is handled. Polo clubs and professionals are rethinking their rates and costs in response to the new market. As a result, polo experiences are more affordable to everyone. That’s a good thing!

One last question…you have a lot of attractive players in the GPL. And then there’s international players like Prince Harry and Ralph Lauren model Ignacio Figueras. Does one HAVE to be good looking to play polo??

No, but it helps!

HA! We THOUGHT so.