Polo With a Purpose: Interview with Chip McKenney

Last summer, I came across a short press release about the Gay Polo League, an organization that uses the sport of polo as a means to promote inclusion and support for those in the LGBT+ community. The League’s established team of polo players leverage their visibility in the name of acceptance. I was instantly intrigued, and when the stars aligned, I reached out to GPL's founder, Chip McKenney, for an interview.

It actually took another two articles before I decided to jump on this topic. In September, The Plaid Horse published Making the Horse World a Safe Space for LGBTQ Equestrians where Jess Clawson elaborates on their experience being queer in the sport. Not too soon after, I had the pleasure of reading L Williams' article Dear USEF: You Have a Representation Problem. I've griped about representation previously, but this was my first time seeing the topic discussed on such a popular platform. Both articles gave me a sense of pride, but, more importantly, they made me feel more powerful. By sharing their perspectives, Jess and L have opened the door for others to do the same. Consider this my first contribution.

Chip was happy to elaborate on his experiences in the equestrian sport. He grew up riding in the hunters, jumpers, and equitation in his youth and took time to ride for a sales barn after graduating high school. After taking a break from the sport, he came back at age 27 and rode in the jumpers until his 50s, only stopping after one of his horses became injured. It was at that point that he says he reconsidered what he was doing in life and wanted to pursue something different.

Chip in the jumpers

After retiring from the jumpers, Chip tried polo at the advice of a friend and immediately fell in love. When I asked what made polo unique, he relayed that young gay men rarely have the opportunity to participate in popular team sports such as football, soccer, baseball, and the like. While there are no physical barriers, the lack of acceptance for feminine traits in these hyper-masculine activities creates a toxic environment. This especially impacts young gay boys who want to participate and encourages them to either stay closeted or not play at all.

Chip founded Gay Polo League as a way to address his own experiences with exclusion. While he says that he has not felt out of place in the equestrian sport specifically, polo has helped him successfully promote diversity, inclusion, and acceptance with the aid of a few good horses.

This past April, GPL celebrated the 10 year anniversary of its International Gay Polo Tournament, the only gay polo tournament hosted in North America. As a newly established non-profit, they have been able to streamline their donations in support of local LGBT+ groups. They primarily work with Compass, a community center dedicated to helping at risk youth, and Sage, a group that advocates for LGBT+ seniors.

In our conversation, Chip described his team as playing polo with a purpose. While the players are mostly adults, he hopes GPL can encourage young people, especially athletes, to find comfort in being open about their sexuality. LGBT+ individuals should not feel pressured to hide essential parts of who they are just to ensure that they will be treated with respect. You can be powerful and athletic and successful without shielding your identity.

If you want to see the Gay Polo League in action, you can visit their annual polo clinic around Thanksgiving. I will absolutely share more details as the date approaches. For those who are inclined to travel internationally, the team will be playing in Windsor in September then India in October. This will be India’s very first gay polo tournament, and it is exciting to see this type of progress happening across the globe!

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All photos are used with permission from Gay Polo League & Chip McKenney