An Interview with Founder Ingrid Webster by Krista Martinelli
Ingrid Webster is a very creative person, who happens to love watching polo. In fact, she tailgates at polo almost seven days a week. I talked with her about her relatively new business called Chukkeroo and her additional website All About Polo. The first word that comes to my mind when I think of Ingrid is “thoughtful.” And that’s perfect because she now puts together thoughtful gift baskets for polo fans.
AW: How did you become interested in polo and when?
IW: Over 30 years ago, my husband Troy said, “We live in Wellington – we might as well go to polo. I got hooked right away. You’re out in nature. You are very close to the polo ponies too.
AW: What’s the idea behind Chukkeroo? How did you come around to it?
IW: Some of the polo clubs around Wellington are still struggling to get spectators. Troy retired in 2022, and we decided we just wanted to watch polo for the rest of our lives. After he retired, we went every day (seven days a week). There wasn’t really any merch that says, “I went to polo in Wellington.” There were no souvenirs; we needed to fix that. So Chukkeroo was born.
AW: Describe what makes a polo fan a little different than an ordinary person.
IW: It’s really an everyday person who wants to watch polo. As a woman, you don’t have to own a big brimmed hat. That’s what I want to stress. You can be passionate about polo as an ordinary person. People have preconceptions about equestrian types, and Troy’s goal was to remove those barriers.
AW: What are some of the products that you make yourself?
IW: I make all of the jewelry. I have the soaps made, but I add the labels and the charms. There’s another website that I run called “All About Polo,” AllAboutPolo.com. There are about 800 products and almost all of the designs are mine. I work at this about 14 hours a day, so it keeps me very busy.
AW: How can people see your products and order them?
IW: The best way is online by going to Chukkeroo.com for the polo fan gift baskets and AllAboutPolo.com for the individual items.
AW: You also have a polo magazine? How long have you been publishing it and how often does it come out?
IW: I publish a polo handbook, the Polo in Wellington Fan Handbook. Did you know there are approximately 120 polo fields in Wellington? This guide makes it easier to find the fields and provides other fun facts about polo in Wellington. It will come out again next year.
AW: You are multi-talented and also do a cartoon for AW everything, “Harold’s Universe.” Tell us the concept behind that.
IW: During COVID, a lot of people experienced depression. My ticket out of depression was doing art. Harold was born. He came to me in a dream. Then I re-invented him with the idea of restricting him to only certain shapes. (Below: “Harold staring at the Moon”). See more at “Harold’s Universe.“
AW: You go to watch polo almost every day in season. What can you tell someone about coming out to watch polo who is new to it?
IW: Grab the spouse, the kids, the dog, a cooler with food and drinks, and you’re good to go. Oh, and grab some folding chairs too.
AW: What do you love about Wellington? About the equestrian season?
It’s exciting being in Wellington during the equestrian season. Whether it’s jumpers or dressage or polo, it’s fun to watch. How else would you have an opportunity to see all of that? I feel very lucky.
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For Gift Baskets, visit www.Chukkeroo.com
For individual gift items, visit www.AllAboutPolo.com
