Elephant polo is a variant of polo played whilst riding elephants. It is played in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Rajasthan, and Thailand. Equipment consists of a standard polo ball and six to nine foot bamboo sticks with a polo mallet on the end. The pitch is three-quarters of the length of a standard polo pitch, due to the slower speed of the elephants. Two people ride each elephant; the elephants are steered by mahouts, while the player tells the mahout which way to go and hits the ball. Although elephant polo was first played in Scotland at the beginning of the twentieth century, the modern game originated in Meghauly, Nepal, reportedly after a drinking bout[citation needed]. As of December 2006, National Parks, Nepal is the reigning champion of the World Elephant Polo Association.
External links
- Thailand's baby elephants: Tortured for tourists
- Elephant rampage in Sri Lanka (elephant polo)
- United against Elephant Polo
- Ask Cartier Not To Sponsor 'Elephant Polo'
- World Elephant Polo Association
- Slate article on elephant polo
- French Elephant Polo Association
- Association Française des Joueurs de Polo sur Elephant
- D.C. Elephant Polo: America's only elephant polo team
- Adventure author Antonio Graceffo writes about playing elephant polo in the Kings Cup
