Elephant polo is a variant of polo played whilst riding elephants. It is played in Nepal, Sri Lanka 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 India at the beginning of the twentieth century, the modern game originated in Meghauly, Nepal , reportedly after a drinking bout.

As of December 2004, Scotland's national team, captained by the Duke of Argyll, is the reigning champion of the World Elephant Polo Association, despite the notable lack of indigenous elephants in the entire United Kingdom.

External links

• World Elephant Polo Association
• Slate article on elephant polo
• Thai Elephant Polo Association