ARMY POLO TOUR-THAILAND
KING’S CUP ELEPHANT POLO TOURNAMENT 2004

THE Army was invited for the second year to send a team to Thailand to compete in the annual King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament.

A Regimental team from the Kings Royal Hussars competed in 2003 but due to operational commitments were unable to compete in 2004. Lt Col Felix Gedney threw open the invitation Army wide and formed a team from past and present members of the Rhine Army Polo Association based in Germany.

Elephant Polo is played at an amateur level in Nepal (the home of elephant polo), Sri Lanka and now Thailand. The original concept was dreamed up between two horse polo players while competing at the Cresta Run in St Moritz, Switzerland.

Sponsored by British Airways the Army team flew out in early September and based itself close to the Thai Military ground three hours south of Bangkok at the spa town of Hua Hin - favoured by Thai Royalty for its cool breezes and long stretches of golden coastline.

Five rigorous practice sessions followed to experiment with elephant selection, stick length and elephant driver (mahoot) instruction. The basic rules are the same as horse polo, but with the pitch being two thirds of the size and only three players on each team.

The start to the tournament on the Monday was preceded by a colourful and much feted opening ceremony involving all the players, elephants and drivers. The tournament hosted 14 teams from all over the world with varying degrees of skill level-from hugely experienced elephant trainers to high and low goal polo players to nil experience of either elephants or any form of polo. The army team fell somewhere in the latter category.

Drawn in a very tight league against the double world champions from Germany and and a local Bangkok side, the Army of Lt Col Felix Gedney, Major George Deakin and Captain James Cretney played hard and fast polo, but were pipped at both posts by teams that fielded the most experienced elephant polo players in the world.

To the uninitiated the sport may seem rather cumbersome, but the elephants are surprisingly nimble and supple and seem to bend their bodies to enable the players to hit the ball. Played in 35 degrees of heat with a two metres of stick, with all the twisting, lurching, and encouragement of the mahoot, the sport is truly an experience not easy to forget.

Two further matches followed to qualify for the finals day and the highlight of the tour was beating a former All Black Rugby side in front of a packed spectator stand. Preceded by a traditional ‘haka’ and suitably English retort Major Tim Jalland and Major Andy Rule took to the field, gloriously slotting goals from the No1 position. The Army were voted most improved side during the tournament.

However, elephant polo in Thailand is not just about the sport. All the proceeds of the tournament go to the Thai Elephant Polo Association which promotes the welfare and care of elephants all over Thailand especially those that have suffered at the hands of illegal loggers on the borders of Burma and Cambodia. The associated tournament entertainment was spectacular to say the least with lavish dinners at the ‘Generals Mansion’ overlooking the sea and a Brazilian Gala Dinner, and cocktail parties and receptions on all other nights.

And so to the future, and the outlook for 2005 looks good. Sticks are being fashioned from imported bamboo, and practice sessions scheduled in Hamburg with cut down landrovers and jeeps under the tutelage of the German world champions. The lure of an exotic location, good sponsorship and excellent camaraderie and sport is alluring.

The rules and regulations of the game can be found at www.thaielepolo.com