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Elephant polo jumbo hit in Thailand (+video)






Photo / Reuters

• Watch Video: Jumbo polo proves popular in Thailand

Thailand's annual King's Cup Elephant Polo tournament is under way in the northern region known as the Golden Triangle.
The day started off with senior mahouts - elephant drivers - paying ceremonial homage to the mounts of 44 players on 12 teams.
Instead of polo ponies, 28 elephants are the stars of this event. And because they take up considerably more space on the field, each team consists of three mounts instead of the standard four.

The rules are roughly the same but there's one notable difference - there's no gender divide in the Thai version of the game.
Team founder Claire McNicholl says: "We are an all-girls team, but the girls often play with the guys too. We are not physically strong but we hope to be more - maybe - agile."
Thai jumbo polo is still a small circuit affair but it draws big crowds. And all cash raised at the tournament goes to those who protect and care for Thailand's elephants.

- REUTERS