On BBC Radio 4 yesterday afternoon (19 September) there was a discussion about elephant polo in Thailand.

The dimensions of the playing field and equipment were discussed - all, it seems, in Imperial measurements.

At 2.53pm, the discussion moved to rules relating to the dimensions and weight of an elephant polo stick. The weight of the 'head' of the stick and the diameter of the stick are to be precisely the same as the stick used in the rules of English horse polo.

But the length of the stick, say the Thai elephant polo regulations, shall be "90 inches".

That means that UKMA must immediately remove Thailand from its list of 'fully metric countries'

I visited http://www.thaielepolo.com/teparules03.htm and found the rules to be entirely in metric units. This is absolure proof that Tony should not believe everything that is reported in newspapers or the radio.

Perhaps Tony needs some non-British news sources that don't translate everything to Imperial.

This article mentions both 2m mallets, AND describes the length as variable
<<The players will use specially made elongated polo sticks that are 78 to 110 inches in length, depending on the height of the elephant, using standard size polo balls.>>
http://www.corkscrew-balloon.com/polo/03/tat.html
(That phrase is the only non-metric unit in the article, whatever that means)

The official rules don't appear to define the length.

I concede from a brief inpsection of www.thaielepolo.com that the dimensions and distances on the pages I've viewed so far are all, most regrettably, in metric - though I expect that '15 metres' is the nearest round figure they could get to either 50 feet or 15 yards and '20 metres' to either 60 feet or 20 yards.

But I did find these rules which I thought deserved wider circulation:

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No elephants may lie down in front of the goal-mouth. To do so will constitute a foul. A free hit shall be awarded to the opposing side from the 20 metres semi circle in front of the goal, with only one elephant defending 15 metres from the spot.

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An elephant may not pick up the ball with its trunk during play. To do so shall constitute a foul. A free hit shall be awarded to the opposing team from the spot where the ball was picked up. The defending players shall be 15 metres away from the spot.

ARENA POLO RULES - from their website today:

-------------------------------

Arena Polo Rules

RULE 1 - FACILITIES

Playing Arena.

A playing area of 300 feet in length by 150 feet in width is considered ideal for Arena Polo. The indicated minimum size is 150 feet in length by 75 feet in width; this size would only be suitable for two-a-side.

Goals shall be centred at opposite ends of the Arena and shall be 10 feet in width by 12 feet in height, inside measurement.

In smaller arenas the goal size may be reduced, but not to less than 8 feet in width by 10 feet in height (1.1).[1]

Arenas should be clearly marked on each side, at the half way mark and also the 15 yards and 25 yards points.

From the Argentina Polo website today (extracts):

DESCRIPTION - COST - SHIPPING

click to enlarge SELECT YOUR ITEMS AND EMAIL US. We will provide you with an exact quote for your order with two shipping options (DHL & Normal Airmail). For only 1 item..[SNIPPED]

Quick Quote for only 1 item (several items are cheaper)

Polo Saddle - All Suede (Colors: Light Brown and Dark Brown) (good quality / standard size: 18" / wooden tree / stirrup bar)

Polo Saddle - Suede Seat (Colors: Light Brown and Dark Brown) (good quality / standard size: 18" / wooden tree / stirrup bar) (this is the most popular style for polo)

Polo Saddle - No Suede (Colors: Light Brown and Dark Brown) (good quality / standard size: 18" / wooden tree / stirrup bar)

Practice Mallets - 26"-30" long with normal size polo head. These are extremely helpful for practicing your swing "on foot" and for practicing team position and tactics "on foot." One of the best ways to learn polo and the various ways of avoiding fouls is by walking through them first. This mallet is great for practicing your swing and team tactics. (6' person uses ~28" mallet).

Gift Mallets - Total length 12" Head length 4". Head diameter 1". These are miniature polo sticks to give as gifts

Fabric Polo Girth with Equalizer (standard length 46") - Cincha de Matra (

Folded Leather Girth with Equalizer (standard length 46") - Cincha de vaqueta triple 46

Leather Belt (Style A) - specify waist size and we will add 5" for the proper length

Leather Belt (Style B) - specify waist size and we will add 5" for the proper length

Leather Belt (Style C) - specify waist size and we will add 5" for the proper length

Glycerine Soap - To clean and preserve boots. Wipe the sweat off the leather with a wet sponge, then lather glycerin into leather and let dry (12" bar will last one season)

Argentina Polo T-shirt - 100% thick cotton size XL only. Argentina Polo Logo on the front and a refran (proverb) from Sebastian Harriott on the back - "Al que madruga Dios lo ayuda" (if you wake up early, God will help you)

Argentina Polo Hat - Beige or Blue with stitched logo on the front and velcro closure on the back. The best thing about this hat is that you can throw it in the washing machine when it gets dirty. Good hat for practicing stick and ball.

Sterling Silver Polo Stick Bracelet (Women's & Men's Size) - This bracelet is made with over 92.5% Silver. We have two versions - the men's size is longer to fit larger wrists. It is made with purse silver, so it is easy to adjust. It features a detailed stick head and handle. (Average Women's wrist measures 5.5" around) (Average Men's wrist measures 7" around)

Please visit our Polo Boutique of other polo accessories. If there are any polo items from Argentina that you do not see on this page, please email Tom, and we will try to find them for you. Thank you for visiting ArgentinaPolo.com

Vamos a jugar al polo! - Tom y Michelle

Email Tom & Michelle Contact Argentine Polo Professionals Grass Polo Field Maintenance

www.argentinapolo.com

I notice several things about the site:
*It is English-only, no Spanish language option, although in Argentina, and all pricing is in US dollars.
*Tony carefully editted out all of the shipping weights which are entirely in kg.
*Although the saddles (and some other products) are in inches only, several are in dual units which Tony carefully editted out to make them appear "Imperial only." Compare this gag mallet entry with Tony's:
<<Gift Mallets - Total length 12"(28cm). Head length 4"(19cm). Head diameter 1"(2.5cm). These are miniature polo sticks to give as gifts to children or polo enthusiasts.>>
or this metric only description
<<Sterling Silver Polo Stick Earrings - These earrings are made with over 92.5% Silver. They measure 35mm long with a 12mm mallet head. They are not too long, so they look good on a long face or a round face. They secure to the ear with a sterling silver hook.>>

This statement is classic:
<<Leather Belt (Style A) - 1 color (specify measurement in centimeters around your pants at waist) (specify waist size and we will add 5" for the proper length). (shipping weight 1kg.) >>

I think the site is fairly described as a "measurement mess."

I suspect it proves American expats running a business in Argentina are not fully metric.

Tony posted
<<Arena Polo Rules

RULE 1 - FACILITIES
>>

Gee, Tony, why did you stop. The very next rule is the ball.
<<Balls.
The ball shall be not less than 12.5" or more than 15" in circumference and the weight not less than 170 grams or more than 182 grams. In a bounce test from 9' on concrete at 70 degrees F, the rebound shall be a minimum of 54" and maximum of 64" at the inflation rate specified by the manufacturer. This provides for a hard and lively ball.>>

I bet is was those pesky grams. :) The world is NOT Imperial, although it may be a measurement mess. I found the rules in Northern Ireland, but they appear other places as well, and I did not check all the links to see if there are also metric versions, or only "mess" versions.
http://www.northernirelandpoloclub.com/aboutpolo/arenarules.html

From the international rules of polo:

Polo Ball: Approximately 3 1/2 inches in diameter and 4 ounces in weight, the ball is made of hard plastic. At one time it was made of wood or willow root.

I take it "arena polo" and regular polo have a number of differences, as the two specs for balls don't really overlap.

Odd, I found
<<D GAME FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
D.1 FIELD OF PLAY
(a) A full size field of play shall be 300 yards (275 meters) in length by
200 yards (180 meters) in width if unboarded; and 300 yards (275
meters) in length by 160 yards (140 meters) in width if boarded.
(b) The goals shall not be less than 250 yards (230 meters) apart;
each goal shall be 8 yards (7.3 meters) wide and centred at each end of
the field.
(c) The goal posts shall be at least 10 feet (3 meters) high, and light
enough to give way if collided with.
(d) The boards shall not exceed 11 inches (28 centimetres) in height.
D.2 SIZE OF BALL
The size of the ball shall be 3 to 3.5 inches (76 to 89 millimetres) in
diameter; the weight of the ball shall be within the limits of 4.25 to 4.75
ounces (120 to 135 grams).>>

You must have forgotten the metric part of the rules.

The rule I posted just above was from the Federation of International Polo.
http://www.fippolo.com/aboutpolo/rules.asp
I forgot to include the link.

From the above exchange we can conclude that Tony is a habitual liar that is angered by the popularity of metric and hatred of imperial world-wide. All of his anti-euro lies come from quaetionable sources outside the inner circle.

From the above post we can conclude that Daniel is a habitual liar that is angered by the popularity of imperial and hatred of metric world-wide. All of his anti-US lies come from quaetionable sources within his head.

Absolute proof that Thailand is not yet 'fully metric'September 20 2005 at 6:19 PM Tony Bennett

On BBC Radio 4 yesterday afternoon (19 September) there was a discussion about elephant polo in Thailand.

metre
In another 50 years nobody will care about the odd imperial fossil.

re (metre): "In another 50 years nobody will care about the odd imperial fossil"

REPLY: I predict that cricket pitch lengths will still be 22 yards - including in 'metric' Pakistan, India, Australia

Tony,

You should read up on the rules for American football. I haven't checked, but I am reasonably certain there are no pesky (metres) trailing the yards. Perhaps that could generate some support for the sport in the UK. :)

Re: Absolute proof that Thailand is not yet 'fully metric' September 21 2005, 1:53 PM


Absolute proof that Thailand is not yet 'fully metric'September 20 2005 at 6:19 PM Tony Bennett




Tony Bennett
Cricket, lovely cricket September 21 2005, 2:17 PM



REPLY: I predict that cricket pitch lengths will still be 22 yards - including in 'metric' Pakistan, India, Australia

metre
Exactly, and nobody will care.

<<You should read up on the rules for American football. I haven't checked, but I am reasonably certain there are no pesky (metres) trailing the yards. Perhaps that could generate some support for the sport in the UK. :)
>>

To be fair - Cricket is truly international whereas A. Football isn't.

The rules on the web include metric for those countries who choose (ahem) to use the metric system.

<<To be fair - Cricket is truly international whereas A. Football isn't.
>>

True. I was actually surprised there is a European arm of the NFL. It is not talked about much here, but I have seen a few games broadcast to provide some "out of season" football. From the crowds I saw, it is not very popular.

Canada adds 10 yards in the middle of the field and some minor rule changes, but plays a very similar game.

"Tony Bennett
Cricket, lovely cricket September 21 2005, 2:17 PM

REPLY: I predict that cricket pitch lengths will still be 22 yards - including in 'metric' Pakistan, India, Australia

metre
Exactly, and nobody will care. '


Only because to them it will be thought of and measured as a rounded 20 m.

Is that correct and true, Mr Banana?

Can you explain to us how you draw that conclusion? What you base it upon? Who you asked, etc?

[Prediction: End of Thread]