On a certain day of the year, Villages come alive to the sound of the cheers of crowds as squeaky three wheeled Penny Farthings which race and wobble around their cobbled streets chasing a large leather ball.

Each participant designs and builds a Penny Farthing bicycle with an additional large front wheel. Two large wheels upfront (for stability) and the traditional small wheel at the back.

Each rider is sported in traditional Victorian attire, and a polo stick.

All the Pennies start off at the closest ale house at the top of the village,after downing a ale or two,and at a specified time a slightly larger type leather soccer/ football is rolled down the cobbled street to be pursued by the riders.The objective is that one Penny Farthing jockey must end up at the alehouse furthest away at the end/bottom of the village by using the polo sticks to direct the ball,to the hilarity and cheers of spectators.

More consumption ensues of pies and ales and the winner receives the Three wheeled Penny Farthing Shield, until next year.
-- skinflaps, Feb 18 2004

(?) Penny Farthing http://www.museum.v...s/mn011439_w500.jpg
Just add another wheel. [skinflaps, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

(?) Penny Farthing Tricycle http://www.wuk.at/h...tails.php?Nummer=25
Like this? [jurist, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

Rules of Bicycle Polo in France http://www.polo-vel...ish/rules/rules.htm
Doesn't appear that the French consume nearly enough pies and ales. [jurist, Oct 05 2004, last modified Jul 14 2005]

Isambard Kingdom Brunel http://www.bbc.co.u...gdom_isambard.shtml
One of the best engineers ever to have lived, with a spectacular taste in headwear. [hazel, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

Cheese Rolling http://www.doctorda...om/other/Cheese.htm
Regular limb breakages guaranteed. [Fishrat, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

Um, translation for the American?
-- ghillie, Feb 18 2004


American teen, by the way, so you may have to lower the vocabulary down another notch. Don't worry, I'm learning...
-- ghillie, Feb 18 2004


O.k, see link.
-- skinflaps, Feb 18 2004


By George! A spiffing idea! As long as the men wear stovepipe hats in the style of Isambard Kingdom Brunel [linky]
-- hazel, Feb 18 2004


The only downfall I could see is if polo stick penetrated large spoked wheel, which presents a rather large target. Didn't mean to throw a spanner in the works (wrench in the gears if you're in N.A.)
-- riccoman, Feb 18 2004


So that's what you were talking about. Huh. I'm not sure if I like it yet. Maybe an illustration?
-- ghillie, Feb 18 2004


I've seen barrel burning, and cheese rolling (see link), and I'm sure this idea is stupid enough to be right up there with them. +
-- Fishrat, Feb 19 2004


sp: "Le Maillet", in French, as pictured and technically described in the provided link, yesterday.

Sheesh, sometimes it's like leading horses to water.
-- jurist, Feb 19 2004


Just an afterthought, this should be 'two Penny Farthing'. Two wheels representitive of the old English penny currency, Farthing representitive of the old English one fourth of a penny.
-- skinflaps, Feb 19 2004


so daft, I like it. +
-- jonthegeologist, Feb 19 2004


can I play, can I, can I, can I add a rule about convincing british accent and we have a game that we can beat the world at.
-- engineer1, Feb 20 2004


//we have a game that we can beat the world at//

You know full well that although we'd beat them to start with, before too long they'd set up Tuppeny Farthing youth academies, give bursaries for promising young players to go to top universities and play in their Student leagues and then we'd just get beaten at our own game once again.
-- hazel, Feb 20 2004


Oh la la!, parfois il est comme l'essai de mener un cheval à l'eau.
-- gnomethang, Feb 20 2004



random, halfbakery