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Camel racing

arts Maturity 7-9 Next article →

Camel racing is a fast and exciting sport.

Dromedary Race (1878) - TIMEA
Dromedary Race (1878) - TIMEA

It is popular in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa. You can also find it in Pakistan, Mongolia, and Australia. These animals are incredibly strong and quick. A camel can run 65 km/h in short sprints. They can also keep a speed of 40 km/h for one hour. Today, professional races are big events for tourism and betting.

Maralal Camel Derby
Maralal Camel Derby

In these races, camels compete to finish laps on a circular track. Modern races are very organized with many specific rules. They use different divisions based on the age and breed of the camel. There are also different classes for the race distance. Some races are very long, while others are short. In the United Arab Emirates, some races are 6km long. Other races are 1500m long for expat jockeys.

This sport has a very long history. It can be traced back to the 7th century in the Arabian Peninsula. For a long time, camels were important for travel. They were only replaced by cars in the mid-20th century. In the past, Bedouin communities held races for social reasons. They raced to celebrate weddings, feasts, or when it rained. These old races had very few rules or set prizes.

Dromedary Race (1878) - TIMEA
Dromedary Race (1878) - TIMEA

Many famous tracks exist for these big events. In the UAE, there are tracks named Al-Wathba and Nad Al-Shiba. Both can hold about 1,000 people watching the race. In Australia, the Camel Cup is held every year in Alice Springs. It is a huge event with market stalls and entertainment. The biggest prize in Australia is at the Boulia Desert Sands. That race has a prize of A$500,000.

CamelRacingCamelCup2009Heat
CamelRacingCamelCup2009Heat

In the past, many children worked as jockeys because they are light. This caused serious problems and injuries for the children. To keep children safe, many countries made new laws. The UAE banned jockeys under age 15 in 2002. Qatar also banned child jockeys and moved to robots by 2007. Now, people use small, remote-controlled robotic whips to guide the camels. These robots were a joint project between the UAE and Switzerland.

DSC 5340 Camel race 2
DSC 5340 Camel race 2
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🖼️ Images & Media (5)
File:DSC 5340 Camel race 2.jpg
DSC 5340 Camel race 2.jpg
File:Dromedary Race (1878) - TIMEA.jpg
Dromedary Race (1878) - TIMEA.jpg
File:Maralal Camel Derby.jpg
Maralal Camel Derby.jpg
File:CamelRacingCamelCup2009Heat.JPG
CamelRacingCamelCup2009Heat.JPG
File:Camel Race Track Qatar.jpg
Camel Race Track Qatar.jpg
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