Camels, from being ships of the desert to Ferraris of the mud track!

Camels have always been known as the ship of the desert. But in Qatar and most of its neigbouring GCC countries, it is also fondly called the ‘Ferraris of the mud track.’

They have traditionally been used for transportation. But the long-legged animals have almost completely been sidelined with the passage of time and improvements in transportation.

However camel racing, as a sport, has stood the test of time. And a few lucky animals still get to live life in the lap of luxury, eating well and training regularly for sprints around a 4km racetrack.

Qatar has a long tradition in camel racing. While the sport has been practiced for hundreds of years, it was officially recognised as a professional sport in 1973.

Since rearing camels and training them are very expensive, the sport is also known as ‘the sport of Sheikhs.’ A good camel, with strong bloodline, can cost up to QR1m.

Camel owners acquire large plots of land to keep the animal trained and also spend a fortune on its feed. But all these expenses can be covered once the animal starts winning races.

Qatar’s camel racing season usually begins in October and lasts until March. The season’s most prestigious competition is the ‘Emir’s Sword Race,’ which concluded on March 11.

Races are usually organised at Al Shahaniya track for the strong and resilient Qatar camels and the light and speedy Sudanese breed.

In 2005, Qatar banned the practice of using child jockeys to steer camels during races. Nowadays, robot jockeys control the animal via electronic whips and verbal prompts from a built-in speaker.

If you have not seen a camel race before, definitely go for one. It will be an experience of a lifetime.

Qatar’s Camel racing Committee website (Arabic) has more details about races: http://www.hejen.qa/ If you are not a native Arabic speaker, then Google Translate will be your best friend.

Information courtesy: eatglobe.com