One morning a group of friends went to the Race Track a little ways out in the desert north of Doha - about a 45 minute drive. We went through the little village of Shahhaniya - called the camel village because that's where all the camels are kept & the drivers/trainers live. This was our first sight of the camels. And it wasn't just one group but many, many like this.
This is how they train the babies. There are 2 little ones tied to each of the big ones. You can see that all the camels are very curious & were eyeing us as they passed! This was also true of most of the riders - they would wave to us and a very few would cover their face.
Racing camels cost between $500,000 - $800,000. There are 15-20 camels running in each race. We did not see any of them galloping. For this training, they were only trotted around the track.
Many of the camels had a robot riding them. In the 1990's it was common to have young boys, most were 6-7 years old, smuggled in mainly from Sudan, but also from Bangledesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka to ride the camels as jockeys. And they had to be tied on! Most of them were terrified & their screams would drive the camels to run faster. This was still being done in 2005. Since then this robot has been designed as jockeys instead of the little boys and they are slowly phasing them in on all camel races.
These are the other friends that went. Carolyn (her husband, Hugh, is on the end) and they live here. He teaches at the University. The other 2 ladies are friends of theirs visiting from the States - June (from Texas) & Phebe.
Jenn & Daudi watching the camels.
This is how they train the babies. There are 2 little ones tied to each of the big ones. You can see that all the camels are very curious & were eyeing us as they passed! This was also true of most of the riders - they would wave to us and a very few would cover their face.
Racing camels cost between $500,000 - $800,000. There are 15-20 camels running in each race. We did not see any of them galloping. For this training, they were only trotted around the track.
Many of the camels had a robot riding them. In the 1990's it was common to have young boys, most were 6-7 years old, smuggled in mainly from Sudan, but also from Bangledesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka to ride the camels as jockeys. And they had to be tied on! Most of them were terrified & their screams would drive the camels to run faster. This was still being done in 2005. Since then this robot has been designed as jockeys instead of the little boys and they are slowly phasing them in on all camel races.
These are the other friends that went. Carolyn (her husband, Hugh, is on the end) and they live here. He teaches at the University. The other 2 ladies are friends of theirs visiting from the States - June (from Texas) & Phebe.
Jenn & Daudi watching the camels.
Yes, I was there, too! Probably my only disappointment of this trip was not getting to sit on a camel. But I sure did see lots of them.
Such a sweet picture. Daudi holding the hand of his very special friend, Jenn.
This is the camels leaving the track after their run around it.
Such a sweet picture. Daudi holding the hand of his very special friend, Jenn.
This is the camels leaving the track after their run around it.
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