Camel racing is a traditional sport whose origin is in the desert culture of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Middle East. As an old sport, camel racing was practiced by Arabs for more than 1430 years and through the ages, they have handed down this form of sport to the later generations. Thus far, the sport has gained immense popularity in Australia, parts of East Africa, and the Middle East (Hejaz para. 1).
Camel racing has specific rules and conditions for participants. These include racetrack specification rules, camel specification, and organizing the race. During an 810 km race, camels are a long away from the spectators, and grandstands are equipped with television sets. Race distances are varied by the oval tracks having alternative end loops that can be opened or closed. Positive control of the running camel’s direction is difficult to maintain. Arabian racing camels have long legs and are fed to ensure that the hump is not too large. A fat camel may be carrying 35 kg in the hump (McKnight Para. 1). The feet should be small enough to allow quickness. An Arabian authentic camel weighs from 1102 to 1323 pounds. The body should be thin and graceful for fast running. Camels start training at approximately the age of 13 months and start racing when they are 3 years old. It is the responsibility of the trainer to determine the running distance for camels.
Camel racing has four steps of training. Of these, the first three are for taming purposes. In the first step, strings are tied to the camel with a rope connecting to the other end of a tree trunk until the camel yields. In the second step, a wood is set on the camel’s back in between its neck and the top. Almareb, which is the distance between the hump and tail of a camel, has many made up of palm fiber. A rope called batan is used to connect to the belly. The third step is the riding stage where the camel is tied to an already tamed camel for riding purposes. The camel is taught to obey the directions of the stick. The camel is also trained on how to run slowly by linking it with another camel using a rope. In the final training step, the camel is made to drink less water, run faster than normal, and fed on alfalfa and fresh milk. The initial training distance is 2 kilometers but gradually, this is increased to 10 kilometers. After that, the camel enters preliminary competitions where the chosen winner of the best camel enters the actual races. During the race, a child from 12 to 15 years old is trained to ride the camel. The child must be lightweight riding under the implementation of the coach’s instructions.
There have been improvements in feeding and management because of advancements in the racing camel industry. Much improvement should be done so that camel racing can spread worldwide.
Works cited
Hejaz, Samuel. “Information and Resource Guide to Camel Racing.” 2010. Web.