Camel Racing

Racing

stripes The UAE’s most traditional sport is also one of its most overlooked

I

t’s just after sunrise as two camels hurtle past us at full pelt; the men atop are frantically bouncing up and down with their arms doing a hyperactive version of the funky chicken, while a sparkling white Land Cruiser drives just behind incessantly beeping its horn. Further down the track the riders slow down, dismount and disappear into a babbling throng of camels, cars and khanduras.

It is not a sight most people would expect to see at 6.30am out on the Al Ain Road – partly because most of the city is still asleep, but mainly because the enormous Al Marmoum camel racetrack is one of the UAE’s best kept secrets.

Located 30 minutes from Dubai, at the Al Lisali turning just beyond The Sevens stadium, the country’s largest camel racecourse is relatively unknown to the hordes of tourists that fly into town, and that is just the way the locals like it. Camel racing is as traditional a sport as there is in the UAE, playing a significant part in the country’s heritage harking back to the days where Bedouins would use the camels for transport, currency, milk and occasionally racing against each other, with children jockeying across roughly marked out desert courses.

Today, modern day camel racing has become big business. During the racing season – between October and March – people from as far as Qatar and Saudi join local owners with stables full of camels competing for prize money, which is

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…and coming up on the outside

now given out to the race’s top ten Although Al Marmoum is the UAE’s biggest camel finishers. On an average race day the racing track, it is not the only option victor can win around Dhs2,500, but for more important meetings the sum can rise up to Dhs5,000 and include to the Al Wathba Sweihan and Sat, 6.30am to luxury cars such as Range Rovers and racecourse requires a Located on the E20 8.30am, free FJ Cruisers. whole lot of patience road between Abu But the prize money is not all that Jebel Ali and probably a GPS Dhabi and Al Ain, the has changed; the sport has undergone device. Although it is sleepy oasis town of Racecourse some serious modernisation over the Don’t be fooled by the only about 20 minutes Sweihan is known past decade. Since 2002, following name, the Jebel Ali from the Corniche, for its camel racing pressure from human rights groups, Racecourse is actually the main problem is circuit. During the child jockeys were replaced by little tucked away up that there are actually winter, the racecourse robotic machines controlled by behind The Greens. In two racecourses in often marks important remote control. Now the owners general this centrally the area, a larger one social occasions with cruise alongside the track in fleets of located course is a often used to race its races accompanied 4x4s controlling the robotic jockey horse racecourse, horses and a second by arts and crafts fairs, while seemingly trying to exhaust however, they do one a few miles on traditional dancing and their car’s horn. run the occasional that is dedicated to even the odd camel Mr Al Wahad, a racing official, camel race on special camels. Popular with milking competition. explains that the men we saw earlier Sweihan, Abjan locals during the winter occasions – but it is riding the camels were not racing Road, Abu Dhabi, Fri best to phone ahead. racing season this is but merely warming them up for the Hessa Street, The and Sat, 7.30am and camel racing at its races, set to start at 7.30am.

Greens, Dubai. Tel: 2pm, free most authentic.

Although the Dubai Camel Racing Al Wathba, (04) 3474914. Taxi: Club (DCRC) officially sanctions each Al Wathba Emirates International Opposite Regent race, the schedule for the events can A word of warning, Endurance City, International School. be difficult to find – and it is best to navigating your way Abu Dhabi, Thur, Fri emiratesracing.com call ahead to confirm.

The track is used most days, with the races run normally between 7am start (essentially a net across the and 9am on Fridays track). The buzz of anticipation and Saturdays during is as potent as the smell of camel racing season. The loose manure as we join the owners schedule on the DCRC’s Camel polo jostling in one of the grandstands website informs us that ‘Only in Dubai’ is a phrase to get the best view of huge TV today it’s the turn of the that is far too often banged screens that broadcast the race. younger camels. about in the UAE; however, The start is chaos. As soon as Adult camels can with camel polo it is quite literally the case the rope is dropped, the camels reach speeds of up to spring into life with limbs flying 40km/h but, as a rule, The rules are simple: it is off in every direction. The roar the camels under two played exactly the same as and horns of the accompanying years old should not regular polo – think mallets 4x4s drown out the cheers of the crowd and the camels be racing as their bones and muscles have and helmets – but played on scamper off into the distance to the soundtrack of Arabic not fully developed. “In the young category, a camel instead of horseback. commentary booming out of the speakers. A good 15 the camels must be between three and four The Dubai Polo Club offers minutes passes until we catch sight of the leading few years old to be able to race,” explains Mr to organise tuition on how to ride and steer a camel, as well camels striding across the finishing line, much to the Al Wahad who has the unenviable task of as 90-minute games for eight overseeing the registration. There is no official delight of a few locals in the stands who leap out of their people or more. Don’t worry seats and set chase after the camels – half to congratulate documentation for the camels; instead their if you haven’t played before, them, and half to ensure they don’t run off. age is determined by a thorough inspection you can opt to have an It is hard to shake the feeling that among the chaos of the size of their teeth – if a camel passes instructor take the reigns for and competition there is something refreshing about inspection then a blue stencil is spray-painted you, while you swing away. onto its neck. “It is simple – no mark, no race,” a sport that doesn’t try nor care to be anything other Dubai Polo Club, Arabian than what it is. Camel racing is unquestionably local smiles Mr Al Wahab.

Ranches, Emirates Road, Dubai, Dhs690. Tel: (04) and long may it continue.

With the race minutes away, dozens of 3618111. Taxi: Near Motorcity.

Al Marmoum Camel Racetrack, Al Ain Road, camels – now dressed and draped with multipoloclubdubai.com Dubai, races at 7am and 2pm, free. Tel: (04) 8326526. coloured robes and fitted with their robotic Taxi: Exit after The Sevens. dcrc.ae jockey – are manically ushered towards the The prospective racing dates at Al Marmoum this month Younger camels: Jan 8, 9, 15, 16, 29, 30 Older camels: Jan 27 and 28

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