Have You Heard about the Boulia Camel Races?
Nope… this isn’t some novelty event that’s run just for kicks.
The Boulia Camel Races is one of the most epic spectacles on Australia’s sporting calendar and the cream of the crop when it comes to camel racing in the country.
But how much do you actually know about the Boulia Camel Races? And had you ever heard about them before we wrote this article? Because for the most part they still fly under the radar in terms of things to do in Oz. So we thought we’d introduce you to Australia’s most prestigious camel race in the following post.
Who knows? You might even find yourself booking a ticket to next year’s event.
What is it?
As we just said, the Boulia Camel Races are the most famous camel races in Australia. Taking place in the small outback town of Boulia, Queensland, it draws competitors from as far away as Anna Bay in New South Wales and even Victoria.
The prize pool for the race is a whopping $45,000 AUD and it’s touted as the longest camel race in the country, with the final being run over a distance of 1500m. In this sense, you might even call it the Melbourne Cup of camel racing… but there are a few key differences.
The track that they race around is a U-shape and there are only allowed to be 18 camels racing at any one time. In addition, the jockeys sit on small saddles behind the hump. There are no reigns to hold, which makes the race rather dangerous and protective gear is a must. It also means that the camels must steer themselves.
When is it run?
The dates for the Boulia Camel Races change every year. This year though they’ll be held over the 16th and the 18th of July.
How it works is that races are run over these two days with a final race to be run at the end of the last day. As you can imagine, this is the showpiece of the whole weekend. And for the locals of Boulia, these are undoubtedly the two biggest days of the year – especially considering the town itself only has about 300 residents, which swells to over 3,000 during the races.
Why should you see it?
There are so many reasons to see the Boulia Camel Races.
The first of these is that it’s absolutely thrilling to see a bunch of fully-grown camels going hard along a red dust track. Another reason though is that there’s so much to do in this outback region, such as check out the mysterious Min Min light, explore the mighty Simpson Desert or get to know the locals better at the Australian Hotel Motel Boulia.
In regard to the actual event though, there’s more than just the camel races to check out while you’re there. Everything from live entertainment to fireworks, amusements for the kids and camp oven food are all on display, which means there’s really something for everyone to enjoy.
When did it begin?
First held way back in 1997, the Boulia Camel Races have cemented themselves as the most coveted race on the Australian camel racing circuit. It’s also the longest in the country, being run over a massive 1500m.
Both camel racing fans, casual punters and tourists alike regard the Boulia Camel Races as a definitive ‘bucket-list’ event and one of the most fun things to do in Outback Queensland. And since this year will mark the 24th Boulia Camel Races ever, it’s guaranteed to be a huge turnout.
So whether you’ve got some time up your sleeve or you’re a diehard camel racing fanatic, the Boulia Camel Races are one weekend that you won’t soon forget.
We hope this list helps, enjoy your winter break!
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