Down the stretch they come!

It was roughly a year ago that we decided to accept the job offers here in Kuwait. Not long after that, as we looked around on the interwebs about life here in Kuwait, one unique experience was added to our bucket list of things we must see - Camel Races

Yes, this is a legit "sport" ar at least activity here in Kuwait. Today, we went with a local group known as the AWARE center who hosted a day trip to the Camel Races. As you can see from the map below, they have a Racing club and track out in the desert. 

When we arrived, they were still setting things up, getting the camels into place. They had some camels available for a little ride to experience it.

As with many things in Kuwait, there wasn't much in the way of organization, announcements or info on what exactly to expect. We did get an FAQ from the Aware center before we left setting the stage a little bit:

Why are robots used in the races? 

Originally, men of a very small stature were used & with time, employment of young children became common. Human rights organizations became involved and disapproved of the use of children so it was decided that robots would be used. 

What is the length of the track in Kuwait? 

This depends on the age of the camels; the younger camels will use the smaller track (3 K.M) Older camels will use the large track (11 K.M) 

Why are jeeps racing around the track at the same time as the race? 

The owners of the camels are steering the robots (from these jeeps) which will also control the speed of the camel 

Are the camels on special diets? 

Yes, camels are on a very nutritious diet before the race and then the diet is reduced slowly

right after the race. The feed may include: honey, milk, seeds/grains, vitamins and corn 

How are camels trained/selected for racing? 

The camel should be able to run 8 K.M in approximately 15 minutes to be chosen for racing. Racing camels are special camels with small humps and a very small waist. Training occurs once daily. 

When is the racing season in Kuwait?

November – March 

Are there traditions for the winning camel? 

Yes, in some cases the camel's face may be painted with Saffron or Henna. 

I'll post some additional information at the bottom of the post.

We could see the camels being led away, but we could not see the start or when they would get underway.

Then, we heard that the races start at 2 and then we could see commotion in the "clubhouse". Shortly, we could see the huge collection of cars moving on the other side of the race area and we could tell the race was on. 

Here was one of the finishes...there were 7 races of which we saw 4. 

As it says at the top, they do not have jockeys anymore(no reason listed), instead, they put mini electronic jockeys on them and control them from the car as they drive alongside the race. 

Here is a picture of what the setup looks like. 

And the cars cannot go to the finish, it is quite the scene as they get to the fence...

An interesting day, one of those things you check off your list. 

Here is a video from a few years ago that shows the setup - the drivers and the electronic jockeys. 

Camels, the "ships of the desert," have played a vital role in the region over thousands of years. Camels have impacted all aspects of daily desert life. Besides being a means of travel, food & shelter, camels are also used for entertaining, celebrating & competing in festivals & special events. Camel race is an exciting sport, for which Kuwaitis have exceptionally high regard & appreciation. It stands for originality, most esteemed heritage, honorable, competitiveness, excitement & speed. In light of that & in recognition of the importance of the practice, H.H. the Emir issued the directives to hold camel races on an annual basis. By encouraging this sport, he also sought to highlight the popular heritage, conserve the authentic Arabic traditions & remind the youths of the era of glory & the sport of forefathers. Camel racing is greatly similar to horse racing, where camels compete at speeds of up to 64 kilometers per hour on tracks specially built for this kind of race. Camel racing has evolved into an official & professional race that includes race tracks, specialized farms for raising camels & running intensive training programs. 

Ages of Camel: - 

Ehewar for a 1 year old camel. 

Fateem for a 2 years old camel. 

Haj for a 3 years camel. 

Liggi for a 4 years camel. 

Yethea for a 5 years camel. 

Thani for a 6 years camel. 

We also call the 6 years old male camel Ba’eer, & Nagah for female. 

Colors of Camel: Red, Yellow, Blonde and Shamaa (red & yellow).