Ships Of The Desert Race In Outback Queensland For...

Cameleers thirsty for a win will have humped it to Outback Queensland this weekend for a share in Australia’s richest ever camel races, with the Boulia Camel Races offering a record $45,000 prize pool with new presenting partner Thirsty Camel Bottleshops.

A record number of travellers made the epic trek to Boulia, on the edge of the Simpson Desert, in Outback Queensland to witness the iconic event touted ‘The Melbourne Cup of Camel Races’. The tiny town of Boulia’s population exploded 10-fold, from a mere 300 residents to around 3,000.

“I’ve been to Flemington, but Boulia’s right up there!” laughs one of the visitors trackside.

As the Mayor of Boulia Shire Council, Rick Britton explains, “Camels are fascinating, nomadic animals with minds of their own. They’re funny to watch,”

“The Boulia Camel Races is our biggest event and it’s all run by a very small number of volunteers.  It really means a lot to the locals,”

The Mayor smiles with a wink, “It’s like going to Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup, you come to Boulia for the Boulia Camel Races.”

The Thirsty Camel Cup is the most coveted and prestigious win on the camel racing circuit, famously known as Australia’s longest camel race, run over a mammoth 1500m.  The Cup Final on Sunday the 18th of July 2021 is the climax of the two full days of professional camel races, run with the oversight of regulatory body Racing Queensland.

Australia’s richest camel races came in with a hometown win, with local Boulia camel ‘Gunna’ lumbering over the finish line to take out the Thirsty Camel Cup for Boulia camel trainer, Roman Czubak to the cheers of record crowds.

At 1500m, the Thirsty Camel Cup is Australia’s longest came race, with jockey Kelly Sloan riding ‘Gunna’ home across the 1500m in 2 minutes and 40 seconds to deliver the hometown team’s first ever Cup win.

“At the start, I didn’t think it was going to go real well, we went all the way around on the outside running rail and at about the 800m he decided to take off towards the other camels and by that time a couple started to trot and he went straight through them and you wouldn’t have wiped the smile off me (sic) dial,” said the Thirsty Camel Cup winning jockey, Kelly Sloan.  “From about 600m out I knew I had that cup.”

‘Gunna’ is owned by local Boulia camel trainer Tom Woodhouse, who relinquished his camels to Roman Czubak to race the weekend after having to head to Brisbane for medical attention for his young daughter.  Kelly recounts asking Tom what he wanted in return for use of his camels for the weekend “and I gave him a carton of ginger beer and that’s all he wanted off me.”

Uluru cameleer Chris Hill’s camel ‘Tex’ took out second in the Thirsty Camel Cup, delivering a reward for his return to professional camel racing in Boulia. “Nineteen years ago, is when I was here last, but certainly it’s exciting to be back and it’s only bigger and better and certainly a well-run event. I got second in both finals (the 1500m and the 400m) which I was certainly overwhelmed.  Tex is just a working ride camel at home, he’s not trained, he’s not a professional racing camel, but to put a little bit of pressure on everyone else racing was certainly good, but it was certainly great to see a camel from the hometown take the win anyway.”

Anna Bay, New South Wales team Oakfield Camels crossed the line in third place, with ‘Dolly’ ridden by Abby Douglas for camel trainer Rod Sansom. Abby was picked up along the way by Rod Sansom who was left a jockey short and found Abby fighting under the name ‘Baby Rabbit’ in Brophy’s Boxing Tent in Bedourie.  Baby Rabbit proved to have as must fighting spirit on the racetrack as in the boxing ring and Rod, with Rod swearing he’ll be keeping her number for future camel races.

Camel racing legend Glenda Sutton of Shepparton, Victoria took home the 400m Cup Final, known as the P&G Harris Road Contractors ¼ Mile Flyer, both training and jockeying her fast young camel ‘Hajime’ for the win.  Glenda again declared that when she dies, she wants her ashes scattered across the middle of the Boulia Racecourse because all of her best memories have happened on that track.  This is the 20th year Glenda has raced at the iconic Boulia Camel Races, with this weekend taking the number of camel races she has won to almost 280 in her long and successful career.

This year marks the 24th Boulia Camel Races, first held in 1997 and since then cementing itself as a ‘bucket-list’ iconic experience for Outback adventurers. Surrounding the racing action in Boulia was a full program of live music, novelty races, camp oven cooking, helicopter rides and even the Great Australian Ride-on Lawn Mower Race.

Those who have ventured to Boulia remained vigilant on the lookout for the famed Min Min Light, a mysterious phenomenon that continues to be sighted by travellers on Boulia’s remote Outback roads, causing ongoing intrigue.

The Boulia Camel Races is supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland, and features on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar.