Event: Australia - Alice Springs

Camel Cup

When:	12 Jul 2008 (annual)
Where:	Blatherskite Park
Costs:	A$15; 12-16 yrs A$5; under 12s free; family ticket A$30
Opening Hours:	Gates open 10.30am; Opening Ceremony 11.30am; First Race 12pm; Last Race 4pm

The Camel Cup in Blaterskite Park dates back to a duel in 1970 when two Alice Springs Lions' members, Noel Fullerton and Keith Mooney-Smith, raced on camelback along the Todd River bed.

Now an annual fixture, the race is thrilling to watch, mainly due to its unpredictability. The camels, when they're in the mood, can certainly move. Noel Fullerton's 1984 mount, Sweet Alice, ran the 400-metre course in a record 27 seconds, which translates to a speed of 42 mph! But others may sit down at the starting line and not budge an inch. That's the fun for the spectators.

Camels were imported into Australia (first from the Canaries) between 1840 and 1907, and nowadays - with an estimated wild population countrywide of 750,000 - the country not only has the largest wild camel population in the world but also is the world's only exporter of the animals, with a trade to countries around the Arabian Gulf.

In 1987 the Camel Cup went international when Virginia City sent camel riders from the USA. Since then an International Trophy has been established, being run alternately in Alice Springs and Virginia City.