Article

2003-10-17 Arabia

Camel racing festival preparations in the Sultanate

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Posted by Fred Pruitt 2003-10-17 00:21|| || Front Page|| [11131 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 ...privately owned thoroughbred camels ...

Never molested by anyone outside the family?

Posted by Steve White 2003-10-17 12:41:57 AM|| 2003-10-17 12:41:57 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Fred, ever get out to a camel race in Soddy?
I went to the races in Riyadh in 1971 and the 5th race,or so, of the day was a camel race. Comic relief, seventh inning stretch, but fun. I suspect the races in Oman are taken a little more seriously.

Posted by Gasse Katze 2003-10-17 12:55:46 AM|| 2003-10-17 12:55:46 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Ooooh! I saw a camel race in "the Mummy"! Do they really run faster if the rider is a woman? ( Sarcasm off )

Posted by Charles 2003-10-17 1:56:33 AM|| 2003-10-17 1:56:33 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Why do driving and sex education not get taught on the same day in Oman?

They don't want to wear out the camel.

Posted by Patrick 2003-10-17 2:45:16 AM|| 2003-10-17 2:45:16 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Actually you could say there are two races going on. At the races I saw in '92-'93 in the Dhahran area (e.g. Qatif had an active camel market & races not far from the Thursday "flea market") and on Dubai TV there was an asphalt road running around the outside of the actual camel race track.

They ran from 3 to as many as 10 camels in the races I saw. The "crews" (I guess) for each camel tried to pace their camels in their Toyota pickups on this road during the race. Now that's a LOT of pickup trucks for what is equiv to a 2-lane country road surface... It was truly hysterical. You had the driver and then a couple of guys standing in the back of each speeding truck waving and shouting and hanging on for dear life - sometimes unsuccessfully. There were, as you can imagine, a fair number of sideswipes and collisions, major and minor, as they jockyed (pun intended) for position. I'm sure your imaginations can draw the picture. Sort of like a camel race / demolition derby combo event - at least at the amateur level. I have no doubt that a LOT of money changed hands... and mebbe a wife or two in the bargain.

How does this compare with Riyadh, Gasse Katze? Same game or different? Did you get Dubai TV? Those singing / dancing / fighting Indian movies were the highlight of my week - it was that bad. Compare it to constant replays of the Mecca Mosque rotation or watching some young aspiring mullah practice reciting the Qu'uran on Saudi channels. That was it for broadcast TV after CNN began scrambling to stop Bahrain TV from stealing and rebroadcasting their CNN Int'l signal. I lived in a compound this last trip over (2000 - 2003) - and we had some satellite TV services - almost felt like being in the Real World. Almost.

Posted by .com 2003-10-17 4:10:29 AM|| 2003-10-17 4:10:29 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 So being a Camel Jockey is an actual occupation huh? How poetic.

Posted by Jarhead 2003-10-17 10:54:44 AM|| 2003-10-17 10:54:44 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 NASCAM highlights at 11.

Posted by B 2003-10-17 12:34:56 PM|| 2003-10-17 12:34:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 ESPN used to carry things like camel racing. Now they carry poker games. I used to like Aussie football and men's field hockey the best. What could be more extreme than men beating each otehr with clubs?

Posted by Super Hose 2003-10-17 12:40:28 PM|| 2003-10-17 12:40:28 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 The Riyadh camel race wasnât quite as exciting as the ones you described, .Com. The riders were young Bedouins who beat each other and their mounts while racing counterclockwise around a track about a mile long. I went with some German friends. The spectator stands held approximately 100 â150 people. Most of whom were dignitaries and their body guards.

Communications were primitive. The international communications relied on HF radio. There was a microwave link along the railroad to Dahran. The USAF got a broadband link between Dahran and Riyadh using troposcatter and microwave. The Ministry of Communications had an âRFPâ out to EFI a coaxial cable network to tie all the towns and cities together. I think there was a local TV station, but most of us relied on short wave radio and reel to reel tapes for entertainment. But it was a fun tour.

Posted by Gasse Katze 2003-10-17 12:57:22 PM|| 2003-10-17 12:57:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 ~~The West Coast Wesson Oil Championships~~
~~Miss Nude Universe Contest~~
~~Las Vegas Exotic Dancers Strip-Off~~
~~Florida Gator Mud Wrestling Finals~~
~~Ft Lauderdale Wet T-Shirt Finals~~
Tailhook Festivities (Pre-Clinton Era)
Sheesh. I can't think of anything, SH!

Posted by .com 2003-10-17 12:57:55 PM|| 2003-10-17 12:57:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 Gasse Katze - Ah, you were there in '71... 20+ year timespan... I've just spent that last 45 minutes locating something just for you. Check this out for a memory trip...
http://www.amble.com/barnes.htm

Cool runnings.

Posted by .com 2003-10-17 1:36:07 PM|| 2003-10-17 1:36:07 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 Thanks,.com. i'm looking through "Looking Back Over My Shoulder" now. I think I'll enjoy it. I read everything I could lay my hands on prior to going there. And aquired a copy of the ARAMCO Handbook and the "Blue Flame" (how to make your own booze without killing yourself) while there.
I was only there for one year, 70-71, with the US Training Mission. The RASAF offered me a job and asked me to come back. I like reading about the place from afar much better.

Posted by Gasse Katze 2003-10-17 6:21:00 PM|| 2003-10-17 6:21:00 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 .com , I asked my wife for that particular channel. She says @#$% no.

Posted by Super Hose 2003-10-17 6:39:42 PM|| 2003-10-17 6:39:42 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 If you want a really good time, you should take in a camel fight in Turkey. Maybe Murat can explain the rules. I saw one near Efes (Ephesus) once.

Posted by MW 2003-10-17 10:06:06 PM|| 2003-10-17 10:06:06 PM|| Front Page Top

10:04 Raptor
08:04 Raptor
23:25 Aris Katsaris
23:08 Mercutio
23:08 PBMcL
22:06 MW
22:01 MW
21:58 .com
21:17 Robert Crawford
20:52 Old Patriot
20:46 Bomb-a-rama
20:18 JDB
20:16 Frank G
19:45 Frank G
19:27 Pappy
19:00 Super Hose
18:55 Cheddarhead
18:53 Shipman
18:53 Angie Schultz
18:47 Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter)
18:47 Shipman
18:47 Super Hose
18:44 Super Hose
18:42 LVK