CAMEL RACING IN DOHA
By Adam Docker
“With a few spare hours on my hands I decided to visit a local camel race track on the outskirts of Doha. The official races happen at sunrise around six in the morning, but that is too early for me, so I went in the late afternoon when the heat begins to soften and the camels are brought out to train.
The whole experience was incredible. No one stopped me, instead people smiled, waved, and asked where I was from. The atmosphere was welcoming, the air filled with dust and sunlight as hundreds of camels and their riders moved across the track. I had a driver who circled the circuit with me, following alongside the camels as they thundered forward in a blur of legs, dust, and colour.
Outside the venue I found myself at a crossroads where groups of camels passed in every direction. It was the perfect place to stand quietly and watch, to wait for a face that stood out. The riders were as fascinating as the animals. Most were from India, Bangladesh, or Sudan, men who had travelled far to work with these prized racing camels.
Each team had its own support, usually a Qatari stable owner following in a big Land Cruiser, keeping watch as the riders trained their animals”