Community
10 July, 2024
Boulia primed for massive weekend of camel racing
There will be no shortage of action at the home of the Min Min Light.
If you haven’t made the trek down to the Boulia Camel Races before, it might be time to make some plans this weekend.
Boulia Camel Races president Shelley Lorensen says while the camels are the big drawcard – visitors can also expect souped-up lawn mowers, yabby races, comedy
from the Crack Up Sisters, live music from Will Day, Josie and The 78 Sound, passes for unlimited rides, free camping for pass holders and arguably the best fireworks in western Queensland.
Dubbed the “Melbourne Cup for Camel Races” – the event has grown into a lucrative weekend for camel trainers with prizemoney now totaling $45,000, including $9000 for the big event – the 1200m Better Beer Cup, which is longest race of its kind in Australia and is held on Sunday afternoon.
Boulia camel jockey Kyrraley
Woodhouse says most of the camels expected to race over the weekend are inexperienced, having only had their first taste of the race track at Jundah and Bedourie in recent weeks, which will make it entertaining for onlookers.
She said camel racing was an unpredictable business – mustering a handful of feral camels from an Outback station when they are around 4-5 years old and then breaking them in over a one to two year period to prepare them for their first race card.
Kyrraley said things don’t always go to plan.
“We really don’t have any control over the camels – so it’s always a lot of fun,” she told North West Weekly.
“It is not until you get them on the track and in front of the crowd that you really know whether they are going to race or not. Some will just freeze whereas others seem to thrive.”
You also never know what form a camel race will take – the Bedourie camel races at the weekend being a textbook case – where some bad weather conditions saw the camels lined up without jockeys.
In what was thought to be an Australian first, the camels were lined up with only a car behind the group used to encourage them towards the finish line.
The Boulia Camel Races begin on Friday with camel trainers telling some of their yarns from 4.15pm alongside helicopter rides on offer over the town, market stalls and bar service.
You can buy an extra beer or two and know your money is going to a good cause, with the Boulia State School P&C managing the bar to raise funds for the school’s snow trip later in the year.
The event notches up a gear at 5pm with the Great Australian Ride-On Lawn Mower race, which this year will officially include a special category for modified mowers.
The idea to allow mechanical creativity to fly was sparked after a Mount Isa competitor last year arrived with a souped-up mower complete with motorbike handlebars for supposed greater steering control.
From 6pm the amusement rides will be operating – with $40 passes on offer for unlimited rides all weekend. The first camel events also begin at 6pm with camel tagging, which is always a drawcard as crowd participants test their wits and agility.
The 400m and 1000m camel race heats commence at 11am on Saturday culminating with the Toby Harris Memorial Quarter Mile Flyer 400m final at 11am on Sunday followed by the Better Beer Cup 1200m race at 12pm.
At 2pm on Sunday, spectators can unwind with that other great Australian favourite – the yabby races. The Crack Up Sisters will be on the track all weekend to keep the energy high between races.
All three nights have live music on offer with the big fireworks display launching at 6.30 on Saturday night.
Ms Lorensen said the jam-packed weekend event has grown from strength to strength over the past 28 years and has become a fixture for tourists and locals alike.
“It’s become a real drawcard for tourists travelling for the Big Red Bash then onto Bedourie for their camel and pig races then to our Boulia weekend,” she said.
“There’s now a really clear circuit for people to follow that leads to the Curry Merry Muster and the Isa Rodeo – they’re all different events and tourists seem to enjoy the variety.”