Annual Alice Springs Camel Cup draws big crowd to Blatherskite Park

ALICE Springs was a sea of dust and camel toes yesterday when thousands of people squeezed into Blatherskite Park to watch the famous Camel Cup

The Lasseter Sprint was the first race of the Alice Springs Camel Cup. Picture: EMMA MURRAY

Alice Springs was a sea of dust and camel toes yesterday when thousands of people squeezed into Blatherskite Park to watch the famous Camel Cup.

Under clear blue skies, with the stunning backdrop of the West MacDonnell Ranges, camel farms from around the red centre put pride on the line and raced their fastest animals around the Noel Fullerton arena.

The big winner on the day was Chris Hill and Uluru Camel Tours who took out five of the seven races, his jockey Rachel Woodham winning four of them.

Mr Hill said it was a team effort.

“Everyone worked really hard today, and we’re happy to take the trophies back to Uluru tomorrow,” he said.

In between camel races the crowd was kept entertained by rickshaw races, men’s and women’s fashions on the field, and the gruelling “rickshaw ironman challenge” which saw participants run the dusty camel course in bare feet towing a couple of friends.

Competitors in the gruelling Rickshaw Iron Man Challenge at the Alice Springs Camel Cup. Picture: EMMA MURRAY

Darrel Leech and Michael Braun ensure the safety of the crowd at the Alice Springs Camel Cup. Picture: EMMA MURRAY

Sister duo Liana and Sherrida Wilson, who were in Alice Springs visiting their parents, took out the junior and senior “Miss Camel Cup”.

Younger sister Liana said she was “over the moon” when the judges called her name.

Although there were a lot of tourists in attendance, the locals were also there in droves.

Alice Springs resident Veronica Bond said the way the Camel Cup is embraced is indicative of the spirit of the locals.

“I love the Camel Cup, it’s nuts!” she said.

“We make great event here because we’re out in the middle of nowhere, so we’ve got to make our own fun.”

The people making that fun happen yesterday were the APEX Club of Central Australia volunteers, who organise the Camel Cup every year.

Club president Kyle Pearson said 2017 was another stellar cup.

“It was a really fun day – it always is – and we’re really happy with how everything went,” he said.