This annual event is held in August since 1990 at the Yare Camel Club and Camp which is situated 3 km south of Maralal town in the Northern part of Kenya. The town is the administration headquarters of the Samburu, a sister pastoralist community to the Maasai who live in this arid and semi arid part of Kenya and cover a large area that stretches to the west up to eastern part of Lake Turkana. The competition has received recognition by the UN as way of creating awareness of desertification in the region, erosion of arable land due to climate change and industrial pollution as the best International Jokeys from countries like Australia, America, New Zealand, Canada, England, France, Spain, Japan, and South Africa challenge the Kenyan Champions.
The race entry is broken into 2 categories over a number of days, i.e a 10 km race for the amateurs who can hire a camel and a handler for the day saddle the animal as the their helper(handler) steers and directs the proceedings for them. Then the 42 km for the professionals where no handler is allowed just the entrants on their own as they venture out into the outskirts of the town, a journey that takes them through a semi desert environment.
When the weekend of the competition comes a Festival mood descends on the Yare Camel club, a mix of colours cultures and animals as the tall Samburu morans clad in their yellow T shirts and red Shukas and heads adorned with beads and braided hair interact with Europeans, Japanese , Indians and people from the Middle East. The scent of Barbequed goat meat fills the air and drinks are served to wash down what locally is refered to as Nyama Choma as friends, old and new catch up and prepare for the race ahead. The camels would be all over, everywhere you look being checked out by the Vets and competitors and Medical Services complete with Flying Doctors are availed to participants at a reasonable fee.
Day 1 of the race belong to the Newbies and Amateurs who with their handlers have to slug it out on a 10km course, and this is fun and the adventurous even without experience are always encouraged to engage in. Spectators have the most fun on this day often rocking with laughter, the start of the race has great Drama as the participants struggle to make the animals to get up and move forward some of whom will be thrown off and handlers who end up chasing after disenchanted camels or camels that will decide to stall just a few meters from the finish line. By evening the tales of the day’s adventures will be shared as the entrants nurse their sore thighs and behinds! Day 2 is the time for the veterans to demonstrate their expertise as the Derby tests the speed and strength of the camels and the handling abilities of the owners/handlers. Prices are given to the winners at the end of the competition but there are also a lot of other activities like donkey rides for the faint hearted, cycling races, different challenge events, Cultural dances by the Samburus and also stalls for selling curios and handicrafts. When the Festival is over you can decide to tour the surrounding area which offers a variety of wildlife.
Yahoo Status
No comments:
Post a Comment