One of Australia’s most extraordinary sporting events is heading back to Outback Queensland this July, with rival camel champions Polished Copper and Geoffrey set for a red-dirt rematch across five iconic outback towns from July 3 to 25.
At the heart of the action is cameleer and camel jockey Emily Parrott, a second-generation camel racer who is leading her pack of six camels 4,000km from Newcastle through South Australia and into Queensland’s outback heartland. Raised at her family’s Oakfield Ranch, Ms Parrott has been racing camels since she was 14 and now brings her own children, Cooper, seven, and Abby, 11, into the tradition.
“It’s an ancient sport, and our camels genuinely love what they do. Polished Copper is the one to watch again this year, he’s in great form and really powering on,” Ms Parrott said.
The Desert Champions Way: Outback Camel Trail kicks off with the Jundah Camel Races on July 3 and 4, featuring sheep racing, working dog jumping and free camping in one of outback Queensland’s most welcoming towns. The Birdsville Carnival follows on July 8 and 9, with live music at the legendary Birdsville Pub and open-air film screenings under the stars.
Bedourie hosts its unique Camel and Pig Races on July 11, before the trail’s centrepiece, the Boulia Camel Races, takes over July 17 to 19. Known as the Melbourne Cup of Camel Racing, Boulia features the epic 1200m Camel Cup, lawn mower races, yabby sprints, truck pull and live music under the stars. The trail concludes in Winton on July 25, birthplace of Waltzing Matilda, where camel racing meets outback storytelling and the Crack Up Sisters take the entertainment reins.
