Have you heard of the Gympie Cup – sure to outperform the horses at Flemington? Gympie is 171 kilometers (106 miles) north of Brisbane in the State of Queensland.

The horses that race in Melbourne are thoroughbreds and the same can be said for Gympie except they are not horses they are camels.

The jockeys choose their own outfit and in the past, there has been Batman, Superman, and Laurence of Arabia.  The riders don’t have any reigns to hold on to so it would be scary sitting 20 hands high in the air – falling off is not an option. The camels may or may not line up for the start of the race.  Some camels run, some walk and others walk backward, very unpredictable. The race is 300 meters and the rider has to sit, not stand.  The Camels head to their feed bucket and when reached it is the end of the race.

The fashion on the field is something else.  You will find Aussie men in singlets and shorts next to men in suits and women in fashion outfits adorned with a fascinator.  It is all in good fun and the money raised goes to charity.   The district supports the race and up to 2,000 people attend. So why not try Gympie next year instead of Melbourne.

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