The 2017 Alice Springs Camel Cup

During the cooler winter months Alice Springs is a fun place to be. Each weekend there is a great event happening. Last weekend I met up with some family friends at the Alice Springs Camel Cup. I took my camera along and managed to capture some fun moments. It is events like the Camel Cup that make Alice Springs such a unique place.

You don’t have to be a cameleer to race a camel in the Cup. Many of my friends have entered the race over the years. Each year I kept saying I would enter and never did. I am extremely accident prone, so it is probably best that I stay a spectator. There are a number of different races during the day. One events I like does not include any camels. It’s the rickshaw race, where people tow people. The cup is a little challenging as a photographer from the sidelines. If I photograph it again I will definitely be getting a media pass.

The History Behind The Alice Springs Camel Cup

One of the things I have come to love about many of these events are the stories behind them. The origin story of the Alice Springs Camel Cup is one that I have heard many times.

The first stop on most bus tours heading south from Alice Springs is the Camel Farm at Stuarts Well. I have no idea how many times I have been there, but I do know it is in the hundreds. One of the things I loved the most about my visits to the farm was my morning coffee with Neil and Jayne.

Neil is a multi Camel Cup winner who plays a major role in the event every year. He has also had a long history with one of Australia’s most famous cameleers, the late Noel Fullerton.

I only met Noel once (at Neil’s camel farm) and he took great pleasure in trying to wind me up. So I was left with the impression that the man enjoyed a little controversy. Back in 1970, he challenged fellow cameleer Keith Mooney-Smith to a duel in order to settle a supposed long-running feud between them.

This was the catalyst for the iconic Australian event the Alice Springs Camel Cup.

I challenge him to a duel, weapons being camels

Dear Editor,

… I have had a feud with Lion Keith Mooney–Smith for some considerable time and I feel it is time we settled it.

So I challenge him to a duel, weapons being camels. Time and place I leave this up to him. That is if he is not chicken as he is getting that fat I doubt if he can sit on one; a good suggested time for this grudge race would be Centenary Celebrations….

Yours sincerely “Lion Noel”

My Alice Spring Camel Cup Gallery

Here you can browse through some of my Camel Cup Photography. Some of these images are now for sale on a number of products in my Print Shop.