The 63rd Annual International Camel Races are being held this weekend. A show that attracts thousands of people right to Virginia City. Jess Horning, a Partner for Liquid Blue Events says "Why would you not want to ride a camel? Who doesn't want to ride a camel? You don't get to do that every day."
Horning says these camels are raised from birth in Kansas with Hendricks Promotions.
The Camel and Ostrich Races run all weekend, and even with four races for people to attend, tickets to this unique event typically sell out.
Horning tells us "Your normal everyday people are racing on the camels, and ostriches, and zebras, and chasing chickens, and Emus it's an absolute blast hilarious time." He says the best part about the camel races is the animals are usually unpredictable "Even though they're fast they don't know which way they're going, so they go in circles and you don't know if you're going to win or lose. There is really no controlling it, it's just a matter of enjoying the ride."
The event started out as a simple race down C Street in Virginia City but has since turned into a huge production with over ten thousand people gathering to watch. Horning explains "It was a joke between the Territorial Enterprise Publication here and the San Francisco Chronicle about running a camel race here, and it was a joke at first and it became this whole thing and they decided to do it the next year."
They also raise money for the Virginia City Booster Club, bringing in a few thousand dollars each year. So, you can support a good cause while also gaining an experience of a lifetime. Horning adds "You don't see a zebra, an emu, an ostrich altogether at one time racing and it's not professional riders, there are camel jockeys, but it is local people hopping on these things and racing in front of the crowd."
