Camels, dubbed "ships of the desert," occupy a special position
in the economic life and military activity of the ancient
Mongolians. The camel is regarded as the "king of the animals."
Domesticated camels are often used for racing. At holidays and
festivals, herdsmen from the grasslands and Gobi Desert will
organize camel races, a traditional sports event. Having a big and
tall body, camels can run more than 100 li in a day. When it
gallops, the speed is almost the same as a courser, what's more, it
is more resistive than coursers. Racing camels are often
domesticated ones that have been trained. The racing distance is
5-40 km. The first to finish is the winner.
Targets are also fired at during the course of the race, with
the winner hitting the largest amount. Any age or sex can take
part.
In recent years, camel races have been standardized according to
the methods and means of modern sports competitions. Field
contests, team contests and relay races are increasingly popular.
In the National Ethnic Games in 1985, the camel race was included
in the official competition event of the "Nadamu" National Ethnic
Games.
