THE BALLOON MAN

Camel racing and more at county fairs this summer

 

CRAIG SCHREINER — State Journal archives
While some Wisconsin county fairs will rely on agricultural traditions, food and carnival rides to lure folks to the fairgrounds, others are trying more exotic entertainment such as camel racing.
from:  madison.com
JACK CULLEN | Wisconsin State Journal
June 24, 2013 
Camel racing has been a popular sport in parts of the Middle East for centuries, but it hasn’t exactly caught on in the U.S. That could change next month, with the debut of camel racing at the Lafayette County Fair in Darlington, believed to be the first in the state to offer the event.
As the first of 72 county fairs across the state get underway later this month, some, like Lafayette County, are aiming at ever more exotic attractions; others hope to appeal to tradition and nostalgia.
 Lafayette County is borrowing four camels from Franksville-based Jo-Don Farms when the fair opens July 11. Sixteen pre-selected local participants, including a local doctor and policeman, will compete in four heats and the top four finishers from each heat will then race in the finals.
 According to Bob Meyer, owner of Jo-Don Farms, mounting and riding a camel is nothing like getting on a horse.
 “These animals are designed to walk long distances over long
 periods of time,” said Meyer, who has trained camels since 1982. “As soon as a race starts, all four feet run in different directions, so it’s incredibly entertaining and hilarious watching people try to stay on their camel.”
 To keep the camels’ focus and their eyes on the prize, there will be food for the camels at the finish line. While Dromedary (one hump) camels are typically used in races, a few lucky participants will get the chance to ride Omar, a Bactrian (two-hump) camel that moves at a much slower pace.
 Dan Small, long-time producer and host of Milwaukee Public Television’s Outdoor Wisconsin, had the chance to race atop a Bactrian camel last summer.
 “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me,” said Small, who ranks the race right up there with shooting Theodore Roosevelt’s cladding gun, which Roosevelt used during the Spanish American War. Small also compared riding a camel to riding a bumpy Tennessee walking horse.
 “It was definitely a bucket list experience,” Small said.
 Novelties like camel racing aside, the county fair is still mainly a place for connecting with a simpler time.
for a list of up coming fairs and Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/camel-racing-and-more-at-county-fairs-this-summer/article_a829dee2-b3dc-51d5-8cc1-5f9eb99ab5e2.html#ixzz2XFJ04QUU