Cannibals at the Cup

15th July 2006 - Alice Springs Camel Cup!


What luck that Christine McPaul, David Frencham and Aidan were in town to experience this annual event. But, as they assure me, serendipity happens all the time - they're a charmed couple, and the world responds in kind.

Don't think the Cup runs without controversy, and I'm not referring to any shenannigins between jockeys and owners. National and international attention was spotlighted on the Cup and its sponsors this year. Minnie Made - the local brothel - decided that it needed to do its bit for the broader community, thereby providing some balance to its operations, and sponsor a camel. After all, the Cup is serious business. All manner of businesses get behind it, so to speak. However, on hearing of this outrageous development, one Mr Concerned Citizen wrote to the Lions Club International HQ in Illinois, USA, to seek their assistance with reprimanding the local community group hosting this year's Cup. As could probably be expected from the Lions Club in Alice Springs, they were less than impressed at any 'guidance' on appropriate sponsorship from their American colleagues . The message was elegantly conveyed by the Lions Club head honcho , who said that if murderers could go to church and put their money in the plate, then Minnie Made could sponsor a camel.

The pictures tell the rest of story of the Cup, so I won't ride on too long. However, I would like to draw your attention to Chris and David tucking into camel ribs below. Now, frankly, I'm of the view that eating camel at the camel cup is akin to eating a side of human ribs at an athletics meet, but hey, who am I to talk. Suffice it to say that I indulged instead in strawberry pancakes with icecream.



Camel facts (for the curious):

1. Australia is the only country with wild camels.

2. The canine and incisor teeth of the camel grows continuously and they need a diet of coarse material to keep their teeth down.

3. If a grain of sand slips through the 'screen'-like camel eyelashes, an inner eyelid automatically wipes the sand off like a windshield wiper.

4. A camel's hump stores fat not water.

5. A camel can take in 35 galloons of water in six minutes.