Jake answers the call and saddles up for ride of a lifetime

The Desert Champions Way: Outback Camel Trail, 2026, starts with camel races in Jundah Thu 9 Jul 2026 at 10:12am In short: Freshly reopened roads helped draw visitors to Jundah for the first camel race of the Desert Champions Way: Outback Camel Trail. For Jundah Cup winner Emily Parrott, it's about bringing joy and fun to outback towns. What's next? Organisers hope the camel-racing circuit continues to attract much-needed visitors with three more race events before the end of the month at Bedourie, Boulia and Winton. Jake Callaghan admits he had no idea what to expect when he was asked to fill in as a camel jockey. "A mate rang me up and said, 'Do you want to have a go?' I jumped at the opportunity," Mr Callaghan said. The 30-year-old musterer with no camel-riding experience saddled up at the Jundah Camel Races, the first stop on the annual Outback Camel Trail, at the weekend. "First race I didn't know what to expect, but once you get the hang of it you just go with it and follow its ears, and it will get you there." It's a common saying amongst camel jockeys to "follow its ears". Guided by instinct After the bang of the starter's gun and with no reins in place, the camels pound the track heading toward the yards, guided only by their instinct to get back to base for a feed. The small jockey saddles are positioned directly behind the camel's hump, the jockey has their feet in the stirrups and mostly adopts a crouch position during the race. Mr Callaghan caught on quickly, finishing with a win, a second placing, and three thirds. "It's hard to judge how fast you're going," he said. "There's only four in each race, but they poke along alright." Fellow racer Kyrraley Woodhouse, from Boulia, reckons they get up to 45 kilometres per hour. She's been riding camels for 13 years, but this year she's campaigning two newcomers — Raygun and The Clown — to the circuit. "I'm very proud of my camels," Ms Woodhouse said. "They're still learning, they do what they want on the day." Raygun claimed second in the Jundah Cup, just behind experienced Newcastle jockey Emily Parrott and veteran camel racer, Polished Copper. "I'm super stoked with our camel Polished Copper, he just keeps coming up with the goods," Ms Parrott said. Outback Camel Trail The month-long Desert Champions Way: Outback Camel Trail starts at Jundah before heading to Bedourie on July 11, Boulia from July 17-19 — where the 1,500-metre sprint is Australia's longest camel race — before finishing at Winton on July 25. About 300 people turned out for the Jundah event, despite challenging road and weather conditions after recent rain. Some roads reopened the day before the races. "We're happy with that," president of the Jundah Camel Races, Dan Pitman, said. The recent rains had Jundah locals scrambling to repair the track in time. Volunteers spent three days pumping water off the track, bringing in extra soil and harrowing. But it was worth the effort. "It's good because we get a lot of quiet times, more quiet times than busy times,"Mr Pitman said. "It's good to get the tourists out here … they hang around for a few days, and they spend money at local shops and pubs, it's good for Jundah." For Jundah Cup winner Emily Parrott, it's about bringing joy and fun to outback towns, especially those struggling with a few visitors this tourist season. "The whole idea is to bring some different clientele to the towns," she said. "It's a good little burst of tourism for the towns." She urged more visitors to make the journey west and experience the unique atmosphere of camel racing. "Expect to have laughs, put your money on the bar, not the camels; it's a safer bet and expect to make new friends, friends that have a different aspect on life that you're going to enjoy."