Female jockeys gear up for Boulia Camel Races

The women originate from New South Wales' Port Stephens and Newcastle region and travel north as a convoy together with their camels and trainers.

Along the way they stop at a series of meets in the Outback Queensland towns of Jundah, Birdsville, Bedourie, Boulia and Tara to take part in camel racing events.

Kyrraley Woodhouse has taken part in the annual event every year since 2013.

The 29-year-old from Boulia started racing camels at the display races in Newcastle, with the Oakfield Ranch team.

"Through pony club friends of mine did display racing for them and needed a couple of extra jockeys," she said.

"A couple of months later they needed a jockey out on the racing circuit...that was in 2013 and we have been racing ever since.

"This is my 11^th year racing at the Boulia Camel Races."

The race schedule consists of 400 metre race with four heats and a final, and four heats over 1000 metres with top three placegetters competing for the Better Beer Cup - a 1200 metre race.

There is also a consultation and locals race.

Ms Woodhosue said she won the quarter mile flyer and the 1500 metre cup in 2022, riding the same camel for both events.

"All the winners of the 400 metres go in against each other for the quarter mile flyer," she said.

"They have cut back the Better Beer Cup from 1500 metres to 1200 metres this year because 1500 metres is a really long way to ride...no matter how fit you are, the jockeys are always really puffed at the end of it.

"Twelve hundred metres is a bit more doable, the camels will hopefully gallop all that way because once they start trotting, it really takes it out of you."

She said while her ultimate goal was winning the five camels they are racing have only just been broken in.

"My goal is to make it to the end of the track this year, on all of them," she said.

Chontelle Jannese will also be competing at the Boulia races, making the trek from Newcastle in a car convoy with the other racing families who take part in the Queensland camel racing season that kicks off in July.

Ms Jannese said she bought her own camel 11 years ago, which led her to getting involved with camel racing and has competed at the Boulia races for many years.

She said she enjoys the challenge of the longest race at Boulia.

"I have been a jockey for nine years," she said.

"Boulia has the longest cup so it is physically the most challenging.

"It is the one that everyone looks forward to and dreads at the same time, in equal measure."

She said she and fellow jockey Glenda Sutton were the only two people to have won eight out of eight races at the Boulia races.

"It was eight races in a row, which was a pretty spectacular achievement," she said.

"Glenda Sutton has been doing it for a very long time and trains her own camels so you are up with the elite, to be able to achieve that.

"I have won the cup there a few times as well."

She said she hoped the Boulia races would continue to be a tradition despite the changing climate of outback events.

"I hope camel racing continues, it is something that is quite unique," she said.

"There is a lot of history with camel racing in Australia, which would be sad to lose.

"They are such great events for town, boosting the economy and showcasing small communities."

The Boulia Camel Races features two days of professional camel racing and entertainment.

Boulia, four hours west of Winton, increases from a population of 300 to 3000, during the unique event which boasts the longest camel race in Australia.

Boulia Camel races president Shelley Lorensen said they were excited to be welcoming everyone back to the for their 27th racing event.

"Volunteering at this event for over 17 years, and over the past few years as president, I've experienced first hand the growth of the event and the incredible impact it has for both our community and visitors," she said.

"We get visitors travelling thousands of kilometres to join us.

"You just got to make it to this year's Boulia Camel Races, it's an event and location like nowhere else."

The Better Beer Cup is the final race and has a $45,000 prize pool, which is the largest amount in Australian camel racing.