Rival camel champions from Newcastle are ready for a red-dirt rematch in one of Australia's most extraordinary sporting spectacles.
Polished Copper and Geoffrey are back under the saddle and heading deep into Outback Queensland for the Desert Champions Way: Outback Camel Trail, a moving desert carnival of racing, storytelling, music and community across some of the country's most iconic Outback towns.
From Jundah to Birdsville, Bedourie to Boulia and Winton, the month-long celebration (July 3 to 25) transforms the region into a rolling festival of dust, camel power and desert theatre.
Returning to the Desert Champions Way: Outback Camel Trail are the three "top guns" of the camel racing world - Polished Copper, Geoffrey and Barry - along with debutants Stormin Gorman, Beatie and Turbo Timmy.
Polished Copper and Geoffrey shared the Camel of the Trail honours in 2025.
At the heart of the action is cameleer and camel jockey Emily Parrott, a second-generation camel racer who has spent her life in the sport and is now leading her camel pack 4000 kilometres from Newcastle through South Australia and into Queensland's Outback heartland.
Raised at her family's Oakfield Ranch, Parrott has been racing camels since she was 14 and now brings her own children, Cooper (7) and Abby (11), into the tradition, marking a third generation of cameleers on the trail.
"It's an ancient sport, and our camels genuinely love what they do," Parrott says.
"Polished Copper is the one to watch again this year, he's in great form and really powering on."
While she jokes about her "elegant dismounts" over the years, Parrott says camel racing is simply in her blood, and describes camels as "very large puppy dogs".
Her husband, Luke, is the handler who leads her camel to the starting line.
"When the gun goes off and the barrier is let go, hopefully I'm still on the camel, and hopefully I'm still on it at the end of the race," Parrott told Weekender in 2025.
"Camel racing is quite unpredictable. It probably only goes to plan about 60 per cent of the time. There's a lot of holding on for dear life and hoping that they go where you want them to go, because we don't ride with reins ... the handler lets the camel go and it runs back to its mates with a jockey on its back, at least that's the plan.
"But that's one of the drawcards. Anything can happen. We are relying on the camel and what it wants to do. It's like working with kids."
The Desert Champions Way: Outback Camel Trail was introduced last year by Diamantina Shire Council (supported by Tourism and Events Queensland and Outback Queensland Tourism Association) to breathe new life into tiny outback towns. It's a month-long celebration of camel racing, storytelling, music, desert flowers, markets and community.
Four races are scheduled: Jundah Camel Races (July 3 and 4), Bedourie Camel & Pig Races (July 11), Boulia Camel Races (July 17 to 19, often referred to as the Melbourne Cup of camel racing), and the Winton Camel Races (July 25).
The Birdsville Carnival (July 8 and 9) will feature live music at Birdsville Pub, family-friendly entertainment and open-air film screenings under the stars.
Details at thediamantina.com.au
