Camel Jockeys, A Rough Ride Through Childhood

Craig F. Walker

The Denver Post

A camel trainer offers a Kuwaiti dinar, about three U. S. dollars, to a pair of young jockeys. He wants them to ride his camels during the evening exercise period at Kuwait Camel Racing Club. Everyday, whether there is racing or not, dozens of Kuwaiti racing camels need to be exercised. The jockeys begin and end every day atop a camel riding laps around the track. Afterwards the boy's chaperones will gather the money earned. By sunset the boys may have made 5 or 6 laps and as much as 10 Kuwaiti dinars, almost 30 U. S. dollars. Human rights advocates say some or all of these men may be slave traders.

Craig F. Walker, "Camel Jockeys, A Rough Ride Through Childhood," in POYi Archive, Item #33623, http://archive.poy.org/items/show/33623 (accessed November 23, 2024).