Sahara camel race glory brings boy jockey big dreams for his future

INGALL, Niger (HRNW) – Ten-year-old Moussa will bask in the glory of the weekend camel race in Niger for a long time. Little higher than his victorious charger’s knees, the boy fairly flew across the desert to snatch first prize in one of the most prestigious events of the Sahara.

The competition drew racing camels from across Niger — and further afield — to the oasis town of Ingall, the country’s traditional gateway to the Sahara and scene of the annual Cure Salee gathering of Tuareg and Wodaabe nomads.

But it was Moussa — more used to long, hot days tending his father’s cattle in the desert — who won Saturday’s big race.

Moussa does not go to school but has been riding camels, cantankerous beasts that roar, snort and spit foul-smelling bile at their enemies, since he was three years old. At seven, he says he began venturing out solo. “I used to be afraid to ride camels alone,” he says.