Amidst all of the hoopla surrounding the horse races in the
U.S. and the possible Triple Crown bid by California Chrome, Dar Es Salaam
boasts a special event of its own.
The Germans have a saying: 'Was dem einen recht ist, ist dem anderen billig'. Translated, this
means what is right and good for one man is a given (or literally cheap) for
another.
Who needs horses? Say hello to the 14th Annual Dar Es Salaam Charity Goat Races.
Initiated largely by the British community, the event is intended to be light-hearted and in good humor: there are seven races in all, with ten goats participating in each race. British humor, if nothing else, certainly is different. Imagine, if you will, a football (soccer) match between two teams of eleven dogs each. Now, as intelligent as dogs are, I am quite certain that the team concept is a relatively foreign concept to our canine friends. Twenty-two dogs on the pitch, each one of them going after the ball…I doubt that you will find any more of a flow to such a match than if you blindfolded all twenty-two puppies and tied their legs together. Enter the goats: while you can make a strong case that goats are bred for a number of things, racing sure isn't one of them.
The theme of this year's races is derived from 'The Great Gatsby'…or in this case 'The Great Goatsby'. Here, you will find people dressed up in the roaring 20's style—the guys show up in Oxford bags, double-breasted vests, and fedora or homburg hats, while the ladies, adorned by pearl necklaces and feather boas, show off their tasteful Flapper garments and cloche hats.
There is a separate tent reserved for the goat's owners, invariably prominent members of the communities who have spent time and money to make the annual charity goat races a success. The goats themselves have their own quirky names: there's Goatfather, Make Leaf not War, Goldie Horn, Hairy Balls, Talk to the Hoof, Vincent Van Goatee, and Scott or Ella Fitzgerald (as the gender had yet to be determined), among many others.
So the MC announces the next race, and here come the goats. Leading the group is a British gentleman dressed in a goofy red hat and a Union Jack shirt. He is followed by a bagpiper skillfully heralding the goats' arrival, and finally the goats themselves, each of them carried by their respective 'jockey', or holder. While the goats are being paraded around, the goat owners themselves find themselves in the center of the track, each of them shouting encouragement at their supposedly highly-trained goat.
Who needs horses? Say hello to the 14th Annual Dar Es Salaam Charity Goat Races.
Initiated largely by the British community, the event is intended to be light-hearted and in good humor: there are seven races in all, with ten goats participating in each race. British humor, if nothing else, certainly is different. Imagine, if you will, a football (soccer) match between two teams of eleven dogs each. Now, as intelligent as dogs are, I am quite certain that the team concept is a relatively foreign concept to our canine friends. Twenty-two dogs on the pitch, each one of them going after the ball…I doubt that you will find any more of a flow to such a match than if you blindfolded all twenty-two puppies and tied their legs together. Enter the goats: while you can make a strong case that goats are bred for a number of things, racing sure isn't one of them.
The theme of this year's races is derived from 'The Great Gatsby'…or in this case 'The Great Goatsby'. Here, you will find people dressed up in the roaring 20's style—the guys show up in Oxford bags, double-breasted vests, and fedora or homburg hats, while the ladies, adorned by pearl necklaces and feather boas, show off their tasteful Flapper garments and cloche hats.
There is a separate tent reserved for the goat's owners, invariably prominent members of the communities who have spent time and money to make the annual charity goat races a success. The goats themselves have their own quirky names: there's Goatfather, Make Leaf not War, Goldie Horn, Hairy Balls, Talk to the Hoof, Vincent Van Goatee, and Scott or Ella Fitzgerald (as the gender had yet to be determined), among many others.
So the MC announces the next race, and here come the goats. Leading the group is a British gentleman dressed in a goofy red hat and a Union Jack shirt. He is followed by a bagpiper skillfully heralding the goats' arrival, and finally the goats themselves, each of them carried by their respective 'jockey', or holder. While the goats are being paraded around, the goat owners themselves find themselves in the center of the track, each of them shouting encouragement at their supposedly highly-trained goat.
I put five dollars on Hairy
Balls, but I quickly find out why there is no favorite—see the above
explanation on goats and their capacity for competitive racing. Once the countdown
is done, off go the goats…the problem is, it has not occurred to the goats that
they are to progress forward, which
is why a guy with a bumper trails them every step of the way, just so the goats
get the message. The goats do two laps each on a pre-determined track, tripping
over each other, as they all have a route of their own they would like to
follow. Eventually, they do make it to the finish line…my goat, Hairy Balls, is defeated by 20 Years a Roaring, and it's 5000
Tanzanian Shillings I have lost (really donated) to charity.
And no, the goats are not harmed in any way.
There are also tents for the kids featuring choo choo trains, bouncy castles, and face paint stands, so even the kids can hang while their parents are putting their money down on the goat of their choice.
Good fun, in all. And a good income for local charities in the end. I don't think I am interested in the Belmont Stakes later today, come to think of it.
There are also tents for the kids featuring choo choo trains, bouncy castles, and face paint stands, so even the kids can hang while their parents are putting their money down on the goat of their choice.
Good fun, in all. And a good income for local charities in the end. I don't think I am interested in the Belmont Stakes later today, come to think of it.
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