Camel wrestling: The next big thing?

Guldal II, right, tries to trip camel Yildiz with his head during Turkey's largest camel wrestling festival in the Aegean town of Selcuk on Sunday Jan. 21, 2001. -- Murad Sezer, AP

  SELCUK, Turkey (AP) -- It was the battle of the camel giants: Cobra versus Thunder, furry neck to furry neck, using every trick in the book to wrestle the other to the ground.

It took 20 sturdy Turks to divide the two as a crowd of more than 10,000 cheered on a favourite winter pastime: camel wrestling.

Cobra tried to lock Thunder in a scissor move, while Thunder countered by tying his neck around Cobra.

The judges ruled Sunday's competition a draw between the two nearly one-tonne animals.

For more than 100 years, camel wrestling has drawn crowds in western Turkey during the winter months, the camel mating season and a time when farmers have little to do on their fields.

"I learned to love this from my father, and now I bring my son," said Ibrahim Soysal at Sunday's match, oblivious to the large white stains of camel saliva on his jacket.

Yildiz, left, tries to trip Guldal II with his head during Turkey's largest camel wrestling festival in the Aegean town of Selcuk on Sunday Jan. 21, 2001. -- Murad Sezer, AP

Male camels naturally fight for their females during mating season -- their readiness to do battle visible in the white froth coming from their mouths, the tension in their hind legs and their tails whipping at their backs.

But for all the glory, wrestling camels never consummate their lust during their fighting careers, for sexual activity would diminish their determination to fight.

For a winner to be declared, one of the camels has to run out of the arena, cry out of frustration after being dominated by the opponent or fall to the ground.

Most matches end in ties because their owners fear their prized camels could be harmed. During matches, the camels' mouths are tied to keep them from biting each other.

Sunday's gathering in Selcuk, the largest camel-wrestling festival in Turkey, gathered 96 fighting camels. Smaller festivals are organized across the Aegean from December to March.

Winners at Sunday's competition received a machine-made carpet and all participants were given about $30 for transportation, nowhere near the minimum $1,500 per year it costs to maintain a camel. A good wrestling camel costs $20,000 on average, with camels from Iran especially valued.

But owning a good fighter is a sign of power, and many village leaders buy them to emphasize their positions.

"He won!" exclaimed Ahmet Uza, standing by his camel Master of the Universe.

"It's important for the family and the village to win," added Uza, wearing the eight-cornered flat cap, leather boots and jacket, and tweed trousers traditionally worn by camel owners.

It's also sheer fun, say camel owners and spectators. The matches are accompanied by traditional music and entire families set up barbecues on the hills overlooking the arena, feasting on beef, chicken and camel sausage washed down by raki, Turkey's strong anisette alcohol.

"This is the best kind of entertainment," said Selami Onder, who grows apples and peaches in the village of Yapildak.

Residents hope that camel wrestling will increase winter tourism to the region and officials in Selcuk, a small Aegean town just a few kilometres from the ancient Greek city of Ephesus, hope to attract thousands of tourists in the coming years.

George and Andre Maliasinski of Raleigh, N.C., were on hand for the weekend's festivities.

"This is something very traditional," said George Maliasinski, a biology professor, as he watched camel owners proudly parading their animals Saturday for judges to elect the "handsomest" camel.