If you think of a country or city where temperatures exceed 36 degrees Celsius throughout the year, it’s hard to name a sport that would suit the climate. Even though the World Cup was held in Qatar in 2018 – where temperatures often reach 46 degrees – football is probably not the best sport to suggest. Neither is rugby, nor long distance running.
If you do some research on Google, you will find that one sport that is enjoyed in many parts of the Middle East is camel racing. If you dig a little further, you will find something called falconry. It’s a tradition that dates back over 2,000 years when tribesmen used falcons to hunt for food. In the distant past, falcons would be caught in the autumn as they migrated south. After capture, they would be trained to catch food for their owners.
Falconry has not been as popular as it once was. With the discovery of oil, deserts in the Middle East have shrunk in size and been overtaken by major cities like Dubai. People who used to live and hunt in the desert have moved into those cities and chosen to forget some of their traditions. But in more recent years, there has been an increased interest in falconry. When you look at these incredible birds of prey, you may not be surprised.
Royal families in the United Arab Emirates have been driving this renewed interest. One particular area of sport involving birds of prey has been falcon racing. When chasing prey, these birds can reach speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour. They can cover 400 metres in just 20 seconds.
It’s an expensive sport, with some of the birds costing in excess of HK$1.5 million. The most expensive is the gyrfalcon from the Arctic Circle. Females are more popular than males, because they are larger and faster than the males.
Each expensive falcon comes with an expensive trainer. The birds are bred in special areas and trained intensively for several weeks before a race. During training, a close bond develops between each bird and its trainer. The trainer has a special thick leather glove upon which the bird perches. Often, the birds are not fed before a race, so they are hungrier and eager to catch their prey. Being hungry also makes the birds a little easier to control.
The Liwa Moreeb Dune Festival takes place at the beginning of every year. Thousands of people gather in this small town to experience and enjoy a variety of different sports – including falconry. Twentieth century excitement is mixed with the ancient traditions of the desert, and these beautiful birds continue to amaze with their incredible speed, grace and beauty.
Flying falcons in Dubai:
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