Uganda’s famous goat races

Modelled after the Royal Ascot horse races in England, complete with outrageous outfits and hats, the Royal Ascot Goat Races have been an annual Kampala tradition since 1993.

The 2012 London Olympics may have involved each country going for the gold, but this weekend, in Kampala, Uganda, sports fans will instead be going for the goat.

The Royal Ascot Goat Races, held at the Speke Resort on the shores of Lake Victoria, have been an annual Kampala tradition since 1993. A local sailing club was looking for an unusual fundraiser and borrowed the idea from a Zimbabwe horse breeder who celebrated his birthday with a pig race since his garden was not big enough to race horses. The club decided to swap the pigs for goats, and the race was born.

As the event grew in popularity, organisers decided to model it after the Royal Ascot horse races in England, complete with outrageous outfits and hats. The races have become a favourite spot to see and be seen in the Ugandan social calendar, and prizes are awarded to the best dressed man and woman, and to the person with the best, most elaborate hat .  

This year’s eight goat races will be held on 1 September — but the term “races” might be a misnomer. The cloven-hooved creatures are not exactly known for their speed. In fact, the goats’ handlers push a padded horizontal barrier on wheels around the track in order to keep the goats from grazing, fighting or running backwards during the race. Still, the prize money available to the winning goat owners is no laughing matter, totalling more than 30 million shillings.

Spectators can also bet on the goats for a chance to win some cash of their own. Goats do a preview saunter around the track so bettors can gauge potential performance, and a handy bettors’ guide describes each goat’s abilities (last year, one goat’s tagline was “performance varies according to how he spent his Friday night”.) Since neither the saunter nor the tagline is likely to help beat the odds, bettors can rest easier knowing proceeds go straight to local charities like the Kampala Kids League and Salama School for the Blind.

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