Hump-Plumping Scandal Rocks Camel Beauty Pageant
People really will cheat at anything...
One thing that has continually fascinated me over the years is how there is no competition too small for people to try their hand at cheating to get an edge.
We've seen it in chess, we've seen it in fishing, we've seen it in curling, and even in stone-skipping.
And so it stands to reason that nothing, not even camel pageants, was immune.
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According to Forbes, last month, the 2026 Camel Beauty Show Festival in Al Musanaa, Oman, took place.
Ah, yes. The Westminster of the Desert.
I'm not sure how camel pageants work, but, for the fun of it, let's just assume it involves camels walking out on stage in evening wear, showing off a talent, and answering a question.
I know that's not how it works, but that sounds hilarious.
Veterinarians disqualified 20 camels at Oman’s Camel Beauty Show Festival after hyaluronic acid injections were found, spotlighting the big-money stakes. (Getty Images)
Anyway, before the show, veterinarians have a look at the competitors. Only this time around, they found something unusual.
Twenty of the camels were found to have been injected with hyaluronic acid to get those humps of theirs looking as plump as possible, which is one of the things camels are judged on.
If that MO sounds familiar, that's how ski jumpers were allegedly pumping up their nether regions.
Those camels were swiftly DQ'd, with organizers saying that they are working to stop "all acts of tampering and deception in the beautification of camels."
Good to hear. We only want all-natural camels gracing the stage (Corral? Hotel ballroom? I'm not sure where they do this).
But…
If so many camels are juicing, why not just plump up the other camels and see whose augmented camel reigns supreme?
Again, this is speaking as an outsider to the world of camel beauty pageants, albeit an intrigued outsider…
Camel competitions are big business, though, so it's no surprise they don't mess around. Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz Camel Festival lasts for 40 days and offers $60 million in prize money.