Other winners of camel races not to be overlooked

Congratulations to the winners of this year's Virginia City International Camel Races held in Virginia City on Sept. 9-11.

Our own features editor Teri Vance took the championship in the annual media grudge match. Other winners were:

• The International Cup was won by Australian Andrew Cartwright, riding for Australia. Shorty Smith of Tasmania took second place and Charles Dillon, riding for John & Dorene Musilli, took third place.

• Winner of the Governor's Cup and the Virginia City Camel Cup was Christie Bond, riding for Mark Twain Saloon.

• Winner of the Ostrich Cup was Karla Burrell, riding for the Ponderosa Saloon.

The camels for the races are provided by Gary and Diane Jackson of Stagecoach, who also give short rides and day trips on their camels at their ranch.

For information on the Jacksons and their camels, go to nevadacamelco.com.

Also, if you're interested in camels, Roger Berry of California has created the Web site for you: camelphotos.com.

He has pictures of camels from all over the world and all kinds of information and fun stories, but issues this warning: After viewing this Web site you may be inclined to get a camel.

He also owns his own camel and zebra - and has a camera hooked up so you can watch them live all day long, if you wish.

The Web site has received more than 244,000 hits.

Carson City's Jim Roberts has a bit of history he's keeping.

During former President Bill Clinton's impeachment trial Roberts assigned those involved with the impeachment mock roles in Gilbert and Sullivan's opera "Iolanthe." Knowing the now-late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who was chairing the trial, was a fan of Gilbert and Sullivan, he sent it to the chief justice.

"I thought it was time to add a little humor," Roberts said.

On March 12, 1999, Rehnquist wrote a note thanking Roberts for the "Gilbert and Sullivan excerpts bearing on (Clinton's) impeachment trial. On several occasions when asked what I did at the trial, I took a leaf out of 'Iolanthe' and replied 'I did nothing in particular, and did it very well.'"

The opera was also know as "IOLANTHE, or the Peer and the Peri" or "Periola" and was produced at the Savoy Theatre on Nov. 25, 1882.