Teri’s Notebook: There’s more than one camel lady in Carson City

Sometimes when I’m out in public, someone will say, “Hey, you’re the lady who rides camels!”

And I can’t deny it.

I am that lady .... This was my 13th year racing in the Media Grudge Match of the International Camel and Ostrich Races in Virginia City.

But this week, I had a completely unique experience.

I was looking around the Rocking and Rolling store in downtown Carson City when the owner Jeanette Champagne introduced me to her customers as something along the lines as the lady who rides camels.

But, it turns out, I wasn’t the only one. Joy Bartlett, 78, was in the store at the time and told me she’d lived in Virginia City more than 40 years ago, when her last name was Ridings.

She rode in the races several years, she said, back when they just ran the camels down D street, rather than the horseshoe-shaped arena that’s there now.

Her husband at the time, “Dirty” Dave Ridings, raced as well.

“Probably one of the most favorite days I had was when he fell off the camel,” she said.

And 44 years later she still reminisces about the wild days on the Comstock.

“Living in Virginia City then was like being 12 years old — but with booze and sex thrown in,” she said. “It was so much fun.”

•••

I also ran into Ted Rupert this week (I do a lot of running around).

He told me his daughter, Keela, and her Pee Wee cheerleading team qualified at the local cheer competition this weekend in Truckee to compete in the regional West Coast competition.

However, the team needs to raise about $3,000 to participate in the competition Nov. 28 in Santa Clara, Calif.

Donations may be sent to Pop Warner, P.O. Box 1170, Carson City, NV 89702.