Camel racing is so popular in Qatar that a TV channel is dedicated to broadcasting it alone. At the Al Shahaniyah Camelodrome in the centre of the country, the first races begin in October and mark the start of the season. Weekly national tournaments last until February before the major international tournaments in March and April. Until 2005, jockeys were frequently very young children. Since then, remote-controlled robot jockeys have replaced them. An electronic jockey in a colourful coat weighs about 25 kilos and costs around 5,500 dollars. It can use a whip, pull the reins and call out to its mount through a built-in loudspeaker. Driven in this way, the dromedaries can reach a top speed of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a cruising speed of 30 mph (48 km/h).