I thought maybe they just gave you a burro
you didn't know and you had to do this race. I'm actually glad to hear they do
this race now with a burro they own and train/condition with.
That is more humane and if any of you have had a donkey, you know the bond is
very intense. I'm sure they wouldn't leave you out there and would give their
all to their bonded owners. When I go out to my pasture, I can't get rid of my
donks for anything. They are truly devoted and loving pets beyond what I would
of thought. Their level of intellect and sensitivity is really amazing
too.
There are a couple of burro races in Colorado. The original one
is from Fairplay to the top of Mosquito Pass and back to Fairplay. It
began in the 1940s. It's called Burro Days. The slogan for the Fairplay
race is "Get Your Ass Over the Pass." Fairplay also has a monument to a pack
burro named Prunes (I think) that was the living burro that belonged to a
miner. The one in Leadville is called Colorado Boom Days and goes from
Leadville to the top of Mosquito Pass on the other side. In a burro
race there is a person who runs beside the burro and the
burro carries a pack containing a shovel and a pick and other items
needed for mining. It's pretty competitive. There are a couple of other
smaller burro races that have popped up in other mining towns such as
Breckenridge.
