Santa Fe, NM (AP) – The runners of the hinterland kiss the physical and emotional challenge of the race with pack burros that do not always move at their own pace.
Burro races honor the history of the ancient West and go to a delicate partnership between the runner and the burden beast. Burros, a word derived from Spanish for donkeys and their wild cousins, must wear a saddle, a choice, a saucepan and a shovel in homage to a bygone era and the mythical sprint by minors in a terrestrial demand office with their package animal.
Some 70 teams will test their skills on Saturday in a rolled race through the historic and turquoise city of Cerrillos in the north of the New Mexico. The runners will lead Burros per rope on a 6 -mile (10 kilometers) or 3 mile (5 kilometers) route on unpaid roads and desert paths with a single track.
More ambitious burro races in Colorado can extend over almost 30 miles (48 kilometers).
The runners buy or often inherit Burros from owners who lack money, time or patience. Others adopt burros that have been covered by the federal government to prevent overcrowding. Novices can easily rent an ass to try it for kicks.
Quick start of the race
The race in Cerrillos, which provided the robust backdrop in the Western “Young Guns” of the 80s, begins with a Madcap sprint while the competitive teams gallop at the front of the peloton, and other Burros instinctively try to follow the pace.
The runners cannot mount the burro but can push, pull and cajolate the animal as long as they do not abuse it. Some runners swing a rope in circles – like a lasso – to encourage movement. Others on the path cry: “HUP, HUP!”
Joe Polonsky de Monument, Colorado, took Burro Racing in 2018. He described himself as a mediocre ultramarathon runner, but in Burro Racing, he is a leading competitor.
“I am lucky because Jake likes to be at the front at the start of the race,” said Polonsky about his four -legged partner. “So I'm going to let him shoot me.”
The Burros wear a Licou, which is less restrictive than the bridle of a horse, attached to a 15 -foot (4.5 meter) rope held by the runner. Some runners tie the rope to their size and write the burro.
The Burros are prudent, not stubborn
A burro breed can be transformed into a testing competition when animals become provocative and will not move.
But experienced runners say that it doesn't mean that donkeys are stubborn. They are intelligent and naturally curious animals. When they feel danger, discomfort or unknown, they will lock themselves in place, unlike horses that flee quickly.
“If something scares them and they are nervous, they will simply stop and assess the situation,” said Polonsky.
Healthy donkeys generally live 40 years or more and vary in size of “mini” size which can weigh 300 pounds (135 kilograms) with bulky “mammoths”. Burros appeared for the first time in the region over 400 years ago, directed by Mexico City by Spanish settlers and Catholic brothers.
For those who rent or borrow a burro for the race, they are encouraged to present themselves early or even the previous night to familiarize themselves with their racing boyfriend, a bit like a blind appointment, said Lisa Kazmar, a massage therapist from Edgewood, in New Mexico, who has four burros with names from Harry Potter Novels.
“You don't know what the new donkey is going to do, it can be very scary,” said Kazmar.
Modern racing circuit
Burro Racing emerged shortly after the Second World War in the mining cities of depopulated Colorado and is now an official sport of state with marquee races in Leadville, Buena Vista and Fairplay which mix the joy and athletics of the county and athletics.
The Western Pack, which likes PUN, Burro Ass-Option, manages the modern race circuit which extends from the Donkey Dash tombstone in Arizona to a weekend in Burney Race in Cassel, California, and a new “Burro Stampede” this year in the Magdalena mountains of New Mexico. Tennessee participated in the action five years ago with a race held every year in April.
The sponsors of the race and the team include veterinary clinics, as well as brands selling sneakers, hydration drinks and jerky beef.
In Cerrillos, the teams compete for the Trophies of the Western belt belt, including a “last ass” price for the final finisher.
The success in the race is not easy, according to Shane Weigand of Edgewood, in New Mexico, director of construction, organizer of Burro Race and Provideur of Backcountry for trips to Burro-Pack and “Tequila-Burro” weddings.
“You have to spend a lot of time on the track with your burro, build this relationship and this confidence,” he said.
