References … Burro Racing 101 from the WPBA.
Pix from various sources, but mostly Brandon and Kim Fuller.
What is a burro?
It is a donkey. Burro is just the Spanish word for it and the one used regularly in Colorado. It is not a mule. A mule is the cross between a burro (donkey) and a horse. This is typically a cross between a male donkey (Jack) and a female horse (mare), but it can be done the other way as well. Mules are genetically sterile because of the cross. So no mules or horses in this conversation … just burros. Donkeys. The creature that is referred to in the Bible that Mary rode. The sidekick in Shrek. That Eor thing from Winnie the Pooh. Refer to the wikipedia entry on burro to get the details on this animal. The are indeed gentle and wonderful beasts of burden.
They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There are really big ones (mammoths) that will stand taller than the average man. There are the real tiny ones (minis) that are shorter than my kids.
Burros or donkeys have a reputation for being stubborn. I can say that I have not found that to be the case. They are cautious in certain endeavors, but if they trust you are doing all right by them, they will work with you. But yeah, they can have a variety of personalities, just dogs or people.
How did this burro race thing start?
Burros are very much a part of the history of Colorado, as mining is very much a part of the history of Colorado. The story that is generally told is that two miners struck the same claim in the mountains. Both their burros were laden with gear so they could not ride their donks back to town so it became a foot race to get themselves and their burros back to town to the assayers office to stake the claim.
Or it might have been a few guys in a bar who thought it would bring folks into town to see people racing as such.
In any case, their is a very rich and storied history with burro racing in Colorado. It has been going on in Fairplay and Leadville for over 60 years. For a couple weeks in July and August, racers take their burros and attempt to get “their ass over the pass” and back again. You can push, pull, or carry your burro. You cannot ride it. And as far as I know, no one has ever carried their burro.
In 2012, Pack Burro Racing became Colorado’s Summer Heritage Sport by law.
What is this about a pack saddle?
Like any race, there are rules. So if you are going to toe the line in one of these races, you ought to be familiar with them. One that you will become familiar with real quick is the saddle. The saddle needs to weight at least 33 pounds, have a gold pan, a pick, and a shovel. Typically the saddle does not weigh 33 pounds even with this gear so something additional needs to be put into the pack to account for that weight. And your gear does not count (water, extra clothes, etc). Folks might use a dumbbell weight to accomplish this or sand bags or something else.
Under the saddle is a saddle blanket. This keeps the burro comfortable from the saddle. I’d also suggest you take a good amount of time combing out your burro before saddling them up to assure there is nothing between them and the saddle (like a burr) that will irritate them while they run.
And REALLY important … make sure the saddle is on right. Don’t be shy to ask an old hand at it to check your saddle and assure it is on right. If the saddle is not on right, then it can slide or come off and you could have all sorts of problems. This might bring much amusement to the crowd but it is really not a lot of fun for you or the burro. You can learn how to do this, but it is best to simply state what sort of city slicker you are and look for help when getting this thing on your burro.
And a lead rope?
You and your burro are a racing team. You are connected by a 15 foot lead rope. No more than 15. If you while running lose control of your donkey and it gets away from you … well, once you get it back, you are to return to the spot you lost it and then start the race again from there. It is an honor system there folks.
You can also use the rope in a couple of other ways. As the rope is connected to a halter (a mask of sorts on the burro’s face). As such, you can give the rope various tugs to help steer the burro.
If the burro is moving well, you can attempt tie the rope around your waist or butt and have the burro give you a bit of a pull. It can help. Or it can be a bit dangerous. Your call.
Also, you can use the rope to encourage the burro to move forward. Swinging the rope around in a various of arcane methods that you will learn with practice will help you understand this.
How fast can they run?
Very fast. Faster than you I am sure. Or at least faster than you can for longer than you can. They are a four legged animal so they have a huge advantage.
In 2010 in Fairplay, I got dragged out of town at sub five pace. Not a huge problem, but a bit of one after about 30 seconds as I was at 10000 feet of elevation. I have trained with Jack when he gets into a full on gallop and I just should let the rope go. Sometimes I do. When I don’t I often fall on my face and then let go of the rope.
So they can go very fast. Or, if they don’t want to move for some reason, they don’t go at all.
I find that the pace for many of the races I do varies on the terrain, the grade, the weather (heat in particular) and the disposition of the burro. Early in a race, with a pack of them in the flats, you can be cruising along pretty well, and maybe even wondering if you will be able to keep up for a 29 mile run. Later on, at higher elevations with significant grade, I have found keeping the burro moving at 20 minute miles can be challenging. Then again, that might be a welcome respite at 13k feet.
Do the burros like it?
I have thought about this a bit. I think some do. Some don’t. Sort of like people. Or dogs. Some of us like to run, some of us don’t. Burros are pack animals (and I think humans are too) and tend to want to group together. And in this there is a clear message: if you are racing a burro, getting into a pack of burros running is more likely to keep your burro moving than if they are solo.
Some seem to have the nose more to go for the kick. Or to grind out a solid pace. But yeah, I am fairly confident Jack likes our time out in the mountains. Or just getting out. When I would visit him at the stable in Arvada, he’d be heading to the gate. While he does not show the crazy excitement my Aussie Shepherd does (he never shows that), he seemed eager to get out for a jog.
What and where are the races?
There is a schedule. There are a variety of races over the spring and fall, but the key races are the ones in Fairplay, Leadville and Buena Vista – the Triple Crown – over three weekends in July and August. Burro Days in Fairplay is the first. It offers a 14.5 mile short course, and the World Championship of Pack Burro Racing – a 29 mile run that goes from Front Street In town to Mosquito Pass (so you go from 10k feet in elevation to 13k) and back. The next week is a run in Leadville at Boom Days. This is a 20 mile run (that they advertise as 22) (and there is also a 15 mile women’s run) that also goes from town to Mosquito Pass and back (and so yup, another big climb to 13k feet) Finally there is the Buena Vista Gold Rush Days. Its highest point is lower than the start of the other two races and it is only 12 miles (if that) – so it is usually comparatively a pretty fast run.
Each race has its own challenge but the true key in each is keeping your burro moving. It is really less about how fit you are – it is much more about how well you can keep your burro moving and moving in a direction that goes with the race.
My favorite, for reasons I will get into shortly, is Fairplay.
How did you get into it? Do I need to own a burro? How did you get into this without owning a burro?
I have family in Fairplay. They have seen this race for years. And they know I run. Yeah, I am a runner. Another runner in Colorado. No surprise. My family, like most people who observe people who run a lot, they wonder what the whole catch is. They think it is nuts in fact. And so, why not get to reap some of that nuttiness by seeing their own kin in a ridiculous race where you take a donkey to a high Colorado pass and back?
So for years I promised doing it. And then I did a little research on the net and found out about a guy named Bill Lee. As it turns out you don’t need to own a burro. There are folks like Bill and Brad Wann and Hal Walter and Curtis Imrie who are very happy to introduce you to the sport of burro racing.
I gave Bill a call on the phone. The phone call was a lot more than I expected. I talked to Bill for about 30 minutes and the guy was GRILLING me. Asking me about my race times. My job. My family. My disposition. Finally, after being polite for the length of the call, I turned it around and asked Bill … “Mr Lee … what is this all about? I thought I’d give you a call, arrange to have a burro for me at a race and maybe a time to train for a couple of miles with the burro. I was not expecting all these question.” Bill chuckled and said, “Well, , I think you will learn you can just do that … but if you are serious about this, you will find it is all about the relationship a man has with his burro.”
Of course I have relayed this story to several people and they find it pretty funny. But the fact is Bill is right. It is all about the relationship you and that animal have.
So I still was on the fence about doing it. But then my friend Justin M (who was also my team mate on a race team at a local shoe store) told me he was gonna go up and get a training run in. This forced my hand. I could not be upstaged by Justin, and so I went to run with the burros at LVR. It has been a fun ride since.
Do you train with your burro?
That is up to you. There are certainly folks who just make an arrangement with a burro owner before race day where the owner shows up with the burro and the gear and the racer shows up with their running shoes. That is their first meeting and off they go. Depending on how you measure success, well …those arrangements could be consider successful or not. In those cases, you probably ought to expect to have a pretty tough workout for the day and be ready for a long walk. That is not guaranteed of course. You might have a great time with your burro and might even win. But it is less than likely.
So yes, I train with Jack (the only burro I have raced with thus far). He is now stabled in Arvada which is real easy for me to get to (and most Front Rangers in the Boulder Denver metro area). The benefits are like any training: you learn. I learn how Jack responds to certain situations. I learn how to handle the rope. I learn how to brush him out. I learn what distracts him. I learn his paces and how to get to them and when to get to them. So training – very much advised but not necessary.
What tactics do you use in a race?
In case I have not made this clear – your tactics are really more dictated by the burro than you. That is to say, you have to play off your strengths, but you are a team with the burro. Maybe your burro can sprint the finish well. Maybe your burro moves well in a pack but then does not sprint the finish well. Maybe your burro can fly the downs but not the climbs. Maybe your burro is really sure footed over the rocks of the high country mining roads. Back to training with your burro … as you learn these things, you might be able to start to determine some level of race tactics. But it is probably more about your burro than you think.
For me, I can only speak to my tactics with Jack, and the ones I used in the 2012 season. Some burros have a helluva lot of steam coming into the finish and can really fly. I have yet to find that gear with Jack. I think it is in there, but I have yet to find a way to convince him that the last 300 yards are that important. As a result, my primary tactic has been to work with Jack to keep him moving at a steady pace early and often. But not too early. As burros are social animals, Jack likes to hang out with other burros. So we do that for the start. Then I try to figure out when he will tolerate some level of a break away. And then I look to extend that so that I am not in a sprint finish at the end.
So call that tactics. It might be giving it too much thought like I am in control. It really might be better to ask myself what tactics Jack is using on me in the race.
Do they eat or drink on the run?
My experience has been with a burro named Jack and what I have seen other racers do. A burro will certainly stop to eat on the run if you let it. I don’t let Jack do that, and I have not seen other racers do that. Apparently burros can go several days without water (second only to the camel in its time it can go without water). I have found that the burros are less interested in water anyway during the race. That said, I look to get Jack water immediately after a run. On the hotter days I can see that he has sweat. Even then however, he certainly does not seem ravenous for it … and in fact might not get around to it for a but after the run.
What about you – what do you bring on the run?
I bring water, gatorade and some bar of choice on the run that I store in the saddle bags. I also bring some additional clothing. While the races start HOT, they start late in the morning. This means you are using getting to the high passes and above treeline at o’lightning 30 o’clock. It is a risk of the event … and luckily I have not had to deal with any serious weather. Nonetheless, I bring a rain jacket that I can whip on if the weather goes poor (it can snow any month in Colorado).
Do they go to the bathroom when the run?
Yes. Watch out. They don’t pee in my experience, but they do poop. Yes, they poop on the run. It happens. No big deal.
What do you wear while racing a burro?
I wear a typical race kit for a long run in the mountains AND a pair of fingerless gloves for managing the lead rope. If you can get a pair of those, I think it helps the wear on your hands. If not, any pair of basic work gloves would do.
There is prize money?
Yes, I’d be remiss then to not mention the prize money. Frankly, it is amazing. For your entry fee in these races, you are in the mix for a LOT of prize money. In 2012, entry to the races was about 40 bucks each. There was 1000 dollars given to the winner of the long course race, along with a nice mug, and a very nice book by a local author. There was a 200 dollar bonus to the first racer to the top of Mosquito Pass. And out of eleven finisher there was a raffle of 3 additional cash prizes of 300 dollars. And there was an all you can eat dinner for the finishers post the run. And a t shirt. And the prize money went something like 8 people deep. And then they also had a raffle for guess the winning time.
That is quite the purse! This of course may vary from year to year, but it really gets me thinking about what the local 5k who charges you 40 bucks for a 3 mile race, gives you a t shirt, a finish time and some Gatorade.
It is worth noting that if you are borrowing a burro, you will arrange some sort of rental fee and a split of the winnings. Just like any business, be good to your partners.
What should I pay attention too?
Let’s see … what did I forget. Ah yes … did I mention this is usually less about how fast or fit of a runner you are and more about how well the burro will move? I can’t state that enough.
The finish time is determined by the nose of the burro. Not you. Could be pretty important as a good number of burro races come down to the finish.
There is NO lack of ass jokes in this sport, and I have yet to find them to get old.
If interested, all my posts on this blog related to burro racing are under the tag, Burro Racing. You can read more reports from races, observations there.
Listen to the old timers. They have a lot of wisdom on this sport and life to share.
When it is going wrong … smile and laugh. It really is just you, a burro and a run. Realize the moment you are really in.
Ah yes, I mentioned above that Fairplay is my favorite race. Fairplay, as I said is where I have some family at current so that makes it special. I have run the Mosquito Pass road dozens of time in training for various events, so I like it. It is long, high, and a test. I think it is the most family viewing friendly of courses as well. Leadville however is a close second. The course is not as long as Fairplay, but it is challenging in that it goes up, down, back up, then down, then BACK up, and then down. That mix is rough. The people and the organization of these races is unparalleled. It is a great tribe.
Why should I do this?
Well, only you can answer that. I guess I’d ask, why not?
I see a lot of runners – myself included – who get wrapped up in training, racing, results, placement, etc. Yeah, I get it and frankly even in burro racing, it is still a race so there is an element of it there. But I really see this about having fun, enjoying yourself in the high country of Colorado in the summer, and maybe even learning a thing or two about your own nature by spending sometime with an animal.
Why do you do this?
It is fun. It makes me laugh. It makes my family laugh. It is challenging. I learn from it. It gives me time in the one of the most beautiful places I have come across. It puts me with other people who are folks I want to know better … as I said, they are a great tribe.
