Sidebar by Hal Walter
Pack-Burro Racing – August 2005 – Colorado Central Magazine
It’s been said that a pack-burro race is a combination of a footrace, a rodeo and Teddy Roosevelt’s boys charging up San Juan Hill.
The sport, the only sport indigenous to Colorado’s mountains, is rooted in mining history, and to celebrate this competitors pack their burros with a packsaddle containing 33 pounds of gear, which must include a pick, pan and shovel.
Only donkeys, or burros, are allowed in the races; they may be any size from miniature to mammoth.
The burro may be driven or led by a lead rope not to exceed 15 feet in length. Riding is not allowed.
Race courses range from 10 to 29 miles in length over rough, mountainous terrain at altitudes from 8,000 to over 13,000 feet.
Prizes range from $500 to $1200 for first place.
The winning team is the first burro and racer to cross the finish line as a team. In the case of close finishes, the burro’s nose constitutes the winner.
For more rules and information, visit www.packburroracing.com
Pack-Burro Racing’s Triple Crown
How to see it: The start and finish are fun for spectators, but the real pack-burro race happens out on the trail. Spectators are welcome to view the races, so long as they are courteous to competitors and their animals. Do not walk in front of racers or do anything else to distract the burros. If driving, be careful not to raise dust or block one team from another with your automobile.
Fairplay World Championship Pack- Burro Race, July 31, 10:30 a.m., 29-mile championship course and 15-mile short course.
Start and finish at “Prunes — A Burro” Monument on Front Street.
On the course: From Fairplay, drive north on Colo. 9 to Mosquito Gulch Road. Several checkpoints in Mosquito Gulch make good places for spectators to view the race.
Contact : Ralph Herzog, 719-836-2659.
Leadville Boom Days International Pack-Burro Race, Aug. 7, 11 a.m., 22-mile men’s course and 15-mile women’s course.
Start and finish in front of Lake County Courthouse on Harrison Avenue.
On the course: From Leadville, head east on Seventh Street for a few miles to a mine called “The Resurrection,” a point in the race so crucial that it speaks for itself. Bring binoculars to watch racer ascend and descend Mosquito Pass.
Contact: Jim Feistner, 719-486-3694.
Buena Vista Gold Rush Days Pack-Burro Race, Aug. 14, 11 a.m., 12-mile course.
Start and finish in front of the Old Courthouse on East Main.
On the course: Take Colorado 24 from Buena Vista south to Highway 285 and head east to County Road 304. Follow dirt road to where it intersects the Old Midland Railroad Grade Trail. Racers will pass this point twice during the race.
Contact: Barb Dolan, 719-486-0882.
Glossary
Donkey: equus asinus
Burro: Spanish for donkey
Jack: male donkey
Jenny: female donkey
Gelding: neutered male donkey
Mule: Cross between a Jack and a mare (female horse). A Hinny is a cross between a stallion (male horse) and a Jenny. Neither is allowed in burro races.