VICTOR — As the gun went off, 71 donkeys jolted forward with their ears perked up to the sky and sprinted down the old mining town’s main drag. I tightly gripped the blue rope attached to my saddle-wearing race partner, a brown burro named Indi, and we headed toward the hills.
As I ran 7.3 miles across steep single-track trails and up 1,100 feet of elevation with a fast donkey setting the pace, I learned a lot about myself and the lengths I’ll go to satisfy my curiosity. (Terrifying but cool is how I’d best describe it).
But also, about the incredible teamwork that must happen between a racer and their donkey during one of Colorado’s most unique sports. Race prerequisites include a high level of fitness, an adventurous spirit and a bit of skilled persuasion — you can’t make a burro do anything it doesn’t want to do…