Elizabeth Foley and her burro Chico placed first in the short course of the 4th annual Naturita Pack Burro Race that took place on Saturday, Oct. 10. Ten teams participated in the burro race this year.
With blue skies and warm temperatures, the race went off without a hitch. Spectators were able to enjoy vendors, food, music and live updates on the race before watching the participants cross the finish line. Children that attended the event were there to greet and pet the burros as they finished the race.
Hosted by the Nulca-Naturita Area Chamber of Commerce and supported by the Western Pack Burro Ass-ociation (WPBA), this annual tradition is meant to celebrate the pack burros of the past. Burros were crucial in the establishment of many mining towns here in western Colorado. Now recognized as the official summer heritage sport of Colorado, pack burro racing has gained popularity across the state, bringing many small towns the opportunity for visitors, tourists and pack burro racers to the area.
In the race, each burro is required to wear a pack saddle, carry common miner tools including a pickaxe, shovel and gold pan, and be led through the course by a lead no longer than 15 feet.
One of the top priorities of the WPBA is the safety and treatment of all of the burros participating in the races. The rules state that if any of the human participants are seen using excessive force on their burro, or use whips or other devices to harm the animal, they will be immediately disqualified.
Participants could choose from two courses: the short course that spanned 5.8 miles with an elevation gain of 632 feet, or the long course which stretched for 11 miles and had an elevation gain of 972 feet. Having two courses allows beginner level participants to enjoy taking part in the heritage sport without needing the endurance and experience required for the long course.
The majority of the course was on the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, though several sections of the course went through private land where owners gave permission to cross to event participants.
The race was also open to runners without burros, allowing more community members to participate in the “fun run” portion of the event. The “non-burro” race had 17 participants..
Alexis Knight and her burro Fiargo placed first in the long course, and Elizabeth Foley, winner of the previous pack burro race, placed first in the short course with Chico. With 3 years experience of pack burro racing, Foley is no stranger to the challenges the course brings. Foley recounted the race, citing a particular difficulty with getting Chico to want to keep up the pace; he was more than happy to wait for the burros behind them to catch up. Bribing him with carrots did not make him speed up, so Foley had to do a lot of tugging on the lead to get him to cross the finish line.
Foley enters every year, appreciating the time she spends with Chico.
“He's very funny and I do enjoy his company,” she said.
Foley stated how thankful she was for all of the people that helped the race come together. “I appreciate the race’s many sponsors, volunteers, and the handful of vendors,” she said. “The emergency personnel kept the road safe and that is appreciated by those of us whose burros take their sweet time covering its length.”
For more information about upcoming community events, please visit the Nucla-Naturita Area Chamber of Commerce website www.nucla-naturita.com or their Facebook social media page.
For more information about the Western Pack Burro Ass-ociation (WPBA), please visit www.packburroracing.org
