By Kate Murphy
Houston, Texas - With their long ears, buckteeth and reputation for recalcitrance, if ever an animal was in need of an image makeover, it's probably the ass.
So while "Donkey and Mule PR" may sound like a joke it has a genuine presence at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, in the form of a large ringside banner.
"They aren't stubborn," said Gary Brackeen, a veterinarian from Angleton, Texas, whose mule, Victoriass, was proclaimed Best in Show in the rodeo's donkey and mule competition.
| More spectators at the rabbit, pig and chicken competitions |
"They're just cautious."
Closer genetically to zebras than horses, donkeys originally came from Africa.
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The males are called jacks and the females jennets or jennies. A mule is a cross between a mare and a jack.
Both donkeys and mules are called asses, most likely because of donkeys' Latin name "equus asinis."
While donkeys are grey with dark manes, mules come in a variety of colours and patterns. Even spotted and striped.
| Asses are more loyal than horses |
Many mule and donkey owners also show horses and they agree mules and donkeys are smarter and more sure-footed.
While a horse will "stumble into anything and not care about the rider," Brakeen said, a mule and donkey will think about the best way to negotiate a situation, which is why mules and donkeys are often used for riding over rocky and steep terrain like the Grand Canyon.
"You can ride a herd of horses off a cliff but a herd of asses will say 'I don't think so' and stop in their tracks," said Dianne Smith, who had four mules and two donkeys competing at the Houston rodeo.
One of her mules, Josephine My Love, won the Ear Of the Year Award for having the longest ears.
The donkey and mule competition at the Houston rodeo included obstacle courses and fence-jumping. But several competitors stood stock-still in the centre of the ring and refused to budge.
"Balking has more to do with bad training than a bad animal," said Smith, eager to put the best spin on the asses' abstinence.
Indeed, many donkeys and mules went through their paces without hesitation.
The most exciting event was the wagon races, where mule and donkey teams tore around the arena at breakneck speeds.
Absent, however, were the cheering crowds that attend the horse and cattle events. Rodeo organisers said the donkey and mule competition is not a big draw. In fact, there were more spectators at the rabbit, pig and chicken competitions.
Events featuring donkeys and mules are relatively new to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, an annual event that draws more than a million spectators over a three-week period.
The ass competitions started in 1983 with just a handful of contestants and the events were more about entertainment than showmanship.
For example, riders of bucking mules had to hold an egg in their mouth without breaking it. Winners got to keep the egg. But the competition at this year's rodeo, which ended Sunday, drew more than 1 000 animals vying for a $10 000 (about R 63 000) purse.
"You put the animals through all the same events as quarter horses have to go through," said Brackeen.
But the winner of the quarter horse competition gets $20 000, not to mention all sorts of equine accoutrements like halters, bridles and a saddle.
A quarter horse costs $30 000 to $100 000, compared to $5 000 to $20 000 for a donkey or mule. And it costs about three times as much to maintain and show a quarter horse as an ass.
"It's gotten too expensive to show a horse so a lot of people are getting donkeys and mules so they can continue to compete," said Brackeen.
Plus, asses are more loyal. Their owners often compare them to dogs. Smith said her horses will "nicker to anyone holding a feed bucket", whereas her donkeys and mules show a marked preference for her.
It's one of the reasons why she said she no longer shows horses at rodeos. "I've gotten so I just want to show my ass," she said. - Sapa-AFP
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