FROM THE HEART WITH GINI RIFKIN: September 2024

Saturday, September 28, 2024

Pack Burro Race

It was a beautiful day in Frederick Colorado for the Miners' Day Celebration and 10 K Pack Burro Race.

Legend holds that the races trace back to an incident in which two miners, finding gold at the same location simultaneously, raced each other to the claims office. Because the burros were too small or loaded with equipment to carry their owners, the miners were forced to run, leading the burros.

Riding the burro is not allowed,

though the human may carry the burro!

The first documented pack burro race was held in 1949, and was the brainchild of local merchants in Fairplay, Colorado. The race was a 22.9-mile trek from Leadville to Fairplay, and the winner was Melville Sutton and his burro Whitey.

The race was created to attract tourists to Fairplay's Gold Days celebration, and to help boost the local economy, which had been struggling after World War II.

The rules for pack burro racing have remained in place since the first race, and include the requirement that the burro must wear a saddle or pannier carrying a shovel, pick, and gold pan. The weight requirement no longer stands.

As in horse racing, there is a Trifecta for pack burro racing held at Fairplay, Leadville, and Buena Vista.

The Fairplay race is 29 miles (47 km) and counts as an ultra-marathon. It takes place in late July as part of Fairplay's Burro Days town festival. The race begins on the main street and goes to the top of Mosquito Pass.

The Leadville race is 22 miles. It takes place the first full weekend of August, typically as part of the Leadville's Boom Days city festival. The race goes to the top of Mosquito Pass, then comes back into town through the California Gulch Mining District.

The Buena Vista race is 12 miles. It typically takes place a week after the Leadville race as part of Buena Vista's Gold Rush Days festival.

The runners and burros need to be in good shape, especially for the higher elevations. As with all events and gatherings involving animals there are unscrupulous people and those without compassion for the animals with winning their only objective. All of the entrants that we saw seemed very conscientious, and proud of and totally in love with their burros.

Donkeys/burros around the world are true beasts of burden and suffer in some very bad situations. Wild burros in America are annually and cruelly rounded up by the BLM-Bureau of Land Management. Some are killed for what is known as "hide glue" to make cosmetics especially in China.

After the race, snack time.

I talked to my donkeys about being in a race, but they opted out because of age. Me too!

My stories:

Western Romance: Break Heart Canyon * Undercover Outlaw * Cowboys, Cattle and Cutthroats * A Cowboy’s Fate * Special Delivery.

Contemporary Romantic Thriller: Fatal Recall

Medieval Romance: The Dragon and The Rose * Iron Heart *Promise Me Christmas.

Victorian Romance: Lady Gallant * Victorian Dream

Fantasy: The Fae Warriors Trilogy: Solace * Bliss * Portence

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Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Cowboys and camels

In your next historical western, does your hero or heroine come across a camel? It could happen!

Having recently been given the surprising opportunity to ride a camel, I was encouraged to do a little research regarding dromedaries (one hump camels).

Their cloven hooves are huge, facilitating walking on sandy typed surfaces. I trim my goats' hooves, but these could be a challenge!

The gear was equipped with bars to hold onto, for which I was thankful as the standing up and getting down movement of this big guy was quite tipsy.

The folks who rescued these two camels, occasionally load them up in horse trailers and take them to Arizona for desert camping. Apparently the animals really enjoy these treks.

Now to the cowboys and camels part. The United States Army experimented with using camels as pack animals in the American Southwest in the mid-1800s. Their attempt to replace horses and mules who struggled in the region's extreme temperatures, became known as the U.S. Army Camel Corps,

Using them for mounted cavalry failed pretty miserably, primarily because the structure of the camel's nose impeded breathing during hard exertion, reducing their ability for sustained speed. Their size also made them ineffective in close-quarter situations. But most importantly, the camels were greatly disliked by soldiers and other animals because of their odor and their disturbing habit of biting, spitting, or explosively defecating on anyone who tried to discipline them. They also required constant care to prevent a very contagious and difficult to treat form of mange.

As pack animals, however, the camels excelled. During numerous experiments, they successfully carried packs twice as heavy as could be carried by horses or mules, more easily tolerated the desert heat, required less water and food, and were able to traverse deep streams and mountain trails with ease. However, the Union ultimately considered the camels a liability and chose not to use them.

The last camel mission before the Civil War broke out was directed by Robert E. Lee. This reconnaissance mission traveled over some of the harshest terrains in the United States. Still, the camels once again performed well, and none of the animals were lost.

But the Camel Corps was just not meant to be, as everybody had more important things to focus on when the war broke out.

After the war was over, the camel was more or less rendered obsolete especially owing to the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869.

The remaining camels were sold off to private parties, or sadly abandoned. Many of them ended up in circuses, where they entertained audiences for decades.

The Texas Camel Corps was founded in 1997 to educate the public about the use of camels in 19th century America, and sometimes visits historic sites like the Alamo for reenactments.

So you see, in your next historical western, your H and H could very well come across a camel.