Pack Burro Trail Racing Training

These runners with their burros are training for pack trail racing. I never knew that pack burro trail racing was a thing! Races are run in Colorado, Arizona, California, and New Mexico and are a tribute to the mining days when legend has it that 2 miners were racing each other to get first claim to the gold. It looks tricky because the runners must guide and restrain their burros, who can run up to 40 miles an hour and are not ridden. In Colorado, there is a Triple Crown race held near the towns of Fairplay, Leadville and Buena Vista. Pack burro racing has been designated a “Summer Heritage Sport” in Colorado.