The Andes of Ecuador host the largest donkey race in the world

The city of Salcedo, in the heart of the Andes of Ecuador, hosts this Saturday the largest donkey race in the world, with more than 50 donkeys that trotted through the cobbled streets of the small city, although the one that remained standing was not lacking halfway and without the slightest intention of continuing.

This was the sixth edition of the competition that had to be suspended for the last two years due to the pandemic, but which returned with the best momentum in tribute to donkeys, which are in danger of extinction in the country.

This was revealed in an interview with Efe by Fernando Villacís, a local veterinarian determined to rescue donkeys from oblivion and ridicule.

The first race was held in 2014 and the objective then, which has not changed, is to make visible the noble animal that in the past had a great presence in the Andean mountains and valleys, but now its population has decreased in a worrying proportion. , according to Villacís, who assures that “they are in danger of extinction”, both in the country and in the region.

For this reason, the competition has strict rules on the care of the animal, since it is forbidden for the donkeys to arrive at Salcedo with symptoms of ill-treatment or that they are subjected to blows or other insults in the competition.

“Spurs are not allowed,” as occurs in horse competitions, nor are the riders allowed to use sticks or objects that could hurt the stoic equines who, according to the organizer, have suffered from cruelty and contempt.

The competition takes place through the streets of the neighborhood "Saint Anthony Number 1" de Salcedo, over a distance of between 600 and 800 meters, in which the paths act as stands for the curious who crowd to the sides to see the passage of the quadrupeds.

The day of the celebration begins very early in the morning, with the arrival of the delegations in their different categories, as there is a competition only for women, another called “senior” for experts and a “juvenile” for new talents.

First of all, the donkeys are subjected to a beauty and fashion treatment, since the owners usually dress them in various ways, some very sarcastic, since they put ornaments on them to make them look professional. “They dress them as architects or engineers,” lawyers and doctors have also been seen, Villacís commented.

The organizers give a prize to the best dressed, but also to the most striking suit, the one that best uses the decoration elements or, for example, “the one that has best recycled the materials” for the decorations of the donkey or the rider, he explained.

There are also prohibitions, because in addition to preventing donkeys from showing signs of abuse, drunk or amateur riders who endanger the integrity of the competitors are not tolerated, added Villacís, who never tires of explaining that this is a day in honor to the donkeys.

He even assures that “it is safer to compete in a race mounted on a donkey than on a horse”, since its gallop is less strong and more harmonious, and perhaps the moment of greatest tension is when the animal decides not to go further.

“It has happened to us every year, there are always donkeys that stay” and it is increasingly difficult to “find a donkey that runs” or a rider who has been able to tame a donkey so that it obeys him when he starts galloping.

Sometimes “they stand still and don’t move” and there you can see the spirit of the horseman to try to make him change his mind without the use of force, added Villacís after referring that, in addition to the prizes for the humans who win the competition, there are also trophies that go directly to the donkeys.

The community of veterinarians in the Salcedo area delivers a “medicine kit” for the animals and, before the competition, “the best grass is chosen” to feed the competitors, the organizer said.

The competition, which seeks that “the species survive” and that “it does not become extinct”, usually brings together between 5,000 and 10,000 visitors each year, many from other provinces of the country and also from abroad, who come to Salcedo to see the donkeys at their best, commented Villacís.