The Team

Montana Mule Days 2003

                         Donkey Owner Antic’s Resulting in Public Insanity

The 2003 Montana Mule Days was to be our testing grounds to see if we wanted to get back to the show scene.   Our daughter had been raised within the horse show world and we had participated in small reining shows ourselves.


Helen Eden photo

For the amount of effort it took we had decided it definitely was not our cup of tea.   Too serious, too uptight, life is just too short not to go out and wing-it!  When we purchased Luc we heard story after story about how entertaining this show had been in the past so we agreed we needed to check this scene out.  Really couldn’t be that much fun, or could it?

In the beginning the show was like any other with halter followed by trail classes, the only difference I saw that first morning was the adult showmanship and I liked that idea.   Many of the classes we had never seen before, especially the big hitches.   They were more than impressive.

The first changes were subtle.  We noticed the DDD’s (Demented Donkey Devotees) were starting to pit the crowds against each others team.   It was the “white team” against the “black team”, pick a team and cheer loudly was the message the donkey folks were sending out.

Things seemed to be rolling along smoothly when the DDD’s unexpectedly sprang into action.  It showed up strongly in the parade route.   I was riding in the wagon with Julie and her team of black jennets and Jim was with the white team, they had brought one of their zebras to show off.

The white team was leading the uncooperative zebra through the parade and having quite a time, ever try to force a zebra to cross railroad tracks or stand underneath old glory when the huge flag is whipping in the breeze?   This zebra was not happy; the white team had their hands full!

As Julie and I were going through the parade route, ahead of the other team, we were telling the audience to “BOO” for the white team, and “YEAH and CLAP LOUDLY” for the black team.  Wonder who started all the finagling of the crowds; surely it wasn’t the docile black team folks
Then it happened!  Both teams entered the ring for the donkey team driving.   They pulled into the center and exited their perspective wagons.   The black team members grabbed the judge, the white team took the ring steward seating them into the wagons and handing them the lines.   The announcer was informed that the DDD’s had taken over and they were about to judge the judge & ring steward’s driving capabilities.  As the new contestants began to pull out of the center of the ring the judge stopped the black team, jumped out and started readjusting the lines.   Okay the new judges decided… 50 penalty points for not being ready for the class!
Now visualize four women in the ring giving the announcer four different commands to be executed all at the same time, the class had turned into a clown affair without the attire!   All of a sudden everyone seemed to be having way to much fun.


After the class had been put through all their paces the contestants turned judges huddled to confer as to whom the winner would be.   The conclusion was that neither the judge nor the ring steward drove a blue ribbon performance, therefore it was decided, for their efforts and good humor, they were presented red ribbons… what more can one say?! Lock up those crazy donkey dames!

I happened to be in the audience sitting next to a professional photographer who was genuinely upset, he had been laughing so hard he hadn’t taken a single photo!


It didn’t take long for the DDD’s to spring back into action.  The class was Team Gambler’s Choice, an event that is timed and judged.   Drivers must drive a predetermined number of obstacles of their choice in a set time with two obstacles between their favorites.   Drivers “gamble” on which obstacles they feel can make them the most points.


The black team had made a very impressive run and it was now the white team’s turn.   Charging into the arena they drove directly to the docking obstacle.   By backing through a set of poles the back end of the vehicle must knock an elevated pole off blocks.   This group had a new strategy, drive the team between the obstacle and the bucking chutes, one person jumps off the wagon and sets the pole on the ground then jumps back on the wagon and off they go.   Docking Done!

Next was driving between two poles and stopping with the rear wheel within a three foot diameter, no problem for this group.

To the other side of the arena they went to another obstacle, here the team must completely turn 360 degrees inside an eight foot circle.   It looked like this team could go in circles with no problems.

The next obstacle was one no one had been able to complete.   All you had to do was to run over and break a tiny balloon with any wheel.   Problem was as soon as you got close the balloons moved!   This team had it all figured out!   Have several people jump out of the wagon and stomp them dern feisty balloons with their boots… as easy as stompin’ grapes in California!  It was pop pop pop and off they drove!

In the center of the arena the team needed to cross a plywood bridge, stop and open a mailbox, take the mail out, put it back in and close the box. You guessed it, over the bridge they drove, one person leaned out of the wagon box, rather than off the bench seat where it was much harder to reach, did the mail box thing and off they drove to the serpentine cones and the finish line.

At the end of the show in the arena on bended knee, he asked, she said yes…see, that’s how they do it in Montana!

What a hoot, yes we did want to bring Luc and join in all the fun; this was unlike any show we had ever seen, just our cup of tea so-to-speak!

Helen Eden Photo

 

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