Forget horsepower -- mule power will be hitting the Shelbyville streets Wednesday night and everyone is invited to come out and see. The great Celebration Mule & Donkey show is this weekend at the Celebration grounds, and something new has been added to this year's event.

"There's going to be a mule show mini-parade on Wednesday at 7 p.m.," said Chip Walters, director of public relations for the Celebration. "We try to do something a little different every year."

There are two main reasons for the parade, he said.

"Number one, to let the exhibitors know how much we appreciate them," said Walters. "Number two, to put these animals out there on the street so local folks can get a good look at them and will come out to the show."

The parade will go down Celebration Drive to Madison Street, then up Madison to the entrance of the Celebration grounds, then on to the main Celebration area, he said. Both the parking lot of the old Bi-Lo grocery store and the "D" parking lot at the Celebration would be excellent places from which to watch, he said.

'Something of a lark'

The mule show, which began 17 years ago, began as "something of a lark," said Walters. There was a gap in the Celebration schedule between the Spring Fun Show and the Celebration, and the board was looking for something to fill that gap.

"People said, 'There's a lot of mules out there,'" said Walters.

Less than two decades later, the show is the second largest of its kind.

"Columbia's Mule Days are more of a festival," he said. "They have some shows, but this is strictly show. In the ring, it's all competition."

Bishop, Calif., also has a huge mule show, he said, that falls somewhere between the Shelbyville and Columbia events in its offerings of festival activities and competitive showing.

Chances are great that those competing this weekend have been to Columbia -- but some may well have been to the West Coast show as well. At least 25 states are expected to be represented, said Walters in an earlier interview.

Friendly competition

While the Celebration show consistently boasts quality entries, the competitive nature of the event is a friendly one.

"Most folks who own mules and donkeys do not come into the show with an ego. They come for friendly competition, a relaxed atmosphere, and if they win, that's super, and if they don't, that's okay, too," said Ben Tennison, of Western Mule Magazine in a press release.

Mule and donkeys have had something of a bad reputation in the media. "Stubborn as a mule" is a common expression, and calling someone that three-letter synonym for donkey is a common insult. The people who breed, train and show the mules look on the show as a chance to educate the public and explain why they love their long-eared friends so much.

"Mules and donkeys have long been misunderstood, and I think some folks show them because they like to 'champion the underdog' and prove people wrong in the long-held beliefs about these equines," said Kathy Herrin, announcer for the show.

A study in mules

There will be plenty of examples of mules for the public to study -- from the massive animals used to pull heavy loads, usually crosses between large jacks and draft mares such as Percherons or Belgians; to the tiny, toy-like miniature donkeys that more closely resemble overgrown Beanie Babies than livestock.

Appaloosa and paint mules take the hybrid equines beyond the old gray and brown standard, and gaited mules, from donkey-walking horse or donkey-saddlebred crosses, prove that mules can be just as easy to ride as their full-bred dams.

Friendly competition is just one attraction of the show. The Great Celebration Mule and Donkey Show is also known as a time for fun, family-oriented activities. Costume classes and obstacle races will be held for both children and adults. An exhibitor's cookout, a watermelon feast, a barbecue dinner, and a mule sale are all events enjoyed by the community.

"The Great Celebration Mule & Donkey Show not only showcases top-quality animals and exhibitors, but it also fosters the atmosphere of family-oriented fun -- all important in our industry," said Herrin.