Mules, donkeys, miniature donkeys invade Calsonic Arena

Katie Randall gets some extra hugs in with Roller before taking him to Calsonic Arena for the Great Celebration Mule and Donkey Show. (T-G Photo by Mary Reeves) [Order this photo]

Besides hosting the ACOSA Championships (American Council of Spotted Asses), Celebration CEO Doyle Meadows announced that the Great Celebration Mule and Donkey Show has been selected to host the National Miniature Donkey Association National Championship Show as well. Coupled with the event's hosting of the American Gaited Mule Association's World Championship, it creates the recipe for one of the largest shows in its 18-year history.

"Miniature donkeys are their own breed," said Maria Randall, who, with her husband Jeff and daughter Katie, owns Little Miracles Farm in Bell Buckle, just across from Cascade School. "Miniature horses were bred down from horses, but miniature donkeys are their own breed. They come from the Mediterranean and they're almost extinct over there. If it weren't for the American and Canadian breeders, who knows what might have happened to them?"

Lillian and Roller try to coax Katie Randall, right, and her best friend, Rhiannon Overcast, into a game with an old hula hoop. The Randalls gave Rhiannon her own miniature donkey, Cricket, who keeps company with the walking horses in her dad's stables. (T-G Photo by Mary Reeves) [Order this photo]

Sad beginnings

The Randalls are taking three of their 15 miniature donkeys to the show, including Roller, a sweet gray donkey with a bold black stripe down his back and across his withers, who belongs -- heart and soul -- to 9-year-old Katie.

Roller wasn't her first show donkey, Prez -- El Presidente -- was. But he was killed one day as he defended a corral full of pregnant jennets from a pit bull.

"He held the dog off long enough for me to go get my gun," said Jeff. "He saved the jennets."

The loss of her donkey devastated Katie, who was only 7 at the time. She did have one other show donkey, but he was proving a little too hard to handle for the little girl, leaving her parents wondering what they could do for her. They didn't have to do anything -- their friends did.

"Some women in the NMDA (National Miniature Donkey Association) got together and bought her Roller," he said. "These people are really generous. They're the nicest bunch of people you'll ever meet."

Just how generous? Roller and Katie went on to win reserve championship honors at a show.

The whole incident taught Jeff many things, not just about the kindness of the other donkey owners, but about the donkeys themselves.

"They're brave, and they're loyal," he said. "They're special little animals."

The Randalls have encouraged Katie in her love for the donkeys. The hobby gets her out of the house and away from TV and video games, as well as teaches her social skills, self-confidence and responsibility.

Playful pets

In many ways, miniature donkeys are more like dogs than equines, said Maria.

"They love children and they're very fond of the elderly," she said. " They rarely kick and they're easily trainable and very intelligent. They just truly love being around people."

That's easy to prove at the Randall farm. When they go out to groom, feed, train or just play with their tiny charges, those tiny charges swarm them, eager for the attention. Playing Chase, the newest addition to the herd at only one month old, immediately pranced up to Katie for their daily game of tag. When he winds down at the end of the romp, said her mom, he'll actually curl up in Katie's lap and nap.

Lillian, a sassy brown donkey, will even play jump rope, holding one end of the rope in her teeth while Maria holds the other and Katie jumps.

One of the games all of the donkeys love to play is "chase the lead rope." Katie will drag a rope along the ground and the donkeys chase it, heads down and ears back, perhaps drawing on the instincts that make larger donkeys adept at killing snakes. The bigger donkeys have also been known to run off or injure coyotes and dogs, but the Randalls -- and the NMDA -- stress firmly that miniature donkeys should never be used as guard animals.

"They just aren't strong enough," Maria said, recalling the sad fate of Prez. (The dog was captured and destroyed, but no one ever claimed ownership or responsibility, she said.)

Lilly's love

On the other side of the paddock, Jeff played his own game with Lillian, his own personal miniature donkey.

"I've never really been an animal lover," he said, as he dodged a playful head butt. "But you can't help but love them. They'll always make you laugh."

Their bond began early.

"Her mother had trouble foaling and Jeff helped pull her out," Maria said. "They've been like this ever since. He loves her and she loves him."

Lillian has even pushed Jeff out of his comfort zone as chauffeur, ATM and pep squad by getting him into the show ring -- but that might not be such a good idea. While the family, meaning Katie and Maria, train their donkeys with positive reinforcement and firm, but gentle interaction, Jeff and Lilly tend to play a little bit rougher.

"Her favorite game is 'Let's kill Daddy,'" he joked. He admits letting her get away with stuff -- stuff that show judges don't let slide.

"At the last show, she started trying to eat my buttons. I couldn't help but laugh and the judge was right in front of us," he said.

He didn't seem too broken up about it. He and Lilly both had fun, and fun seems to be the operative word when it comes to miniature donkeys -- and their owners. Even the NMDA newsletter reflects that -- it's called "Asset."

Happy endings

"They're comical," said Maria. "They'll get into everything."

"I can't tell you how many garden hoses we've been through," added Jeff. "They'll unwind them and drag them across the ground."

The Randalls have had to learn the hard way to make sure certain things -- certain expensive, shiny and breakable things like tractors and trailers -- are kept out of reach.

"They'll climb into the scoop in the front end loader and pull knobs off with their teeth," said Maria. "They'll turn the wipers or the lights on. We leave old milk jugs out in the field for them to play with and they love them."

"They have to be entertained," said Jeff.

Entertained -- and entertaining. Everyone has the opportunity to see Roller and hundreds of other miniature donkeys, donkeys, and mules today through Saturday at Calsonic Arena. Almost every equine discipline imaginable will be represented by both donkeys and mules, from gaited classes to trail riding. The miniatures are shown in-hand, which means they are lead through their paces instead of being ridden, but even they can be seen harnessed into tiny, colorful carts and buggies for the driving classes.

There will also be fun classes. On Saturday night, Katie is looking forward to the Youth Costume Class. While costume classes in Arabian shows require Arabian costumes, and costume classes in Friesian Shows require traditional Netherlands costumes, the only thing a miniature donkey costume class requires is imagination.

"I've been a bumblebee and a Little Bo Peep," said Katie. "Roller was the sheep."

This year, she's paying homage to the movie "Racing Stripes," about the speedy zebra. Katie's wearing a jockey outfit -- and Roller will be wearing stripes.

If you go

The Great Celebration Mule and Donkey Show is today through Saturday at the Calsonic Arena and Champions Arena with classes beginning at 9 a.m. today and Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets are $6 a day for adults, $3 a day for children 7-12 and children 6 and under are admitted free. A three-day pass can be purchased for $15.

On the web

www.twhnc.com.

www.littlemiraclesfarm.com

www.nmdaasset.com