The city of Salcedo, in the heart of the Ecuadorian Andes, was the scene of the largest donkey race in the world on Saturday (10).
More than fifty pony-sized representatives of the horse family, with very long ears, standing manes, and tails with end tassels, trotted through the cobbled streets of the small town – although many stopped halfway, without the slightest intention of continuing.
This was the sixth edition of the competition, which had to be suspended for the past two years because of the pandemic but returned with the best momentum in honor of the donkeys, which are facing extinction in the country, according to Fernando Villacis, a local veterinarian who is working to save them.
The first race was held in 2014, and the goal – which has not changed – is to make visible this animal that in the past had a significant presence in the mountains and valleys of the Andes but whose population today has declined at a worrying rate – Villacis said.
He said that “they are threatened with extinction” both in the country and in the region.
For this reason, the competition has strict rules for the care of the animals, as it is forbidden that the donkeys come to Salcedo with signs of mistreatment or that they are subjected to beatings or other insults during the competition.
“Spurs are not allowed,” as is the case in horse competitions, and riders are also not allowed to use sticks or objects that could hurt the stoic horses, which, according to the organizer, have suffered from cruelty and contempt.
The competition takes place in the streets of the neighborhood “San Antonio No. 1” of Salcedo, along a route of six hundred to eight hundred meters, with the paths serving as stands for the onlookers who crowd the sides to see the donkeys pass.