Burros hee-haw through village

With the thud of hooves, a dash of dust and plenty of community cheer, the inaugural Magdalena Burro Stampede made its mark on the historic mining town Sunday, drawing 54 teams and hundreds of spectators for a unique race that pairs human runners with pack burros.

The event, hosted by New Mexico Pack Burros, was the second in a three-part race series across the state, following a spring event in Cerrillos and leading up to a fall race in Silver City. Rooted in mining heritage, pack burro racing involves teams of one runner and one burro competing side by side over rugged trails.

“Our sport is mining heritage based, and Magdalena has got all sorts of neat mining history around it,” said Shane Weigand, founder of New Mexico Pack Burros and one of the organizers of Sunday’s event. “We hope this becomes a tradition in Magdalena for the next 50 years.”

Participants came from across New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado, with a burro rescue group even traveling in from Arizona, offering 10 donkeys for racers to lease. The race featured two distances — three and nine miles — and participants were not allowed to ride their animals.

“You run with your burro, it’s all about trust and teamwork with your burro,” Weigand said, adding that they are very athletic animals that are adapted to hot, arid environments.

The event was a weekend celebration filled with vendors, rodeo activities, and family fun.

“There were locals who said this was the most people they’ve seen in Magdalena in 10 years,” Weigand said.

Local resident and race co-organizer Osiris Navarro, who helped bring the idea to life after moving to Magdalena and falling in love with burros, echoed that sentiment. “It was just something new, something different that brought energy and joy to town,” she said.

Winners of the 3 mile course were: Shane Weigand and Pua, of Edgewood, in the men’s category, and Alexa Whittenberg and Clover, of Albuquerque, in the women’s category.

Winners of the 9 mile course were: Joe Polonsky and Jake, of Palmer Lake, CO, in the men’s category, and Sarah Wistner and Peanut, of Glorieta, NM, in the women’s category.