By Libby Cluett
lcluett@mineralwellsindex.com
Something new came to town Saturday – donkey team roping.
The event drew 150 teams of cowboys to the Longhorn Arena west of Mineral Wells on U.S. Highway 180. Cowboys and cowgirls from all over the county, region and beyond tried throwing their loops over the heads and around the heels of 20 donkeys.
Similar to team-roping steers, donkeys came out of a chute – but that’s where similarities seemed to end.
Many donkeys stood still in or near the chute and refused to run. At least one zipped behind the chute and out of the arena. Another, once running, threw a sidekick toward one of the roping horses. Others bucked and reared and some even flipped and rolled at the end of the lariat.
Trying to collect donkeys in the catch pen – after a roping run – was yet another challenge for many of the cowboys. Few of the long-eared equines complied – some were evasive and at least one tried to hunker down and hide in the corner of the arena.
Organizer Danny Altum said the event is new to town, but popular in West Texas. He puts on the events for friends “when the weather’s nice,” said his wife, Sandra Altum. She added that he did not even advertise Saturday’s event and only organized it earlier in the week. “You just make a few phone calls and end up with over [150] ropers,” she said.
The event at Longhorn Arena even drew a former world team roping champion, Randon Adams. Adams, who lives in Dublin, Texas, but hails from Nevada, won the overall prize teamed up with a friend, according to Altum.
