Jake Clark’s Mule Days http://www.saddlemule.com/index2.html
Powell, WY
June 15-19, 2016
Well friends, I had another exciting weekend out on the trail. This time, unfortunately, the trail was the highway in my truck hightailing it up to Powell, WY for a long weekend at Jake Clark’s Mule Days. But it was well worth it once I got there! For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the event, it’s been around since 1997 offering all kinds of fun, family-friendly events for anyone interested in learning about or just having fun around these cool animals. They also feature mules (and their owners) showing off their abilities in all kinds of entertaining contests and rodeo events. Plus, it’s always nice to be around people who are there for the same reason you are. Hanging around with animals that want to hang around with us. Not a bad place to be. Oh, and the people are nice too. I’ll get to that later.
<!--more-->
I want to extend my many thanks to Jake and Kay for putting on a well-organized and family-oriented show. Great job putting together an event that everyone could enjoy. I saw a lot of smiles out there, unless of course it was a ten year old who just lost a race! Well played Jake and Kay!
As for the particulars, I was really impressed by a lot of the events and activities. The mule demonstrations, the rodeo, and the tack and equestrian auctions made for a really fun time for everyone in attendance. Also impressive was the large number of mules that were offered at auction. The animals at the show were beautiful and in great shape. I wish my wallet were a little thicker! I would’ve taken home as many as I could fit in the trailer. In addition to the food during the show, I also have to mention the Montana Big Sky BBQ catered dinner was outstanding. Hand it to Cody for a fantastic meal!
This year was definitely a really great event, but I have to say, what I really enjoy most about these shows are the people I meet. I suppose that’s because to own and train a long-eared critter, a person has to keep their ego in check because they understand training these smart equines takes patience and understanding. Not to knock horse owners or anything, and maybe it’s just because I own and train long-eared critters, but donkey and mule owners are just great people all around. The interesting conversations I have and the lasting friendships I make at every event makes it something to look forward to. Also since the mule/donkey community is a small one, I get to see a lot of the same people at places like these. The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon could be more like the Three Degrees of a Mule or Donkey Owner. As a matter of fact, I’m already planning my trip back to Powell next year (Father’s Day weekend) and look forward to catching up with the new friends I’ve made. Feel free to email me at eric@mountainridgegear.com if you want to re-connect!
