From Mule Days website, www.muledays.org –
Every Memorial Day weekend since 1969, the town of Bishop, nestled on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains, comes alive with the annual presentation of Mule Days. The outfitters and packers of the region wanted an event to start off the packing season and the businessmen wanted to draw vacationers to the Owens Valley. What began as an informal gathering and a test of skills, has grown into a fun filled, world class event.
There is no way to actually describe Mule Days. It is part mule show, part test of skills, and part Wild West show. It is an event the likes of which are held no where else in the world. Over the five days of the event, there are 14 shows featuring over 700 mules with their trainers, riders and packers. In excess of 30,000 fans converge on the Tri-County Fairgrounds and the Mike Boothe Arena to watch the events and visit the exhibitors. The fourteen mule shows consist of: Western, youth, English, cattle working, gaited, coon jumping, racing, musical tires, gymkhana, packing, shoeing, chariot racing, team roping and driving. For most competitions, veteran announcers, Bob Tallman and Bob Feist, take the microphone to both educate and entertain crowds.
In addition to competitive events, Mule Days has many other featured events to expand the experience. Country Music stars take the stage Thursday night, and on Saturday, spectators take to the streets of Bishop to watch the longest running non-motorized parade in the U.S. There’s also Barbecues, country dances and an arts and crafts show.
Mule people are determined to prove that anything a good horse can do, a good mule can do better. From trail riding to show classes, mules can do it all with the grace unique to these animals. Steer roping and penning, an event normally reserved for quarter horses, is another highlight of Mule Days. Cowboys will have the opportunity to prove their roping and riding skills astride some of the best working mules in the United States.
Harry- I heard Ronald Reagans tongue was hanging out when he marshaled this event. I thought that happen much later on?
Mule Days – Bishops wonderful tribute to Democrats.
Why not have a study? Peruse all the postings above on this rather innocuous subject. Then, when all have been studied, list how many of the posters fall into the category of: a) happy, well-adjusted, and positive-minded peoplem, mentally and physically fit or … b) grizzled, angry, negative, government-hating tea… Read more »
My grandfather was a teamster, one of the original teamsters, when they were real teamsters, driving teams of horses and mules and combinations of both. He was one of the teamsters that worked on the Stanford stadium, amongst other projects in the bay area. He drove teams of mules, he… Read more »
So how was the parade Trouble? I missed it .. darn! We came to town and got fuel and took a ride. Town was not so bad this year.
Al- thanks for asking. My family loved it. But they enjoy watching me suffer. I felt like Al Bundy.
LOL Trouble I feel your pain man.
Thanks Kaat- That was educating.
http://www.phudpucker.com/mules/mule.htm
For those that wonder about the Mule…here is a good link and read….and just for the record….Mules are VERY smart and very loyal animals….it’s hard to love an animal that you
know nothing about….so please give them a chance….they are the best!
Dumbest animals on earth?? Trouble you are an ass… you never have been around a mule to know of its smartness… unless your head is up its ass, which by your comments is so true!!
Bishop Lover- your probably dead on right . But I’m getting a kick out this one.
Just so ya all know i’ll be at the parade sat. Not because I like our town being known for one of the dumbest animals on earth, but to watch a family member that really likes that stuff. I hope it’s quick.
LOL Trouble .. they’re not stupid .. they’re just stubborn.
Hello my I’m Troubled and I’ve been troubled all my life.
Bishop Lover – it appears “Trouble” HAS gotten a life. A life that sadly is permeated with trouble. We have those amongst us today who judging by their non-stop caustic and angry Tea Party-sounding rants, have clearly formed an addiction to anger and trouble and cannot find the way out… Read more »
No Just the facts- I enjoy laying out the truth on this blog site as I see it and causing a little harmless trouble along the way. You ought hear me when I have a few beers in me:).
Right.
The truth as preached by neoconservative guru, Rush Limbaugh.
No thanks, Trouble. I think I’ll take a chance on the lies.
Trouble needs to get a life.
Why is that Bishop lover .. because he doesn’t care for Donkey Days?
I am quite sure the person who has chosen the moniker “Trouble” is a good person at heart. But having reviewed a collection of his/her postings, it seems to me he/she may have fallen victim to the anti-everything rants that sadly appears to be in vogue in our polarized society… Read more »
just the facts- save the AA opinions and Dr.Drew lectures for your mate.
It’s amazing once again how all of the political BS comes out when you voice your opinion Trouble LOL
Sometimes I have been like WT … is up with this person LOL .. just a bad attitude, just set in yer ways lol
LOL @ Dr. Drew .. so true.
Just The Facts – It appears to me you spew more toxic bs then those you accuse of doing the same. Your rhetoric does nothing but further divide the masses. oh you accuse others of doing that too. It seems to be you should stand in front of a mirror… Read more »
They will not attend bad attitude.
Keep it coming jack asses
Pretty offensive and negative as usual. I think I’ve seen other posts by you on bathroom walls up and down 395. Kill joy was here!!!!
Attn: Trouble (and the rest of the Negative Neocons) 1) Turn off Limbaugh 2) ” Fox News 3) Throw away all the Ann Coulter “I Hate Liberals!” books. 4) Pick up a copy of Norman Vincent Peale’s “The Power of Positive Thinking” You’ve opened yourself up to too much Right-wing… Read more »
Free Advice- I’m not a right winger and can’t stand mule days . Get over it.
Try being positive for a change, let us know what you like.
LOL Harry, that would be like pulling teeth .. mule teeth. hehe
Harry, since you asked, I like fishing , hunting and peace and quite. None of which Mule Days bring to town.
Norman Vincent Peale is about as “right” as you can get….so your advice is all wrong…the true “right” are positive, happy and peaceful people….and they LOVE MULE DAYS and Bishop! I am glad Mule Days is here again – the same as most everyone in Bishop!!
“Free advice” has morphed from “just the facts” and “polarized America”. Despite the identity crisis it acts like an expert on all subjects and has yet to follow its own advice, especially reading “The Power of Positive Thinking”. I doubt this person has any friends.
Sad to witness the angry who can offer nothing of substance other than Limbaugh-like ad hominem attacks … for every subject posting they may disagree with. (see “Dave” above) Get used to it. Nobody said the modern American conservative movement (that bears no resemblance whatsoever to their father’s or grandfather’s… Read more »
There’s no way you could be so earnest in your hypocrisy unless your goal was to make yourself look bad.
ATTN: Free advise .. where the heck did all of that come from in this thread, he merely voiced his dislike for the event. Not everybody embraces Donkey Daze, lol. It’s OK if you like all of that. For me .. if you have seen one Mule days, it’s enough,… Read more »
Now, that’s a very positive point of view “Trouble.”
Trouble, Trouble, Trouble … that’s a capital T, and it rhymes with P, and that stands for …
never mind.
That’s a great attitude TROUBLE. Instead of embracing the events and economy boost it brings. Keep driving your closed minded ideas about how the (locals) have to leave town. I’ve been here since long before they ever thought of this event and I still embrace it and love all the… Read more »
Hey Trouble maybe you can move to Benton, since your against the local tourism which helps keep people in business around here.
@Trouble; Any chance you could say something nice for once in your angry life?
Mule Days- The weekend the locals are forced out of town.