Photos by Rebecca Blackwell | Text and Videos by Leslie Mazoch
This is a place where every donkey will have his day – a small town just north of Mexico City that gives the beasts of burden a chance every May Day to kick up their hooves.
In this May 1, 2016 photo, a competitor falls from his donkey during a preliminary race at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
In this May 1, 2016 photo, spectators are covered with foam that was sprayed by a team competing in the costume event, at the annual donkey fair in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Tourists squeeze through the jammed fairgrounds wearing donkey ears and munching on classic fair cuisine, including the local version of burritos – a dish popular both north and south of the Mexican border that borrows the Spanish word for donkey.
In this May 1, 2016 photo, donkey keychains are displayed for sale at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Costume themes for the animals ranged from the ride-sharing service Uber to pre-Hispanic temples, and Donald Trump was a category in and of itself this year. Four families dressed their donkeys in likenesses of the U.S. presidential candidate who has vowed to build a border wall to keep out Mexican immigrants he’s called “rapists.”
Adolfo Garcia Aguilar, who works on a cattle farm, said his family pitched in to dress his burro in a red tie, black boots and a blond wig. “We’ll see how we do – if they kick us out, donkey and all,” joked Aguilar.
In this May 1, 2016 photo, donkeys dressed as a lion and as Donald Trump touch noses as they await the start of the costume competition event at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Other Trump-decked donkeys featured signs that declared: “Impostor! I’m the real Donald Trump!” and “If I win the 12,000 peso prize, I’ll put a wall between Otumba and Teotihuacan,” referring to the famed pre-Aztec city of pyramids nearby.
In this May 1, 2016 photo, a man dresses a donkey to resemble Donald Trump in preparation for the costume competition at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. The donkey was later adorned with a blond wig and eyebrows. None of the Trump entrants won much favor with the audience at the 51st annual donkey fest. Audience applause chose donkeys emulating a Smurf, a firefighter and an Uber ride for the first top three prizes. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
In this May 1, 2016 photo, men wearing donkey ears and costumed as part of the security detail walk alongside a donkey and pig dressed as Donald Trump, during the costume competition at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. Four families dressed their donkeys in likenesses of the U.S. presidential candidate who has vowed to build a border wall to keep out Mexican immigrants he’s called “rapists.” The entrant featuring the costumed pig carried a sign declaring, “Impostor! I’m the real Donald Trump!” while another group’s sign read “If I win the 12,000 peso prize, I’ll put a wall between Otumba and Teotihuacan,” referring to the famed pre-Aztec city of pyramids nearby. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
In this May 1, 2016 photo, a pig wearing a wig and suit costume to resemble Donald Trump rides in a cart pulled by a similarly-dressed donkey, as a team mocking the U.S. presidential candidate parades during the costume competition event at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
None of them won much favor with the audience at the 51st annual donkey fest, though. Audience applause chose the winners: donkeys emulating a Smurf, a firefighter and an Uber ride.
In this May 1, 2016 photo, a team parades a donkey dressed as a firefighter, during the costume competition event at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. The firefighter donkey finished second in the competition to win a prize of 7,000 pesos, or about $400 dollars. The annual donkey fair in this small town just north of Mexico City attracts up to 40,000 people who come to see the animals compete in costumes and race around a track with jockeys on their backs. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
THIRD PLACE: UBER DONKEY
In this May 1, 2016 photo, a man in a donkey mask waves as he drives a donkey cart for an “Uber Executive” ride carrying a young donkey as a passenger, during the costume competition event at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. This team won third place, judged by audience applause. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Zeus Laredo, a physics teacher who attended the fair with friends, said he backed the eventual winner: a donkey dressed up as the papa Smurf who was attended by an entourage of people in Smurf costumes.
Otumba was an important donkey market during Spanish colonial times, standing at the crossroads of major roads leading to Mexico City, where the beasts pulled heavy loads and carried travelers.
Today, however, farmers use tractors and pickup trucks, and the donkey population is in decline.
In this May 1, 2016 photo, 12-year-old Wilfrido Lemus Corona is raised aloft after winning the donkey race final with his burro “Veso” at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. Family and friends threw the tiny jockey into the air Sunday after he scored his third consecutive win, claiming 12,000 pesos in cash, about $700 dollars. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
The animal that won the jockey race is more a pet than a worker. The 12-year-old winning jockey, Wilfrido Lemus Corona, learned to ride his donkey, Veso, when his grandfather plopped him on top when he was just 6 to carry him across the fields, his mother Patricia Corona Espinosa said. Family and friends threw the tiny jockey into the air Sunday after he scored his third consecutive win. He also took home 12,000 pesos in cash, about $700.
With donkey numbers declining, Otumba’s Flores family decided to open a donation-funded sanctuary they coined “Burrolandia,” or Donkeyland. It currently holds 30 donkeys that German Flores said would otherwise have ended up at the slaughterhouse.
In this May 1, 2016 photo, a reluctant donkey is alternately pushed and pulled and enticed with carrots toward town hall in order to be dressed for the costume competition at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Here they live out the rest of their days grazing and can be visited by tourists on weekends. Flores said that the majority of their donkeys came from farmers who either couldn’t afford them anymore or who no longer had room after moving away from their farms.
In this May 1, 2016 photo, men from a donkey racing team stand beside the track entrance ahead of a race at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Fair organizer Juan Carlos Chavez said Otumba hopes its annual festival creates awareness about the animals.
“Donkeys are wonderful animals,” he said. “People say they don’t understand, but they do.”
In this May 1, 2016 photo, a mural outside the “Burrodromo” donkey racetrack advertises the “National Donkey Festival” in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. With donkey numbers declining, Otumba’s Flores family decided to open a sanctuary they coined “Burrolandia,” or Donkeyland. It currently holds 30 donkeys that German Flores said would otherwise have ended up at the slaughterhouse. There they live out the rest of their days grazing and can be visited by tourists on weekends. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
In this May 1, 2016 photo, locals sit atop a truck to get a better view of a female Escaramuza horse riding team of performing during the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. In addition to the donkey competition events, the festival included musical and cultural performances to entertain the crowd. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
In this May 1, 2016 photo, boys compete in a preliminary heat of the donkey racing event at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. Fair organizer Juan Carlos Chavez said Otumba hopes its annual festival creates awareness about the animals. “Donkeys are wonderful animals,” he said. “People say they don’t understand, but they do.” (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
In this May 1, 2016 photo, 12-year-old Wilfrido Lemus Corona races toward victory atop his donkey “Veso” in the final race at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. Lemus learned to ride when his grandfather plopped him on top at age six to carry him across the fields, his mother Patricia Corona Espinosa said. Family and friends threw the tiny jockey into the air Sunday after he scored his third consecutive win. He also took home 12,000 pesos in cash, about $700. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
In this May 1, 2016 photo, a man dresses a donkey in a Donald Trump costume, in preparation for the costume competition event at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. The donkey was later adorned with a blond wig and eyebrows. None of the Trump entrants won much favor with the audience at the 51st annual donkey fest, though. Audience applause chose the winners: donkeys emulating a Smurf, a firefighter and an Uber ride. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
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AP Images is the world’s largest collection of historical andcontemporary photos. AP Images provides instant access to AP's iconic photos and adds new content every minute of every day from every corner of the world, making it an essential source of photos and graphics for professional imagebuyers and commercial customers. Whether your needs are for editorial, commercial, or personal use, AP Images has the content and the expert sales team to fulfill your image requirements. Visit apimages.com to learn more.
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