Shane Weigand’s Vision Gallops Ahead as Burro Racing Series Grows

CERRILLOS  — The historic trails in Cerrillos came alive Saturday as a field of runners and their long-eared teammates competed in the annual Turquoise Trail Pack Burro Race.

The event, which has become a staple of the New Mexico racing circuit, was founded by Shane Weigand, organizer of New Mexico Pack Burros. Weigand, a public land manager and author of “Backcountry Burro,” launched the race in 2019 to revitalize the state’s mining and trail heritage. The Cerrillos event now serves as the kickoff for the “Strike It Rich” race series, which includes upcoming stops in Magdalena, Ruidoso, and Silver City.

What started with a couple hundred spectators a few years ago has grown to a crowd of several thousand people on Saturday with motorists having to walk to the event after parking off the side of the NM 14 roadway.

“Burros are very social,” Weigand said of the animals that once hauled silver and turquoise through these very hills. “They get along well at these big events.”

Taking the top spot in the three-mile long course was Joe Polonsky, a veteran racer who traveled from Colorado to compete. Polonsky, who has been racing since 2018, credited a chance encounter in Buena Vista, Colorado, for his entry into the sport.

“My wife and I were having lunch… just a whole bunch of donkeys coming down the road,” Polonsky said of his first exposure to the 19th-century tradition. “A few months later, we adopted some donkeys and started racing.”

Polonsky is no stranger to the Cerrillos course, having competed in every iteration of the race since Weigand established it. He previously secured a victory in the inaugural year’s six-mile division. For Polonsky, the key to success on the technical, single-track trails of Cerrillos Hills State Park isn’t just speed, but the relationship with the animal.

“If you already have a donkey, it’s just spending time with them,” Polonsky said. “It’s usually better if it’s one-on-one time versus running with a group. You just have to make it fun for the donkeys. Fun is probably the biggest thing.”

The race followed Western Pack Burro Association rules, requiring teams in the long course to carry a pack saddle equipped with a lead rope, gold pan, pick, and shovel—a nod to the prospectors who founded the town of Cerrillos in the late 1800s.

While the six-mile course challenged seasoned athletes with moderate elevation gains and rocky ridges, a shorter three-mile “fun run” allowed newcomers to experience the unique bond of the sport.

As the “Strike It Rich” series moves forward, organizers hope the growing interest in burro racing will continue to shine a light on New Mexico’s rural history and public lands.