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Donkey Day Afternoon
Last Tuesday became Donkey Day Afternoon in Mountain Home as students and community leaders met for a day of friendly competition to raise money for a local benefit.
Hosted by the Mountain Home High School cross-country team, the donkey basketball game served as a "final farewell" to this year's graduating class as they faced off against their junior classmates, said event spokesperson RaNae Cameron.
"It was funny and humiliating at the same time," Cameron said.
As they waited for game time, some players jokingly blamed others for being coerced into joining the mayhem at Hacker Middle School.
"Someone signed me up," said State Senator Tim Corder, who played in support of the high school juniors.
"I can't say no to a friend," added Todd McCurry, general manager and owner of the Mountain Home Auto Ranch. "After all, who wouldn't jump at the chance to humiliate yourself for money?"
In addition to struggling for control of the ball, riders like Colton Zamora were equally frustrated convincing their animals to move each time the ball came loose. Wearing dark sunglasses with a bandana covering his face, the senior found himself continuously hopping off his steed and taking him by the reins as he reached out for the ball as his junior competitors slowly swooped in.
Meanwhile, a few riders quickly discovered -- quite painfully, too -- that it's not easy maintaining your balance on a moving animal while playing basketball. A couple of riders tumbled off their saddles onto the court's hardwood floor during the contest. A few others found themselves dangling precariously off the side of their saddles clinging on for dear life as their beasts took them for a ride instead.
The game took an expected turn as one rider attempted an eye-catching stunt early in the first half. Taking a page from the history books regarding the legacy of Lady Godiva, he paused on the sidelines for a quick "costume change." Moments later, he returned to the court wearing a smile and little more.
"The donkey made me do it. Luckily, I was wearing a Speedo," the teen said, looking a little sheepish moments later with his regulation uniform back in place.
Riding out to an early first-quarter rally, the juniors watched their eight-point lead fall to two at halftime. The seniors managed to knot the score at 26 with seconds remaining in the final quarter before they dropped in a two-point shot to take a narrow 28-26 win.
Last week's event raised a total of $1,000 with about $780 of that coming from ticket sales. These proceeds will allow the high school cross-country team to send one of its athletes to the upcoming "Down Under Games" in Australia.
"We had a really good turnout, and the participants had a really great time" with some of the donkey riders already wanting to come back and play again next year, Cameron said.
"It's a great win for the kids, but the donkeys don't turn worth a darn," McCurry added.