A move is afoot in Colorado to make donkey racing the official state sport. Certainly it would be a strange sport given the nature of donkeys. These animals are not bred or usually trained to race, and the outcome of the races should be very interesting to see.
Apparently part of the motivation behind pushing donkey racing is one of those Guinness Book of Record types of things. The so-called sport originated in Colorado during the Gold Rush in the middle of the 1800's when prospectors would try to push their donkeys hard, and if proponents are successful, Colorado would get credit for originating the sport.
In the case of donkey racing as official state sport, contestants would have to push, prod, and entice the donkey to complete a race course. Instead of riding the donkey, the donkey would carry packs and the 'jockey' would be responsible for keeping the donkey on the rather long track and moving forward throughout the race.
Donkey racing is clearly a sport that is under the radar, but the movement to make it the official state sport is growing. According to a contributor, "There are petitions, rallies, and other organized events aimed at encouraging the state government to recognize the sport. Once that happens, participants hope that the donkey racing will be seen as a legitimate competition rather than an event that most people would think of as crazy."