Mules show raises money for kids and horses

Mules and owners from as far away as Arizona and Idaho met at Fuji Park on Sunday for the Carson City Horseman's Association's Mule Show. Sponsored by local businesses and volunteers, the two-day event drew about 80 animals.

The list of events is a tribute to the animals' versatility: Owners put the mules through their paces in everything from donkey pleasure riding to reining, utility driving, packing events, log skidding classes, halter, western trail and a chariot lap race.

Yerington resident Jerry Gideon, who buys and sells about 20 of the animals a year, says he prefers the mules to horses, noting they have more endurance and fewer medical problems.

"And once they've learned something, they don't forget," he said. "However you look at it, mules are better than horses."

Gideon noted he's seen a rise in popularity of the animals and the shows in recent years.

Trainer and professional rider Jode Collins, agrees. A resident of Granite Bay, Calif., she attends 12 to 15 mule shows a year and said the quality of the animals is improving with interest.

She feels the animals' interaction with humans is different from that of a horse, and they bond with people very much like a dog does.

"They're incredible animals," Collins said, noting proper interaction with humans at an early age is critical.

The Association plans on making this a yearly event, with proceeds going to benefit Kids & Horses, a therapeutic riding program for the disabled.