Every Memorial Day weekend since 1970, the town of Bishop, nestled on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains, comes alive with the annual presentation of Mule Days. The outfitters and packers of the region wanted an event to start off the packing season and the businessmen wanted to draw vacationers to the Owens Valley. What began as an informal gathering and a test of skills, has grown into a fun filled, world class event.
There is no way to actually describe Mule Days. It is part mule show, part test of skills, and part Wild West show. It is an event the likes of which are held nowhere else in the world. Over the six days of the event, there are 14 shows featuring over 500 mules with their trainers, riders and packers. In excess of 20,000 fans converge on the Tri-County Fairgrounds and the Mike Boothe Arena to watch the events and visit the exhibitors. The fourteen mule shows consist of: western, youth, english, ranch versatility, racing, dressage, gymkhana, packing, halter, chariot racing, team roping and driving. For ticketed shows veteran announcers, Bob Tallman and Steve Kenyon, take the microphone to both educate and entertain crowds.
In addition to competitive events, Mule Days has many other features to expand the experience. Country Music stars take the stage Thursday night, and on Saturday, spectators take to the streets of Bishop to watch the longest running non-motorized parade in the U.S. There’s also vendors, clinics and a country dance.
Mule people are determined to prove that anything a good horse can do, a good mule can do better. From trail riding to show classes, mules can do it all with the grace, athleticism, and a bit of humor!