Invented during the 1930s as a cheap form of
recession entertainment,
donkey basketball remains a
popular sport in midwest America.
Basically, the tow four-player teams have to shoot hoops while riding on the donkeys. The animals often just lay down, crushed by the players’ weight and, in these situations, competitors are allowed to dismount and drag the donkey to the hoop. Donkeys can carry up to 68kg, but many of the
donkey basketball players weigh considerably more.
This
unusual sport is played mostly in school gyms, by school staff and local celebrities.
PETA has denounced
donkey basketball as animal cruelty, but the folks in
Iowa, where these pics were taken, say they don’t pay much attention to that. ‘We’re just a bunch of good ol’ boys and farmers down here in
rural Iowa, so we’re not worried about
PETA.’ said Angela Stufflebeam, event organizer.
Before the beginning of a
donkey basketball match, an announcement is made, saying the animals are treated humanely. But protesters say the donkeys are starved so they don’t defecate during the match, they are often kicked, pulled by their tails and ears, and get stressed by the chaotic atmosphere.
Donkey basketball has been banned in
Portland,
Oregon,
Indiana,
Ohio and
Pennsylvania, but it’s still thriving in
Iowa.
I say this is just as bad as
riding ponies on thin ice.
via
Daily Mail
Photos by
The Associated Press