There's a lot to be said for asses

So the Rodeo is over, but the spirit never really goes away. If you need proof, consider the uphill battle for donkey and mule PR — trying to make people feel like asses are as glamorous and exciting as other, higher-profile animals. Or, if not glamorous and exciting, at least they're loyal.

While a horse will "stumble into anything and not care about the rider," [Angleton veterinarian Gary] Brackeen said, a mule and donkey will think about the best way to negotiate a situation, which is why mules and donkeys are often used for riding over rocky and steep terrain like the Grand Canyon.

"You can ride a herd of horses off a cliff but a herd of asses will say 'I don't think so' and stop in their tracks," said Dianne Smith, who had four mules and two donkeys competing at the Houston rodeo.

Is that intelligence or donkeys' well-known stubbornness? Maybe a little of both: As the article notes, some of the donkeys and mules competing at the Rodeo refused to run through their obstacle course, choosing instead to stand still in the middle of the ring. But others competed with abandon, especially in wagon races, where "mule and donkey teams tore around the arena at breakneck speeds." Too bad we missed that.