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SALT LAKE CITY — Have you ever wondered what basketball would look like if all the players were riding donkeys? Well, you're in luck.
Viral videos of donkey basketball are popping up all over social media, with the House of Highlights Instagram and Overtime Twitter accounts posting videos of the niche spectacle in recent days.
When can we bet on this?
— Shane Anderson (@Globalgallop) April 14, 2022
Donkey Basketball. Heavenly.pic.twitter.com/yD5BaTnUOk
The sport dates back to the 1930's and is typically used as a circus-type entertainment event, as opposed to a legitimate athletic competition. A high school in Simms, Montana, recently put on a donkey basketball fundraiser to send money to former Ukrainian exchange students.
The Montana fundraiser consisted of four teams competing in 10-minute games. In all of the videos, participants wear helmets during the games and occasionally have to dismount their donkeys to retrieve a stray ball, though the shots are all taken by those still on a donkey.
A number of small, traveling companies provide the donkeys used in the games. One such company is Dairyland Donkey Ball, who has an extensive FAQ page for those curious about their services. They last 16 minutes for elimination games and eight minutes for the championship, with the entire event lasting an hour and a half.
A Saturday Nigh Live sketch in 1993 featured NBA star Charles Barkley instructing a group including Tim Meadows, Mike Myers, David Spade and Rob Schneider in the rules of donkey basketball.
PETA has come out against donkey basketball, claiming the sport is cruel to the animals and dangerous for both the donkeys and humans involved. They encourage those who hear about donkey basketball as a fundraising option to oppose and suggest an alternative.
