Alongside the normal showing classes our
Donkey Cub children also demonstrate a Donkey Ball tournament on their own donkeys. This
is always a real highlight for the spectators and the condition of all the donkeys who are
in the Donkey Ball teams proves that this initiative has genuinely improved the welfare of
the animals, and the attitudes of their young owners who now think of their animals as
athletes!
The show is also an opportunity for us to distribute head
collars to the equine owners, to minimise the number of animals who are tethered by their
legs - the cause of many broken legs. We also have a team of vets who provide free
veterinary treatments on the day and a free blood testing service for all competitors to
test their animals for Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness in humans). This is a very
common disease among equines in The Gambia, and is easily treated if infection is found.
Any competitors found to be positive for Trypanosomiasis are treated by the veterinary
team. Locally trained farriers are on hand to provide a trimming service for all
attendees, and fluorescent reflective jackets that have been kindly donated are also
distributed. It has become a well known event throughout The Gambia, and one that the
local people look forward to for months before hand. It has created a real motivation for
people to keep their working equines healthy during what is normally a very difficult time
for the animals - at the end of the farming season when they have been working hard.
The show is televised throughout The Gambia,
and attended by many Gambian dignitaries. Although the event is great fun for all who
attend, it is also an important platform to help to raise the profile of the plight of
working equines in The Gambia. Huge progress has been seen in the way that animals are
cared for in the Central River Region of The Gambia since the Gambia Horse and Donkey
Trust began its work in 2002, and we are hopeful that there is even more positive change
ahead. |