My Wild Burro Story: Alicia and Nestor

Submitted by Alicia Miers

Gathered as yearling in Arizona's Cibola-Trigo herd management area on September 2010, B61AAAAAR, now known as Nestor, was not readily adopted. For the next seven years, Nestor lived in holding pens in Arizona and Colorado. One day his luck finally changed when a Colorado TIP trainer named Nicki Creasey selected him for her Burro Base Camp program. My family and I adopted Nestor through the TIP program in 2017, and the rest is history.

Nestor has been a fabulous addition to our family, which includes children, horses and another BLM burro.  He has since participated in holiday parades, clinics, costume contest, shows, history museum presentations and visited nursing homes. He is a real crowd pleaser, loves attention and is always happy to stop for scratches and pictures.

We also like to hike and run together. Nestor and I compete in Pack Burro Racing, a challenging trail running sport rooted in gold mining history. Together we have run miles and miles in Colorado’s beautiful high country. It takes patience on both of our parts to synchronize our pace and navigate winding mountain roads and trails. Nestor loves the finish lines of the races, it is here that he often slows to a walk, carrying himself with calm and regal, as if he is soaking up all of the applause of the spectators.

I am so proud of all that Nestor has accomplished and I believe that he is a great ambassador for BLM burros, representing their versatility and the enjoyment one can gain from adopting a wild one. 

Adopt a wild horse or burro at a BLM event or facility near you.