WORLD'S TALLEST DONKEYS

It didn’t begin with a donkey or even a dream of a donkey. One might say it was all because of goats, or perhaps more specifically it was because of coyotes. At any rate, there was never an original intent by Phil and Cara Barker Yellott to buy a donkey, much less an intent to buy the tallest donkey in the world.

Romulus and Cara

The Yellotts had purchased two goats. However, the howling coyotes near their Texas home made Cara consider buying a guard World’s Tallest Donkey Guinness World Record holder lives in Raisin Township donkey to protect the goats. As she searched Story by Sara Hilton | Photos by Sean Clancy online, she came Follow the exploits of Romulus and Remus at: worldstallestdonkey.com oracross a Craigslist on facebook: worldstallestdonkey posting for Romulus For information on Privateer Riding and Remus. The two Academy, visit rideannarbor.com donkey brothers were American Mammoth Jackstocks, the largest donkey breed in the world. Cara certainly didn’t need two mammoth donkeys to guard her two little goats, yet she couldn’t get the image of the two donkeys from her mind. The photo of Romulus and Remus showed two thin and sad looking animals. It was a measures 17 hands, which translates to 68 inches at the front shoulder. His little brother Remus measures 16.2 hands, or 66 inches at the front shoulder. When an expert was brought in to help the Yellotts return Romulus and Remus to health, she told them that she believed the record holder for DREAM SMILEBIG BIGGER bad time for Texas. Drought and wildfires the world’s tallest donkey was smaller than had made hay hard to find, and many Romulus. Did you know your insurance owners simply couldn’t feed their animals. Phil was delighted and set out on plan may cover “The seller needed to sell,” said Phil. “We behalf of Romulus to have him crowned Adult Orthodontics convinced him we could give them a good as the Guinness Book of World Record like Invisalign® home.” The couple bought the donkeys, site holder for the world’s tallest donkey. In or Braces? unseen, and waited for their delivery. 2013, Romulus took the win after he was

While the donkeys were a new venture, officially measured and found to be five Cara was no stranger to equines. Horses inches taller than the current record holder. had been her passion for years. With more Romulus went on to tour the United States, than two decades of riding and teaching his new found celebrity thrilling audiences experience, she had handled horses for at festival and fairs. He appeared at such movies, and performed at Renaissance fairs star-studded events as the Midwest Horse with crowds of 25,000 people. The Yellotts Fair in Madison, Wisconsin where he hung currently own Privateer Riding Academy out with the world’s tallest horse. in Ann Arbor. Yet even with the years of In 2015, the Yellotts, along with equine experience, nothing could quite Romulus and Remus, moved to Raisin prepare the Yellotts for the sheer size of the Township. “Romulus is sixteen years old animals they had just acquired. has a leg condition now, so he doesn’t tour

When Romulus and Remus arrived, it anymore. Remus is fourteen.” said Phil. quickly became evident that these weren’t So now the mammoth donkey brothers are your average donkeys. “When they pulled up able to simply enjoy their retirement in FREE CONSULTATIONS! in our driveway, Romulus and Remus were stopping traffic and drawing a crowd,” said Phil. The donkeys lived up to their breed. Michigan. “They just hang out.” said Phil. “To tell you the truth, they are pretty much just lazy asses now.” n TECUMSEH 126 Herrick Park Dr. 517-423-6300 ANN ARBOR 2433 Oak Valley Dr. Ste. 200They were indeed mammoth. Romulus hineslyorthodontics.com 734-769-7600