By Roberta Nee Adams | Courtesy of The Moore County News

BEDFORD COUNTY — Donkeys come in all sizes, from mammoth to miniature. There is a farm in rural Bedford County that raises miniature donkeys called, wait for it – Southern Asspitality. Owned and operated by Tim, Debbie, and Savannah Ames, the farm is currently home to almost thirty mini donkeys.

 The Ames moved to Tennessee from California in 2018. The family had horses for years, but after moving they got their first miniature donkey, Murphy, in 2020. It was love at first sight for Debbie and Savannah, and as they learned more about miniature donkeys, they decided to start breeding, raising, and training them. They located a thirty two acre farm in Bedford County, bought it, and began their enterprise. Besides breeding and training their own donkeys, they also train donkeys for other owners.

The breed of donkeys they raise is the Mediterranean miniature donkey. Though not endangered, they are on the watch list, and the Ames are dedicated to raising quality stock. They breed specifically for temperament and presentation, and their donkeys are of show quality. All are registered with the American Donkey and Mule Association.

{Editor’s Note: This article is brought to thanks to an editorial partnership between The Lynchburg Times and The Moore County News. To read more of their articles, click here.}

Regulars at the Lynchburg Christmas Parade

There is also the National Mini Donkey Association. The Association does not keep a registry, but sets the breed standards and determines show rules. Mini donkeys may be no more than thirty six inches at the withers when mature, which can be between three and six years.

Miniature donkeys have a very docile temperament, and are easily handled by children. Debbie and Savannah have held clinics for teaching youngsters how to train and show donkeys. They have traveled to events to let children meet and pet the donkeys. They especially enjoy coming to Lynchburg, and their donkeys were in Lynchburg’s Christmas parade last year pulling a cart. They also participated in  Lynchburg’s Easter celebration this year for meeting and taking pictures with children. They participated in the Leipers Fork Christmas parade for the past few years as well.

They frequently participate in shows, traveling all over the country to shows and sales. Like horse shows, donkey shows have different classes. There is walking in hand, pulling a cart (driving), and obstacle courses. The obstacle courses may feature poles for the donkey to jump, bridges to walk over, teeter totters, noise, and water obstacles. And, yes, there is donkey barrel racing.

The Ames do sell some of their donkeys. They always ensure that the buyer has another donkey for companionship, as they are very social. If alone they may have behavior problems. They do well with horses, but are best with other donkeys. The miniature donkeys should not be expected to protect livestock from coyotes. Southern Asspitality has a website with a lot of information on the breed and plenty of adorable pictures of their donkeys. Debbie and Savannah have learned the breed and business quickly, and are a wealth of information regarding buying, training, and showing donkeys.

Debbie and Savannah will be showing their donkeys at an upcoming show, the Honky Tonk Miniature Donkey Extravaganza, to be held at the Celebration Grounds in Shelbyville, in the Cooper Steel Arena on July 26 and 27. This will be an excellent opportunity to go and see these adorable, sweet creatures and all that they can do.•

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