Eey-awesome! Donkey who’ll be a world beater
TAKING children for donkey rides on the beach might be a bit of a stretch for this beast of burden.
At an incredible 16.3 hands – 5ft 7in – at the withers, they’d need a stepladder just to get on. That’s because the animal, named Derrick, is Britain’s biggest donkey – and is soon tipped to be a world beater. The five-year-old is just an inch shorter than the current record holder – a Texan donkey called Romulus, who has held the crown since 2013.
Both animals are American Mammoth Jackstocks, the largest breed of donkey. But Derrick’s owners at Radcliffe Donkey Sanctuary in Lincolnshire are confident he will soon beat his US rival.
Sanctuary owner Tracy Garton, 52, said: ‘He hasn’t finished growing yet, they stop growing when they reach seven years old so he still has a lot of time.’ Despite his enormous size, Derrick is a gentle giant. Mrs Garton said: ‘He’s just like a big dog, follows you around all the time and wants to be by your side.’ Standard donkeys usually average nine to 12 hands.
The world’s shortest is a 25.3-inch miniature Mediterranean donkey called KneeHi, from Florida.