Curtis Imrie

Walter Curtis Imrie Jr. (September 18, 1946 – January 21, 2017) was an American radio personality, film-maker, sportsman, animal breeder, and candidate for elected political office. He was particularly noted for his role as an organizer of the pack burro races in small mining towns in the state of Colorado. He also was a competitor in the pack burro races for more than 40 years and won three world championships in the sport.

Early life and education Imrie was born in Washington, D.C., on September 18, 1946. He graduated from Northwestern University and was a member of the wrestling team there. After college, Imrie wrestled at the Greco-Roman wrestling clubs in San Francisco, California.

Career For much of his career and through the end of his life, Imrie maintained a website that described his three interests, which others have characterized as his "3Ds", "Donkey, Drama, and Democracy".

Pack burro racing Imrie participated in approximately 200 pack burro races, including three world championships that he won. The races were in various mining towns in Colorado, including Dillon, Colorado City, Leadville, and others.

As part of his conditioning for the pack burro races, Imrie also ran in the Boston Marathon, in the New York City Marathon, and in other marathon running events. He also completed ultramarathons such as the Leadville Trail 100.

Imrie starred in the film The Rider and the Wolf, with Imrie portraying mountain biker Mike Rust who disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

The documentary film Haulin' Ass included discussion of Imrie's involvement in pack burro racing.

At the time of his death, Imrie was working on a film “The Last Private Man”.

Political campaigns Imrie unsuccessfully ran for elected political office in Colorado several times during his career. Early in his campaigns for elected political office, Imrie called himself a "dimmicrat" and characterized himself as a progressive politician and an outsider. He was initially a member of the Democratic Party and later became an independent politician. In 2002, he was the runner-up candidate in the election for the United States House of Representatives in Colorado's 5th congressional district.

Imrie's political campaigns typically made use of stock trailers as an advertising medium in the contested districts.

Death Imrie died of a heart attack on January 21, 2017, in Denver, Colorado, while preparing a donkey to compete in the National Western Stock Show.