Finale ChaLenge Muletier and 4 days in Mulardie

Mules Qui peut
Sep 9
4 min read

The 2025 Mule Race in the Vallée des Cerfs

A real challenge... The kind of situation that sometimes makes you want to give up everything.

Between the bad luck that struck some of our coaches—including Camille Navillod, one of our favorites, breaking her rib just a week before the final—and the lack of motivation of others, we only had one finalist present on the day, Julie Lagraulet, aka Amazone Lune.

She arrived in a state of stress and anxiety that was particularly difficult to manage. We therefore chose to adapt the Challenge to her emotional state, to allow her to experience the best possible experience.

Le stage

A first for Mule Qui Peut! Inviting a professional muleteer from the United States—one of the countries where mules are most widely used—was a bold gamble. And Bob Smith-Natural Elements Horsemanship rose to the challenge brilliantly.

It was also a first for him: his very first steps on the European continent... and in France! The exchange was incredibly enriching. Bob is a great man, simple and authentic, with that certain something that makes you feel like you're meeting an old friend—almost from another life 🤭.

Bob is a true expert:

an extraordinary experience,
calm and simple,
humor and kindness,
a clear and respectful teaching style, both for mules and humans.

The atmosphere of his workshops? A real pleasure! He observes, suggests an exercise, then guides each participant with precision and gentleness. His principle: speak like a mule—that is, communicate through body language and intention, just as they do with each other. No stick, no flag, no treats: just body language.

For us little French people, it's a real adjustment process and it challenges some of our certainties... but what a rich learning experience!

After the ChaLenge final, Bob continued his tour: stopping at the Écrin de Mules, the Belles Bourriques de Pont Loup breeding farm, and finally Montpellier with Poil de Parole.

A huge thank you to Carole Drogoul, who served as driver, translator, and tour guide.

The Final

A challenge brilliantly met by the Mule Qui Peut team!

Organizing a final with just one coach... a real challenge, right?

Fortunately, we could count on two key allies: the training camp with Bob Smith, organized just before the final, so he was there, and the presence of our adorable Argentinian muleteer Lucia Fournier. Thanks to them, we were able to offer the public a superb demonstration of their respective approaches: respect, tact, and teaching skills were all present. A highlight of this edition!

Other key moments of the day!

Ju Micamb shared her approach while working with a young mule from Anne Van Aubel.
The Poitou mules were out in force thanks to Nicolas Seguier-Formul'Ane, Timothée Brisson, and their companions from the Poitou mule breeds: a memorable encounter!
Aurore – AC Custom Saddlery presented her saddles specially adapted for mules (a demonstration unfortunately held on Friday evening, with no possibility of reproducing it for the public on Saturday).
Our old friend Joshua Mini, accompanied by his faithful companion Fany, offered us a wonderful experience with a roping demonstration.
Pascal showed us his Sambu and Cabrest saddles on his Sabbah dummy.

The program was somewhat disrupted by the competition and the unpredictable weather on Sunday, but everything ran smoothly and in a friendly atmosphere. The audience left delighted, with many new discoveries about our fantastic animals!

The competition

The competition – yet another innovation from Mule Qui Peut! Brand-new rules, designed and created by Carole Drogoul, Muriel Herion, and Bob Smith: the Mule Trail.

And what a success! More than 22 participants took part in this very first edition… A figure we couldn't believe!

The atmosphere

The weather wasn't on our side on Sunday: rain and wind were forecast, which disrupted the program. Some of the competitors therefore arrived on Saturday afternoon. In the end, everything went well. Sunday morning, the weather was rainy but still acceptable.