“Haulin’ Ass,” the quirky little film about the official state sport of Colorado, will premiere in Colorado Springs on the night of Thursday, April 4 at 7 p.m. at Stargazers Theatre and Event Center. The film, by New York filmmaker Trevor Velin, explores Colorado’s indigenous sport — pack-burro racing.

The event is presented by the American Trail Running Association.

The film is a documentary about one of the most challenging, yet least recognized, sports in modern culture. It follows three men in their quests to take the triple crown of pack-burro racing while overcoming their own mental and physical obstacles.

The film captures the images and spirit of this remarkable and offbeat adventure sport, while also exploring the personal lives of three devoted competitors — Hal Walter of Westcliffe, Curtis Imrie of Buena Vista, and Roger Pedretti of La Crosse, Wis. The film has won the Mountain Film Award and the prestigious Golden Badger Award for Wisconsin Filmmaking.

In 2012, the Colorado state legislature passed a bill naming pack-burro racing as the state’s first official “state summer heritage sport,” the only such sport recognized. According to legend, the sport originated in 1949 in the town of Fairplay as part of the town’s annual Gold Days celebration, though the “sport” reportedly dates back to the mining days of the 19th Century when bored miners use to race each other through the Rockies with their burros in tow. The first race started in Leadville, traversed Mosquito Pass, and ended in Fairplay.

Fairplay now is the host to the annual World Championship Pack Burro Race at the end of July during the town’s Burro Days, which attracts up to 10,000 spectators. This event culminates a three-race series which includes events in Buena Vista and Leadville organized by the Western Pack Burro Ass-ociation. For information, go to www.packburroracing.com.

Making a special appearance at the screening on April 4 will be Hal Walter, one of the featured racers in the film and a six-time winner of the World Championship race. Walter, author of “Wild Burro Tales: Thirty Years of Haulin’ Ass,” will do a reading from the book and answer questions about the little-known sport. Curtis Imrie is also expected to attend.

The American Trail Running Association, or ATRA, was formed in 1996 as a non-profit corporation to serve the trail and mountain running community. For information, go to www.trailrunner.com.

Tickets for the event are $10 in advance at www.imathlete.com/events/haulinass, and $15 at the door the night of the show. Stargazers Theatre is located at 10 South Parkside Ave. in Colorado Springs.

####Contact: Garry Harrington, Colorado Springs, gharrington3165@hotmail.com, 603-209-5010