STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

The focus was on the 22 Shire draft horses that stood nearly 6 and a half feet tall, weighed 2,400 pounds and were pulling Ketchum’s tall skinny ore wagons down the street.

But the smallest newcomer to Ketchum’s Wagon Days parade was Boston, a week-old buffalo, who joined camels Omar, Humphrey and Clyde and Zippy.

Normally, buffalo are born in spring, said its owner Jeral Williams, who raises bison, camels, cows and a donkey on his property near Ucon, Idaho. “But this one waited for the Wagon Days Parade.”

Fourteen Shire draft horses came from Gilbert, Calif., to pull six, Lewis Fast Freight Line Ore Wagons used to carry ore down Trial Creek Road in the late 1800s.

The buffalo, about the size of a small labradoodle, slept soundly in the pasture at Sun Valley Festival Meadow, oblivious to a University of Idaho Vandal party staking out its place nearby along the parade route.

It was roused as Wagon Days Grand Marshals Julie and Will Caldwell rolled by, along with the American Legion wagon and The Lewis Family Coach that was gifted to the city of Ketchum along with the historic Lewis Ore Wagons. And, with a little nudge, it moved out onto Sun Valley Road, plodding along until it reached the turn at Sun Valley Road.

That’s when its stamina gave out. Williams’ son scooped it up in his arms and proceeded to carry it down the street, letting it down every once in awhile to walk short spurts, until the group was back on Sun Valley Road.

“It was walking the first day,” said Williams. “Hopefully, next year it will be able to take in the entire parade route.”

Jose Heredia, who grew up in Michoacan, Mexico, displays the roping tradition of Mexican charros.

Parade goers, meanwhile, seemed enthusiastic about Troy Haviland’s Shire horses, among just 1,500 left in the world.

“They’re beautiful,” said John Wolcott.

“They’re big!” said Roger Gould.

Boston, the week-old buffalo, gets a little shut-eye before his debut in the Big Hitch Parade.

A member of the Americanas rides “Roman,” or two horses at a time.