The tiny rider sat — well, was tied — atop the towering steed that would carry him to victory in the annual llama races at Ecuador's Llanganates National Park.
![Tiny rider: children and llamas compete in the annual races at the Llangantes National Park. Photo / Dolores Ochoa, AP](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/WZHHCOSTQYJ4YV6OZW6TLKSTMA.jpg?auth=1305c8b1a46b7e8240094057d9a7e4dfccdbdba3f156d2768e1c585eb6c64eea&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
Wellington Barrera, clad in a wool poncho, sheep-leather pants and a cowboy hat, was the only finisher in his under-3 category, bouncing 500 meters to victory.
![Families arrive for the llama races at the Llanganates National Park, Ecuador. Photo / Dolores Ochoa, AP](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/RS3FJO3SHWED3SAWDCYGTL3BH4.jpg?auth=f6d8ba70adcf9cd630a00663b6bc1e278358b2dc93b892b003574398b43ce962&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
But two dozen children in other age groups also competed Saturday in an annual event meant to draw attention to the park's high wetlands and the need to preserve them.
![Wooly llamas, an animal emblematic of the Andean mountains in South America, become the star for a day each year when Ecuadoreans dress up their prized animals. Photo / Dolores Ochoa, AP](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/V6JFJDWXPR5XKT6U6VYJ7ZOAYE.jpg?auth=5ec50356988d60259ecc007e02742b4b91116e84eb9a0357a68a3ee53a6706df&width=16&height=10&quality=70&smart=true)
The park, roughly 125 kilometers east of Quito, is famed for dramatic Andean vistas, and the race took place between the wetlands at altitudes nearing 4,500 meters.
![Children race llamas at the Llanganates National Park. Photo / Dolores Ochoa, AP](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/ZDJW4UMOR6I5P6A22JVRN2IBAA.jpg?auth=8c38117b056d6e110e762af19bd1b139087bcb8e0f55442dfd7869a6e095dc4b&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
![Wooly llamas are surprisingly speedy. Photo / Dolores Ochoa, AP](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/HUTGL6L6WAZRYKWONKWAGWEYHQ.jpg?auth=9b6dc733e2ccd2447c5398f3416a330b61ffa23176129f3e588b137a5e5b33de&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
A llama named Rayo McQueen carried 6-year-old Eric Javier Chicaiza to a win in his category. His mother, Fátima Guanotuña, said the animal was a gift to the family when the boy was born, and the two have always been close.
![Milena Jami whips her llama into first place. Photo / Dolores Ochoa, AP](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/6SM5MGNUNVWCTBV7KBPWPBEYUQ.jpg?auth=7d37513525f3e4b332482c0382d1ead91173c9783f786e0c890f4f70b1cca118&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
Nine-year-old Ibeth Santafé, three times a winner in past races, was somber after finishing third. But she came out a winner in a llama-training contest, showing mastery over her east.
![A mother meets her child at the finish line. Photo / Dolores Ochoa, AP](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/6BGYKZ3QBGTFANZEL4W5OLAURU.jpg?auth=c4f91e62ab756bdeec84fc4ba1f7f2b99a6f5e6f989dfe4afad7f11e1c3dcda4&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
- AP