Dré Brenneker, Burrito / Baby Donkey, Ses Feixes, c. 1956 © Bart & Josien Brenneker

 

Image: p. 127 in Eivissa-Ibiza: Island Out of Time / La isla de antaño (Barbary Press, 2005) 

Image/text published in Pacha Magazine no. 30, June 2010, p. 76

 

At the tender age of four months Enrique ‘El Burro Atómico’ came ashore on the Manolito, brought over from Formentera by the son of a local car mechanic. His youthful owner, Alfredo Ripoll, slipped him past customs (avoiding 20 duros or 100 ptas. in import duties), and installed his bien educado charge in a corral next to the kitchen gardens of Ses Feixes (The Strips). Fresh cane leaves soon brought a lustre to Enrique’s coat, further distinguished by a peroxide stripe which made him the first punk donkey in history. The proximity of his grazing grounds to the Santa Eulalia road also guaranteed an extensive fan club. When young Alfredo left to study telecommunications in Madrid, the Atomic Donkey was taken over by Ernesto Ehrenfeld (1910-78), a Berlin Jew who survived World War II in France and Algeria thanks to quick thinking and native charm. Like Enrique, Ernesto was an instant hit with Ibicencos and tourists alike. His immense floppy hat, raffia espadrilles, permanent Ideales cigarette and brilliant glance were part of a smart marketing ploy, as under his arm a huge portfolio contained works by the cream of local artists. So well did Ernesto manage this that he left behind a modest endowment fund subsidizing scholarships for local orphans. Today the street in Cas Serres (near Es Viver) which bears his name houses Ibiza’s tourist school as well as an important library. 

 

(Martin Davies, with thanks to Bart & Josien Brenneker, Alfredo, Fernando and Clotilde Ripoll, and Laurel Robinson.)