Lee Monroe has been one of the Kewanee area’s leading horsemen for many years. But since January, Monroe has been sidelined due to an illness.

He’s recuperating now, and on Thursday he got to meet a four-footed friend of a kind he’d never met before.

Christel Fowler brought Waylon, a miniature donkey, to the Kewanee Sale Barn, which Monroe has owned for the past 30 years.

Fowler brought Waylon, and a four-wheel cart he pulls, from her home in Tipton, Iowa.

“Isn’t he the cutest thing!” Monroe said when he laid eyes on Waylon. “I’ve had horses my whole life,” he said, and he currently owns two mini donkeys and has owned several over the years.

Waylon, who is nearing 4 years old, started training to pull the cart when he was 2. He made several trips back on forth on the Sale Barn parking lot giving cart rides.

Monroe’s work with horses has included helping horse owners throughout the area with any problems.

It’s also included shoeing horses for many people, He said that over the years he’s performed this service 60,000 times.

“I’d like to do one more,” he said.

 Monroe also used to build horse-drawn carts. But he said the parts for the carts have become so expensive that he doesn’t know if he’ll make any more.

While Monroe’s mobility is limited now due to his illness, he said he hopes to be back up and around by this fall.

***Copy edited to reflect that Monroe currently owns mini donkeys and has owned several over the years.