King Of Armadillo Racing Featured On Animal Planet

Local special events planner and self-proclaimed "King of Armadillo Racing," Sparky Sparks of the Sparks Agency, was recently featured on the Animal Planet’s "Most Outrageous Animal Competitions."

Sparks, and his wife Mary Ellen, who have lived in Wills Point since the late 80s, have been racing armadillos since 1985. Local residents have been entertained by the races at events such as the Bluebird Festival.

The episode, taped at Gilleys in Dallas, featured prominent racers ‘Queso Dillo’, ‘H. Ross Burrow’ and ‘Marshal Dillo.’ Sparks’ daughter and Wills Point graduate Sally Sparks also made a cameo appearance.

"We were pleased enough with the show," Sparks said after the airing on Monday night. "There was about two-and-a-half hours of filming to get five minutes of air time, but all in all it was pretty cool."

Wife Mary Ellen was also generally pleased with the outcome, saying, "They made us look like proud Texans, so I was happy about that."

The armadillo racing has spurred a small industry for the Sparks Agency that looks at least a little bit red-neck.

"The armadillo racing has led to a whole series of games with a western them," Sparks explained. Among those games, dubbed the Bubba Olympics, are "Texas Twister" which involves tornadoes and RV’s, as well as "Redneck Horseshoe" and "Shoot the Can."

Sparks came into the his armadillo racing empire through his work with Sam Lewis.

"It really started as a promotion for a bar in Luckenbach," Sparks said of the genesis of the sport. He later filled in for Lewis during the Dallas Sesquicentennial, and has been racing ever since.

Sparks’ armadillos will also be featured on episodes for the Discovery Channel and the History Channel.