Ladies and gentlemen, start your mallards!

Robert Duck (yes, that's his real name!) brings his unique show to the T or C Fiesta! (This duck race is not to be confused with the High Desert Kiwanis Rubber Duck Race—these are real ducks, folks!)

Sixteen children (and adults) are chosen during each show to release the ducks in the race track. Prizes are given to the winners of each race. After the show, lines form and cameras click as parents bring their children to pet the ducks. Often the petting sessions last as long as the show.

Interesting facts about Mallard duck are revealed throughout the show. The educational portion of the show was prepared by the Ducks Unlimited, Inc. national staff, exclusively for the Great American Duck Race of New Mexico.

Duck, from Bosque Farms, NM, owns 85 mallards and each duck is trained to race, but his training methods "are a trade secret." Every year, Duck buys 100 freshly hatched ducks, trains each one and keeps the fastest 25, the rest are released into the wild.

More info is at www.racingducks.com.