Ain’t no step for a stepper

AACHEN, Germany — “Suck it up.

Get a little bit higher. You got this,” announcer Kent Morris said to Baxter, one of the mules competing in the pro jump Saturday.

First, there were five mules.

Four easily cleared the 45” curtained jump.

On the second round, the curtain was raised to 48 inches and Red struck the curtain on his first try, but cleared it on his second.

By 51 inches, Baxter was out.

“He drug a hock; let’s try again,” Morris said.

So it was down to three - Scatty Cat, Red and Radar.

The jump was raised two inches at a time and each consistently cleared the jumps until 59 inches, then, Red and Radar both knocked it down on their first attempts, then cleared on the second try.

“That ain’t no step for a stepper,” Morris said.

At 60 inches, Scatty Cat knocked down the jump, as did Red, but Radar cleared it with ease. A second attempt to jump 62 inches was met with resistance and balking.

As Morris said: “He knows he’s won; why should he try again?”

Then, the jump off for second place - a title which went to Red, handled by Kenny Friend.

The 24th annual Pea Ridge Mule Jump was attended by about 2,500 people, fewer than last year, but still a good crowd, Nathan See, committee chairman, said.

“It was a good day, we had a great turnout for the weather we had. Numbers were down quite a bit from last year, but all in all, people had a good time with friends and family. We are already planning next year’s events.”

See said there were twice as many vendors as last year. The bounce houses which were scheduled were canceled due tothe high winds.

There were more mules this year than last as well, See said, adding that some regulars did not attend. Pete, a long-time participant, died this past year. Missy, the mule owned by the Shockley, was not there. Don Shockley said she was too old to come.

The judge, Bill Ritter, Rogers, works for Glad Manufacturing, but also trains horses.

“A mule is a good sound animal. This was a lot of fun,” Ritter said of his first mule jump.

Three tour buses which were scheduled to attend (one from Wisconsin, Montana and Iowa) canceled due to threatening weather, See said.

Many positive comments were posted on the Mule Jump Facebook site which has received 113 likes.

“We had several people thanking us for sponsoring this and improving it over the years,” See said.

“It’s not what I do, it’s what we do as a committee and a community. There’s no I in this, there’s no way I could do this by myself,” See concluded, thanking the workers: Committee members: Sue and Brant Elverston, Pat Vierck, Jack and Irene Kelly, Sandy Lasater; Jessica Bowen;

Ryan Mitchell; employees from the Street, Police and Fire departments; the volunteers who worked the entrance gates organized by Sandy Button; Miss Pea Ridge Morganne Rhine; Mary Durand with the Historical Society who ran the souvenir table;

and in the arena, Clay Garner of Pea Ridge and Justin Harris of Washburn, Mo.