Annette Beard
"Help her out here," Kent Morris encouraged the crowd Saturday afternoon when Sadie hesitated at a 64.5" jump.
And, yell, they did!
With each successful jump, the audience applauded and cheered. With each failed attempt, a collective sigh reverberated through the arena.
Sadie's saucy attitude and Radar's exuberance delighted the crowd during the pro jump at the 27th annual Pea Ridge Mule Jump. The pro jump field began with six mules, five of whom were from Missouri. The jump was set at 40 inches, the mules were given an opportunity to practice and check out the field. Then, it began.
Francis, a sorrel mule owned by Ronnie Smith of Avoca, tapped the jump on the way over and brought it down.
That left five.
J.R. Fletcher and Dan, previous winners and hometown favorites, sauntered up to the jump. Quietly, without fanfare, Dan jumped seemingly effortlessly over the curtain.
"You ain't gonna get this mule excited," Morris said of Dan. "He just goes over, looks for Jr. and takes care of business."
Dan tied for second in 2009 clearing 54 inches and came in second in 2011 behind Radar at 65 inches and in 2013 at 60 inches.
Then, there was Luke, Cpl. Luke, bearing a U.S. brand on his shoulder and Cpl. on his rump. Luke was chosen as a model for mules and inducted into the Army by four-star Gen. Frank J. Grass, USA, chief of the National Guard Bureau, owner Les Clancy said. First Sgt. Clancy is a member of the Missouri National Guard.
Baxter, Jerry Nelson's 16-year-old mule, won third, leaving Radar and Sadie for the head-to-head competition. Baxter won third place in the pro jump in 2007 and 2013. Another of Nelson's mules, Babes, has competed, and won, at Pea Ridge since 2004. She died this year at 43 years of age.
Sadie sidled up to the jump, jumping from one corner to the next.
Radar pranced excitedly facing the jump head on while incited by owner Mike Call yelling "Get on up there! Get up there!"
When Radar knocked down the curtain at 64.5 inches; Sadie approached for her turn. She cleared it to the applause of the crowd; was declared the winner, then jumped 66 inches for an encore.
Radar, who won first place in 2001 in the 51-inch and over jump, has won first in the pro jump in 2008 (tie), 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013. In 2007 and 2010, he won second.
The first pro jump was held in 2003. Prior to that, there were the two jumps for mules under 51" and mules 51" and over. For a few years, there was a "green jump."
The day began cool and clouded with fog as the mules were led into the arena and the National Anthem was played. Then, the halter classes were judged with Rick Stanley selecting the best mules for conformation.
The sun burned off the fog and the events quickly passed -- mule jumps for shorter mules standing less than 51 inches at the withers and then the jump for the taller mules, 51 inches and taller. There were three classes for each event -- for youth, riders 16 years of age and younger; adults, 17-49; and senior, 50 and older. Barrel racing, pole bending, the flag race, all tested the speed and dexterity of the mules and their riders.
With the exception of the boot race, which was "just for fun," riders earned points for winning various categories. The rider and mule earning the most points at the end of the day was presented with the Hall Memorial High Point award.
Cindi Slemp, who won the senior class of the Hall High Point award, said of her mule, Pacos Bill: "He's my bud. He is 16 years old; I've had him since he was 3." After leaving Pea Ridge, Slemp said he was going to trail ride at the Buffalo River and then heading to a mule show.
"We've been competing against Rooster since they were 2 or 3 years old," Slemp said of Ragin' Rooster, owned by Becki Payne and shown this year by Payne's daughter, Marada Stites.
Becki showed Majic Man throughout the day. During the 51-inch and over jump, Majic Man balked at one point and Becki backed up and started again.
"These Oklahoma mules have to test it," Morris laughed. "You made one mistake, Becki. You stepped over it instead of jumping it. He thought he could, too."
Becki is not a newcomer to the Pea Ridge Mule Jump. She and her mule won second in 1996, third in 1997 and 1998, third with Jethro in 1999, first with Jethro in 2000, 2001, 2002; second in a tie with Rooster in 2003 and 2005, third in 2008, second in 2012 with Comet, with Rooster shown by another handler taking third in 2012. She won the Hall High Point award in 2002, 2003 and 2013. This year, her daughter, Maranda Stites, rode Roster and won the adult class of the Hall High Point award.
Nathan See, chairman of the event, estimated the crowd at 5,000. There were food vendors, bounce houses, a climbing wall and an antique car show around the exterior of the arena.
What began as a few mule and coon dog hunters gathering in the late 1980s for Battle Daze, has grown to an event bringing thousands of people to Pea Ridge. Rick Hall, whose father, Col. Negal Hall, was one of the founders of the original event, said his father would never have imagined the event could have grown to what it is.
The Pea Ridge Mule Jump is held the second Saturday of October.
Community on 10/14/2015