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Jacob McCleland

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October 13
October 13

Mule jumping: The county fair tradition you didn’t know you loved

by Jacob McCleland

Fair-goers pack the stands at the East Perry Community Fair in Altenburg, Missouri, on a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon. They aren’t here for the blue ribbon pigs, the truck pull or the beauty contest. These people are here for the fair’s biggest attraction — the jumping mules. Mule jumping is a simple sport. A handler leads a mule into a chute. At the end, there’s a pole with a blanket draped over it. Mules must stop before jumping, and they have two chances to clear the pole or be eliminated. After each round, the judge raises the pole two inches. Mules jump in three divisions based on height: small, medium and tall. A small mule, for instance, is 47 inches or under. Mules should generally be able to jump higher than their height to stand a chance in a good competition. Prize money varies from fair to fair. At Altenburg, winners pick up $50 for first place. Mule jump announcer Charlie Mangels said the sport comes from nighttime raccoon hunters who would ride mules. “When they got to a fence or something they’d have to open a gate or go around a ways,” Mangels said. “One night, somebody said, ‘You know, I bet my mule can jump that fence.’ And so he laid his coat across the fence, and he coaxed his mule, and he jumped.” A little friendly ribbing between raccoon hunters led to organized competitions at fairs throughout the South and Midwest. “Well, you know how people are,” Mangels said. “‘If he can do it, my mule can…...

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