Winning, competing is a Morris family affair
“Joe is daddy to Becki and granddaddy to Maranda,” Morris told the crowd. “They don’t come to leave with a second; they come to win. Don’t know if he taught them that or they taught him.”
Joe Sams, 66, of Anderson, Mo., won the Negel Hall High Point Award for seniors with 15 points riding Kit, a 15-yearold mule. Although four senior competitors earned 5 points, no one other than Sams scored in double digits. There were eight competitors in the senior division. Points earned by placement in various competitions — barrel racing, flag race, pole bending and jumping.
Daughter Becki Payne, 44, of Pryor, Okla., won the adult Negel Hall High Point Award with 10 points with 7-year-old mule Magic Man and earned several points on Ginger. Her daughter, Maranda Stites, 25, of Pea Ridge, earned nine points towards the memorial award as did one of the other 11 competitors.
“Ragin’ Rooster has got a woman on his back ain’t afraid to ride him all the way to the ground,” announcer Kent Morris said as Stites rounded the barrels in 17.2 seconds.
Competing with and against one another, the family enjoys the annual event and brings several mules.
Each watches and cheers for the other as they go through the courses.
Sams said his daughter has been riding mules since she was about 18 months old.
“Slow him down, girl. Slow him down,” Sams could be heard saying quietly from the sidelines as Payne raced
through the flag race around barrels and getting a flag from a bucket then placing it in another bucket on a barrel. Payne made the course in 10.8 seconds to earn first place in the adult flag race. Of the 10 competitors in that class, several failed to get the flag back in the second bucket and some mules balked at getting close enough to the first barrel to retrieve the flag.
For most of the events, Payne rode Magic Man and Stites rode Ragin’ Rooster, 17, a mule that Payne has ridden for many years in Pea Ridge. Payne has competed in the Pea Ridge event since 1996.
“The crowd is amazing,” said Payne, adding seeing many of her friends at the festival makes it so enjoyable.
Payne led Ginger in the 51” and under mule jump.
“That mule tried to bite me and kick me all at the same time,” Morris told the crowd about Ginger. “I’m telling you, this woman won’t own a mule unless it’s got a screw loose — but she’s good to them and loves them.”
Ginger took a second place, jumping 32 inches behind Sissy who jumped 35 inches.
Ester was another mule owned by the family that was in the show. She is owned by Stites’ 8-year-old daughter, Makenzie.
“We like to trail ride for pleasure,” Payne said.
“I like it,” Stites said of the annual festival, which drew more than 6,000 last year. “It’s a lot of fun to come out and compete and have a good time.”
••• Editor’s note: Reporter Brandon Howard contributed to this article.