PEA RIDGE — Hundreds gathered Saturday and the spectators weren’t cheering for plays on the football field, but for encouragement for the participants in the annual Pea Ridge Mule Jump.

Nathan See, the chairman of the committee for the event, said Saturday’s event was the 24th one.

“It’s such a unique event,” See said. “You can’t sit at home and watch it on television.”

See said Pea Ridge’s mule jump is the only one that he know of in the state. Competitors from different states come to compete in the mule jump each year, See said.

Don Shockley was one of the founding organizers of the event. The mule jump began as a competition among a group of friends, Shockley said.

“A bunch of us would get together and go coon hunting on our mules,” Shockley said. “We started talking about which one of our mules could jump the highest.”

The mule jump took off from there and Shockley said they first started jumping over fences.

Shockley said he surprised at how the event has grown with hundreds turning out to watch it.

Shockley believes there’s one reason the mule jump turned out so successful. “People like to see mules jump,” he said and smiled.

James Talley of Stella, Mo., was competing with his mule Honkey Jack in his first jumping competition. Talley bought his mule about a month ago in order to compete in mule jumps.

“I just like the competition and watching the mules,” Talley said.

Talley said he helped a friend with his mules and thought it was time for him to get his own mule.

Joey Brown of Siloam Springs said he’s been competing in mule jumping competition for seven or eight years. He said it was a family tradition since his grandfather also competed in mule jumps.

“It’s not everyday you can cone see these many mules together,” Brown said.

Allan Merritt and wife Barbara used to live in Pea Ridge, but now live in Rogers.

Barbara Merritt said for them, the Mule Jump is a good community event to come see old friends.

“We see a lot of old friends,” Allen Merritt said. “We are more interested in seeing friends than the mules.”

According to See, 4000 people attended last year’s event and see hoped at least 6000 would attend Saturday’s mule jump.