Radar a rock star at mule show

Radar is the rock star of the mule show at the Missouri State Fair.

The 18-year-old jumping mule has quite the following.

"We fell in love with the mule the first time we saw him, and we've watched him ever since," said Beverly Locke, 76, of Iola, Kan.

Locke and her husband, Keith, 79, have attended the fair the past 10 years for two reasons: to see the draft horses and Radar.

What's so special about Radar?

Some might say it is simply amazing to witness the 5-feet-3-inch mule make a nearly vertical jump more than his height from a standstill position.

Radar's best jump was 6 feet 2 inches about 10 years ago in St. James, said owner Mike Call, 51, of Henley.

"I believe he could have went higher that day, but that's as high as the jump would go," he said.

Radar's final jump Friday, in his 16th appearance at the fair, was 5 feet 4 inches, although he was first place with a 4-feet-2-inch jump.

Call and Radar have their own jumping technique.

Call walks Radar into the 15-foot-box just in front of the hurdle.

"Once you get in that box, you have to come to a complete stop, and you can't back up over the line, or you'll be disqualified," Call said.

Call stops Radar inside the box. He yanks Radar's halter, and yells quickly and repeatedly in auctionier-style, "Get up there." Radar responds by lifting his front two feet, almost as if to dance.

"When I think he's ready, I let him go," Call said.

Radar makes his magnificent leap on Call's "Go," as many in the crowd mutter under their breath, "Go, Radar."

"He likes to put on a show," Call said. "The more the people get into it, the more he gets into it."

Radar has one minute to make the jump, and gets another chance if he misses the first time.

A dowel the size of a matchstick is all that holds the rail's hurdle in place.

"If they just touch it, it falls out from underneath them so the mule can't get hurt," Call said.

Call's father bought Radar when he was 2 years old, and showed him until about 12 years ago. The father and son trained Radar two to three times a week when they first bought the mule bred from an Appaloosa mare. These days, Radar spends most of his time in a pasture, and does little to no training, even before shows.

"I put shoes on him a couple weeks ago," Call said Friday. "Caught him this morning out of the pasture, and here we are. ... Now I've got him where I want him. He pretty well does what I want him to do."

Radar has competed throughout the state, Texas, Illinois, Kansas and Oklahoma "and won just about everywhere," Call said.

"I've had a lot of people try to buy him, but I just won't sell him," Call said.

The price of gas has kept Call and Radar closer to home lately, but they couldn't give up their appearance at the fair.

"I come because there's a lot of people who come just to watch him jump," Call said.

Radar's jumping days are far from over.

"As long as he's able to jump, and I'm able to bring him," they'll compete, Call said.

The mule's first show was at the Missouri State Fair, and that is where his last will likely be, Call said.

"We'll retire here," he said.