Registration will be set up from 8 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. inside the parking lot of the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center. This will allow everyone to register at one place and then be sent the appropriate locations, said Jeremy Langley, assistant to the president for special projects.

If an individual has rented a seat on a wagon, after registration they will be sent to Goode Circle which is located about a half a mile north of U.S. Highway 82 on County Road 13 to park their vehicle and load up their wagon. From registration, those who rented a mule will be directed to the Wilkins Stadium parking lot where they will be taken by shuttle to Mulerider Stables. Due to the likelihood of soggy ground, University officials are asking people not to drive their car to Mulerider Stables.

“If they are bringing their own animal or wagon, after they come through registration, they will be sent to Mulerider stables, but they must come by registration in the Reynolds parking lot first,” Langley said.

Registration will end at 9:45 a.m. and the Mule Ride begins at 10 a.m. Weather related announcements will be posted to www.saumag.edu/100.
Attached is the full schedule of events for the Great Southern Arkansas Mule Ride.

AGENDA – Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009
8:00 a.m. – Mule ride registration in parking lot of Reynolds Center
10:00 a.m. – Mule ride departs Magnolia for McNeil
11:45 a.m. – Mule judging at McNeil, east of L&NW engines
12:00 p.m. – Lunch at McNeil City Hall (served 11:30 – 2 pm):
• SAU Pep Band
• Mule artifact booths (blacksmith, farer, etc)
• Display of mule photographs and artifacts from public
• Tour L&NW engines
• Public invited to welcome the riders into McNeil
• Non-riders bring your own folding chair
• $5/ticket; hamburger/chips/dessert/soda
2:00 pm: Depart McNeil for return trip to Magnolia
• Non-return riders may have their livestock picked-up at McNeil
5:00 pm: Mule Jump Demonstration – SAU Welcome Center:
• Open to the public. No admission charge.
6:00 pm: Community Steak Dinner – SAU Welcome Center:
• Mule and Wagon Awards
• Country Music
• $15/ticket for steak dinner

More Information and Contacts:
1) Lunch and activities in McNeil:
Scott Rhoads (870) 904-4922 or wsrhoads@hotmail.com
Jerry Rawls (870) 904-6406 or rrrawls@att.net
• $5/ticket; hamburger/chips/dessert/soda.
• Mule artifact booths (blacksmith, farer, etc)
• Tour L&NW engines
• Public invited to welcome the riders into McNeil
• Non-riders bring your own folding chair
• Music

2) Mule Ride and Steak dinner:
Jeremy Langley (870) 235-5090 or jeremylangley@saumag.edu
• $15/ticket for steak dinner
• Mule and Wagon Awards
• Country Music

All riders must be registered and at the starting point no later than 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 19, 2009.

Riders under age 18 are allowed to ride, provided a guardian signs the disclaimer for them. Parents and/or guardians are responsible for riders 17 years of age and younger, and must be present.

Riders are responsible for their own animals during the ride and at the McNeil stopover.

Any riders who act inappropriately or endanger other riders WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE the ride.

All riders must abide by the following rules:
o This is a controlled ride and riders must follow the lead rider
o PLEASE DO NOT LITTER: No trash, paper or bottles/cans, can be left on the trail. If you bring it along — take it back with you unless you discard in proper trash cans.
o Alcohol consumption is NOT ALLOWED DURING THE RIDE OR ON UNIVERSITY PROPERTY.
o Riders may bring snacks and non-alcoholic beverages
o No double riders
o Negative Coggins required

Citation: A.C.A. § 16-120-201, 202
This Arkansas statute provides that an equine activity sponsor or an employee of an equine activity sponsor shall not be liable for an injury to or the death of a participant resulting from the inherent risks of equine activities. Liability is not limited when the equine agent knew the equipment or tack was faulty, failed to make reasonable and prudent efforts to determine the ability of the participant, was aware of dangerous latent condition on the land that the equine agent owed or possessed, committed an act or omission that constituted willful or wanton disregard for the safety of the participant, or when the owner or agent intentionally injured the participant.

The riders agree to permit Southern Arkansas University to use their names, voices, and photographs for publicity.

By participating, riders agree to abide by and be bound by official decisions of trail ride hosts.

$500 BEST DRESSED MULE
1) General Appearance
a. Good Looking animal
b. Well groomed
c. Under control
d. Properly outfitted tack

2) Dressed for Occasion
a. SAU Mulerider attire
b. Turn-of-the-century 1909 attire
c. Owner’s choice

$500 BEST MULE TEAM & WAGON
1) General Appearance
a. Good-Looking team
b. Well groomed animals & wagon
c. Under control
d. Properly outfitted tack

2) Dressed for Occasion
a. SAU Mulerider attire
b. Turn-of-the-century 1909 attire
c. Owner’s choice

$200 BEST DRESSED MULE RIDER
1) General Appearance
a. SAU Mulerider attire
b. Turn-of-the-century 1909 attire
c. Mule working attire
d. Owner’s choice

$100 BEST DRESSED HORSE
1) General Appearance
a. Good Looking animal
b. Well groomed
c. Under Control
d. Properly outfitted tack

2) Dressed for Occasion
a. SAU Mulerider attire
b. Turn-of-the-century 1909 attire
c. Owner’s choice

$100 BEST DRESSED HORSE RIDER
1) General Appearance
a. SAU Mulerider attire
b. Turn-of-the-century 1909 attire
c. Western attire
d. Owner’s choice

$200 BEST HORSE TEAM & WAGON
1) General Appearance
a. Good-Looking team
b. Well groomed animals & wagon
c. Under control
d. Properly outfitted tack

2) Dressed for Occasion
a. SAU Mulerider attire
b. Turn-of-the-century 1909 attire
c. Western attire
d. Owner’s choice

AGENDA – Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009

8:00 am – Mule ride registration at Mulerider Stables

10:00 am – Mule ride departs Magnolia for McNeil

11:45 am – Mule judging at McNeil, east of L&NW engines

12:00 pm – Lunch at McNeil City Hall (served 11:30 – 2 pm):
• SAU Pep Band
• Mule artifact booths (blacksmith, farer, etc)
• Display of mule photographs and artifacts from public
• Tour L&NW engines
• Public invited to welcome the riders into McNeil
• Non-riders bring your own folding chair
• $5/ticket; hamburger/chips/dessert/soda

2:00 pm: Depart McNeil for return trip to Magnolia
• Non-return riders may have their livestock picked-up at McNeil

5:00 pm: Mule Jump Demonstration – SAU Welcome Center:
• Open to the public. No admission charge.

6:00 pm: Community Steak Dinner – SAU Welcome Center:
• Mule and Wagon Awards
• Country Music
• $15/ticket for steak dinner

In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to Sept. 20, 2009.

More Information and Contacts:

1) Lunch and activities in McNeil:
Scott Rhoads (870) 904-4922 or wsrhoads@hotmail.com
Jerry Rawls (870) 904-6406 or rrrawls@att.net
• $5/ticket; hamburger/chips/dessert/soda.
• Mule artifact booths (blacksmith, farer, etc)
• Tour L&NW engines
• Public invited to welcome the riders into McNeil
• Non-riders bring your own folding chair
• Music

3) Steak dinner:
Jeremy Langley (870) 235-5090 or jeremylangley@saumag.edu
• $15/ticket for steak dinner
• Mule and Wagon Awards
• Country Music

4) Enter mule photograph or related antiques for display:
Colleen Morphew (870) 234-0200 (ex 4) or colleen@reynoldsforestry.com
• $100 prize for most unique historical mule photograph or artifact
• Drop item at Reynolds Forestry:
Personal delivery: 2315 N. Vine St., Magnolia, Arkansas
Regular mail: PO Box 1129, Magnolia, AR 71754
UPS or Fed-x: 2315 N. Vine St., Magnolia, AR 71753
Personal delivered items available for pickup after event at Reynolds Forestry
Mailed items will be returned by mail in manner received
• SAU and the City of McNeil reserve the right to photograph and use copies in promotions.

5) Sponsorship and Advertising:
a) To sponsor a wagon:
Buddy Franks (870) 904-1654 or fefranksbow@suddenlink.net
• $500 to sponsor a wagon (banner on wagon and two seats of your choice)
• $600 to sponsor a wagon (banner on wagon and 4 to six 6 depending on capacity)
• Wagon sponsor deadline is August 22, 2009
b) To sponsor an event at McNeil: Scott Rhoads (870) 904-4922 or Jerry Rawls (870) 904-6406

For up-to-date information (as special events are subject to change):
• Mule Ride, Demonstration Jump and Dinner: www.saumag.edu/100
• Activities and lunch in McNeil: www.mcneil-ar.com

Lunch tickets are available at the following locations:
Magnolia:
• Farmers Bank & Trust
• Peoples Bank
• Summit Bank
• BancorpSouth
• Buffalo II
• Mule’s Cantina
• Magnolia Chamber of Commerce
• Magnolia Pump Supply
• Stephens Country Store
• Reynolds Forestry & Real Estate

McNeil:
• Ron’s Quick Stop
• McNeil Water Office

Stamps:
• C&C Packing

If you would like to advertise/promote the event or schedule a media interview:
• Jeremy Langley (870) 235-5090 or jeremylangley@saumag.edu

We look forward to seeing you there!

During the program, Reynolds interviewed Magnolia resident Buddy Franks who is assisting Southern Arkansas University with event planning. He also talks with Jerry Rawls and Scott Rhodes of McNeil about events to take place once the Mule Ride reaches that city.

Click here to hear the entire interview.

The Mule Ride is scheduled to depart Mulerider Stables on the SAU campus at approximately 10 a.m. Once in McNeil, lunch will be provided by the City of McNeil. Tickets for the hamburger/hot dog lunch will be available for $5 each.

After lunch, a return trip will be made to SAU’s Magnolia campus. The group should arrive back at Mulerider Stables at approximately 4 p.m.

At 6 p.m. participants in the Mule Ride and members of the community are invited to take part in a community steak cook-out at the Southern Arkansas University Welcome Center, located just across U.S. 82 from Mulerider Stables. Steaks for the event will be grilled by teams from the World Championship Steak Cook-off, an event held each year in conjunction with the Magnolia Blossom Festival. Tickets will be sold for the steak dinner.

More information will be released as it is available. Questions may be directed to Jeremy Langley, assistant to the president for special projects, at (870) 235-5090 or jeremylangley@saumag.edu.

This Mulerider alumni gathering comes at a special time – just four days before the Southern Arkansas Muleriders face the University of Arkansas at Monticello Boll Weevils in the inaugural Boomtown Classic football game. The game will be Saturday, November 7, at the city’s Memorial Stadium. Both universities were created by Act 100 of the Arkansas General Assembly in 1909 and are celebrating their centennial anniversaries in 2009.

The gathering offers alumni and friends in the El Dorado area the opportunity to network and build additional support for the University. Attendees will hear updates on the University from President Dr. David Rankin and Mulerider Head Baseball Coach Allen Gum. “‘Muleriders on Tour’ is a wonderful opportunity for alumni and friends of the University to enjoy a great evening of fellowship and get the latest updates on SAU,” said Rankin.

Muleriders on Tour – El Dorado will be held at the El Dorado Country Club, 101 Shady Side Street. A social time will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a cash bar. Dinner will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 each and can be reserved by calling (870) 235-4078 or by emailing SAUF@saumag.edu.

Muleriders on Tour is not a fundraising event.

“The Great Southern Arkansas Mule Ride will be really special,” said Dr. David Rankin, president of Southern Arkansas University. “We’re going to recreate a part of our history, and we’re going to have a good time.”

Southern Arkansas University was founded in 1909 as the Third District Agricultural School, and it wasn’t long until athletic teams were fielded. According to Dr. James Willis, university historian, poor roads and the lack of automobiles in south Arkansas made travel to away ballgames difficult. As the story goes, athletes rode mules from the school’s farm to the train station in McNeil, Ark., five miles north of campus.

As told in Willis’s book, The Mulerider School’s Centennial History, it was during a visit to the coach’s home in 1912 that the Mulerider name was first associated with the team: “A few days after the game, Coach Turrentine invited the players to his home, also located on the road to McNeil. As the riders dismounted in his yard, Turrentine walked onto his porch and shouted a greeting: ‘My Mule Riders!’”

The Third District Agriculture School became Magnolia A&M in 1925 and Southern State College in 1951. With the addition of graduate programs in 1976, it took on its present designation – Southern Arkansas University. The term “Mule Rider” has also evolved over the years from two words to one. SAU holds federally registered trademarks on the words “Mulerider” and “Muleriders.”

The Great Southern Arkansas Mule Ride will recreate the act of riding mules from the University to the location of the former train depot in McNeil. There will be no fee to participate in the ride, and the University hopes to attract riders from across the country.

On the morning of the ride, participants will depart from Mulerider Stables. After traveling across the University farm, the caravan will travel north to McNeil on Columbia County Road 13 – also known as Mulerider Road – just as the early athletic teams would have done. Plans are underway for events to take place in McNeil before the group rides back to the Magnolia campus.

The SAU Mulerider, Sunny Wilcox, will lead the mule ride atop the University’s famous mule, “Molly B.” No motorized vehicles will be allowed to participate. Although the event is primarily for mules and mule-drawn buggies, others farm animals will be able participate. “We might let a few horses in,” Rankin said. “But they’ll have to stay at the back of the line.”

The events will not end with the return to Magnolia. The University is planning a steak dinner for participants and members of the community. The dinner will be on the grounds of Mulerider Stables, and tickets will be sold. The steaks will be prepared by teams from the World Championship Steak Cook-off which is held each May in conjunction with the Magnolia Blossom Festival.

For more information on the Great Southern Arkansas Mule Ride, contact Southern Arkansas University at (870) 235-5090 or visit www.saumag.edu/100.