09/15/2026
✨SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT✨
"Maggie's Dream," a children's picture book about a mule who watches birds and dreams of flying, was inspired by the Pea Ridge Mule Jump.
One day during Covid, author Nancy Hamilton's online art group's assignment was to draw or paint a mythical creature. She first thought of painting Pegasus, but decided that he just wasn't mythical enough. However, she had become a fan of mules after watching a mule event at the Houston Livestock Show about 40 years ago, and instead decided to paint a flying mule. A web search led her to the Pea Ridge Mule Jump's logo. By adding crow wings to a mule poised in mid-air, she came up with something even more mythical than Pegasus - a flying mule! After that, Maggie's story began to slowly come to life in her mind.
As part of her research Nancy attended the 2024 Pea Ridge Mule Jump, which she describes as "the most fun I had had in years!" There she met and told Maggie's story to Ginny Jeffries during a break before Ginny's mule competed. Encouraged by Ginny's positive reaction to the story, Nancy went home and began the process of making Maggie's story into a book. The result, beautifully illustrated by Wendy Holtsapple (a mule owner) and Karen Savory, is a story for mule people of all ages, and for anyone who needs to learn (or be reminded) that if you dream big, work hard, and don't give up-you just might fly!
Thank you to “Maggie’s Dream” for sponsoring the Pea Ride Mule Jump!
"Maggie's Dream" is available from Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or wherever books are sold.
