By Shari Harris Co-Publisher

The Licking Chamber of Commerce held their second annual Mule Show Saturday Sept. 7, at the Licking Rodeo Grounds. A small crowd gathered in the fading sunlight of a late summer afternoon to watch a group of 24 mules and their riders compete in 19 categories. This year’s competitors came from Licking, Dixon, Vichy, Belle, Bland, Owensville, Ozark and Sturgeon, and combined for a total of 139 total entries in the multiple categories. The show opened with the riders offering a display of colors while The Star Spangled Banner and America the Beautiful played. Steve and Pat Buckner announced the show, and Toby Decker filled the role of judge for the events. The first two events offered participants an opportunity to show off their mules in the Open Halter and the Open Showmanship categories. A little fun was had with Ride A Buck, where five riders started out carrying a dollar under their leg, and the field gradually whittled down as the buck was moved lower on th…