The Van Wert County Courthouse

Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025

Rife to make jump today at Kinstle’s

This Van Wert independent file photo of Henry "The Pitbull" Rife is from the 2010 Peony Festival Grand Parade.

Information submitted

Daredevil jumper Henry “The Pitbull” Rife is making a special appearance today at Lee Kinstle’s Sales and Service, 650 W. Ervin Road in Van Wert. There will be refreshments and fun for the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Rife will jump at noon.

Rife, born in 1968, used to jump motorcycles, but prefers quads. His machine of choice is a Honda TRX-250R Fourtrax. His biggest jump was 132 feet from ramp to ground, and took place at Van Wert.

His worst crash was when he failed to jump a house trailer. He broke both legs, his collarbone, and was unconscious for 45 minutes. He also suffered a concussion and had temporary memory loss. But, like Evel Knevel, he got up and walked away.

Rife has appeared on the “Late Show with David Letterman”, where he performed a live jump on national television.

To visit Rife’s Facebook page, type in “Henry The Pitbull Rife”.

POSTED: 05/25/13 at 5:36 am. FILED UNDER: News