JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<script src="http://ajax.microsoft.com/ajax/jquery.validate/1.7/jquery.validate.js"></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jqueryui/1.8.4/themes/ui-lightness/jquery-ui.css">
<p>
    Hover the span, and see the MOUSEENTER trigger properly. 
    <br><br>
    Manually trigger the MOUSEENTER via click on the link, and nothing happens.
    <br><br>
    Manually trigger a MOUSEOVER via click on the link, and MOUSEENTER happens.
    <br><br>
</p>

<div>
    <span>I'm a SPAN</span>
</div>

    <a href='#' id='triggerME'>Click to manually trigger MOUSEENTER</a>
    <a href='#' id='triggerMO'>Click to manually trigger MOUSEOVER</a>

CSS

span.hilite {
    border: 2px dashed orange;
    background: yellow;
}

p {
    color: blue;
}
a {
    display: block;
    padding: 10px;
}

JavaScript

$('div').delegate('span', 'hover', function(e) {
    $(this).toggleClass('hilite', e.type === 'mouseenter');
    $('body').append('<br>SPAN received: ' + e.type);
});

$('#triggerME').click(function(e) {
    $('span').trigger('mouseenter');
    e.preventDefault();
});

$('#triggerMO').click(function(e) {
    $('span').trigger('mouseover');
    e.preventDefault();
});