Mississippi has only had the Neshoba County Fair and a weekend event at Camden in Madison County. Tinsey said most of Mississippi's harness racers are clustered in the Jackson and Starkville areas. Local harness racers began using the MSU training track this spring in preparation for the upcoming season. In addition to the few competitions in the state, Mississippi trainers journey across the region and further north during the racing season, which lasts from about May through the middle of September. Robert Outlaw, a trotting horse owner and trainer from Starkville, said the track enables him to evaluate each horse in a safer setting.
Training is a long, slow process that takes about a year.
Only about half of the horses we work with ever make it to a race. Webb Flowers, MSU AgriCenter manager, said the university's goal is to increase the use of the track and enable more people to enjoy the facility. Recommendations on this web site do not endorse any commercial products or trade names.