Ready to ride: Mississippi Horse Park hosts Horse Poor Barrel Race Sept. 11-13

A boy and horse round a barrel at the Mississippi Horse Park's 2019 Horse Poor Barrel Race. — The Mississippi Horse Park is hosting its annual Horse Poor Barrel Race Sept. 11-13. The free, public event will feature contestants from Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana and Tennessee vying for $25,000 in prize money. (Photo submitted)

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Building on a successful 2019 event, the Mississippi Horse Park is hosting its annual Horse Poor Barrel Race Sept. 11-13.

Free to all, the race will feature contestants from Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana and Tennessee vying for $25,000 in prize money.

Bricklee Miller, the Horse Park’s longtime director, said the park’s staff began producing the Horse Poor Barrel Race following the 2009 recession. The event, which last year received a $6,000 grant from the Mississippi Development Authority, earned the Horse Park a national producer of the year honor from the world’s largest divisional barrel association.

Located just south of MSU’s Starkville campus, the Horse Park has become a nationally recognized destination for barrel racing and hundreds of other diverse events, from roping to concerts to garden expos. Miller attributes this success to a 20-year partnership between MSU, the city of Starkville and Oktibbeha County.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at .

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