Hometown Rankin - February & March 2016

It’s that time of year again!
Time when cowboys and cowgirls from all over the
nation descend upon Mississippi’s capital city for the
annual Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo.
During the month of February, The Dixie National brings
with it a variety of programs and activities that take
place to educate, entertain, and engage participants and
onlookers alike. The 51st annual livestock show kicks off
January 30 and runs through February 23.
The Dixie National Rodeo is the largest professional
rodeo east of the Mississippi River. It is produced by
Smith, Harper, and Morgan Rodeo Company, hosted by
the Mississippi Fair Commission in Jackson, Mississippi,
and has been nominated as one of the Top 5 Large Indoor
Rodeos of The Year for the past five years. This award is
voted on by the cowboys in the Professional Rodeo
Cowboy Association (PRCA).
The rodeo kicks off February 11 and goes through
February 17 in the Mississippi Coliseum. Special
entertainers are featured each day of the rodeo and
include Easton Corbin, Maddie & Tae, John Anderson,
Joe Diffie, Frankie Ballard, 38 Special, and Tyler Farr.
Tickets may be purchased through Ticketmaster at the
coliseum box office.
The Dixie National Quarter Horse Show, the Southern
Classic, is the premier event of the Mississippi Quarter
Horse Association. Also held in February on the state
fairgrounds, it is the largest quarter horse show held
during a stock show in the nation.
The national exposure the quarter horse show
receives makes it a gathering place for the top horses
in the country and a field day for spectators. With
an average audience of over 4500, the Friday night
free-style reining is the most crowd pleasing class
and demonstrates the great physical ability of the
American Quarter Horse. The Southern Classic dates
are February 16-21.
The Dixie National Equine Expo, the largest equine
related trade show in the south, runs in conjunction with
the quarter horse show. It features everything imaginable
for the equine enthusiast. With over 65,000 sq. ft. of
shopping, the Equine Expo is located inside the
Mississippi Trade Mart on the fairgrounds. With vendors
from across the nation, the latest fashions, trends and
shopping will all be under one roof. It is one of the
largest equine tradeshows in the Southeast. The Equine
Expo is February 17-21.
Hometown Rankin • 73