The Dixie National Quarter Horse Show, the Southern Classic, is celebrating its 50^th anniversary Feb. 16-22, in Jackson, Mississippi.

The premier event of the Mississippi Quarter Horse Association, the Dixie National Quarter Horse Show, the Southern Classic, held on the State Fairgrounds, is the largest Quarter Horse show held during a stock show in the nation. It is the largest Quarter Horse show in the South and the third largest in the United States.

The show will pay special tribute to cutting horse enthusiasts who have shown in the past at the Dixie National Cutting Horse Show, including legendary cutter Jimmy Orrell who won Senior Cutting on Marbo McCue at the very first Dixie National Show.

To help celebrate its 50^th anniversary, MQHA will host its Equestrians With Disabilities show two full days on Feb. 10-11.

AQHA and NSBA Dual Approved classes run Feb. 16-22, and new on the schedule this year is a double judged and double pointed Special Roping Event to be held on Tuesday, Feb. 17. A $10,000 added, NRHA approved Freestyle Reining event on Friday, Feb. 20 is sure to be a crowd favorite.

In all, this year the show will present over $100,000 in cash and prizes. AQHA/NRHA/NSBA judges are: Allen Mitchels, Kim Myers, Clark Parker, Tracy Willis, Andrea Simons, Gretchen Mathes, Bruce Walquist, Tim Finkenbinder and Robert Meneely.

In addition to a full show schedule, the Dixie National Quarter Horse Show, the Southern Classic, boasts over 65,000 square feet of shopping at the Dixie Expo located inside the Mississippi Trade Mart. The expo averages 90–100 vendors during the Dixie National Show and is sure to have something for everyone. Over the years the Equine Expo has added different events for patrons like Moonlight Madness held after the Freestyle Reining event on Friday night, the expo reopens from 9 to 11 p.m., and offers drawings for shopping sprees and door prizes. There is also an Equine Expo Fashion Show and live entertainment on the Equine Expo stage. The local 4-H sponsors a Horse Bowl every year and seminars, an exhibitor appreciation BBQ and a youth dance are featured. Exhibitors will also be awarded Dixie Dollars as prizes, which they can spend in the Equine Expo.

“We have a special reception planned for our vendors this year. They are more like a Dixie family of vendors,” says Diane Dana, who heads the Dixie Expo. “Our vendors through the years have helped us by providing invaluable advice, support and suggestions that have made the Dixie Expo a success for so long. They are all dedicated vendors who have been with us through the lean times and the good times over the years.”

Phil Harris, of Harris Leather & Silverworks, says they have been there since the beginning and he is proud to a part of this storied and historical event.

“The first year for the Dixie National Equine Expo was 1997,” he explains.  “We were there as one of the first vendors at the inaugural opening.”

Harris says it’s the people and the venue that keep him coming back.

“Everyone  is so nice and accommodating.  The entire staff of the grounds, MQHA and Expo officials are most willing to be of service and are so pleased to have us there,” Harris says. “The Trade Mart building is well managed and makes for an easy setup and teardown. The layout for the shoppers is very much like that of the Congress. There are a wide variety of vendors selling everything the horseman needs.”

The Dixie National Horse Show, the Southern Classic, is the last Quarter Horse Show still associated with a month-long livestock show east of the Mississippi, according to Harris.

“Financially, the show has been a success for us,” he says. “We do a tremendous amount of business there.  Large crowds filter through the trade show all week long and that is good for our business.”

Susan Ratliff, owner of Show Diva Designs, has been a vendor since 2003.

“I do the Dixie National show every year because the Trade Show is like a mini Congress for that area,” she says. “I find there are a lot of local horse enthusiasts that aren’t showing that still come to shop. It is easy to set up at the Mississippi Trade Mart and I just love the southern hospitality.”

If you are shopping for a horse you won’t want to miss the Southern Classic Horse Sale held on Saturday, Feb. 21. The sale features AQHA and APHA horses and gets under way at 10 a.m. Last year’s sale drew more than 40 entries. Contact Wayne Boyd for more information on this year’s sale at (270)-365-7272.

For more information on the Dixie National please visit the website www.mqha.org or their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/DixieNationalAQHAShow

Click here for a 2015 Dixie National Showbill: http://www.mqha.org/2015%20Dixie%20National/Dixie%20National%20Show%20Bill%202015.pdf

Click here for an entry form: http://www.mqha.org/2015%20Dixie%20National/2015%20Dixie%20Entry%20Form.pdf