Neshoba County Horse Races

NESHOBA COUNTY, Miss.(WCBI)—Deep roots of history are planted into the Neshoba County Fair, and one of those historic roots is racing. Over 100 years ago, a tradition was built. The half mile, red clay race track laid the future for the Neshoba County Fair Horse Races. Hundreds of racers and horses from across the region turn laps on the track, but not before putting endless hours into training.

Steven Holmes says,”You just got to work with them every day in order for you to know them, if you don’t work with them everyday, he ain’t, you ain’t going to get nothing out of them.”

Driver Kevin Cane is a former fire Lt. at the Starkville Fire Department, He says his fire fighting experiences tie in to being a racer.

Kevin Kane says,”Any type of racing you get that competitive, you know, firemen and police officers, you know because we got that, that you know I want to go mentality, you know, I want to save the world, and horse racing is about the same you know, you want to win every race.”

Cane and his horse Best Of The Best compete in races all over including ones with winners taking home big bucks, but when the Neshoba County Fair Races roll around, it’s not about that winning payout.

Kane says,”One thing about life, no matter what you get into, ain’t nothing like home. You always want to come back home and contribute it to home because you got the younger ones that are looking up to you, so you want to be a kind of like a role model for them.”

Racer Steven Holmes has been racing for two decades and doesn’t have plans to stop anytime soon.

Holmes says,”The fans and horse. Get the fans and horse here and make some money, and have fun. Be my own boss.”

The passion, the drive, and the love for horses is why the Neshoba County Fair races will keep running for many miles down the road.
Horses and racers come to Neshoba County from Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.