Missouri State Championship Racking Horse show coming to Dexter

DEXTER, Mo. -- Some of the country's top ranked racking horses will gather at the Stoddard County Fairgrounds at Dexter's East City Park on Saturday to vie for the title of Missouri State Championship Racking Horse.

The 31st annual championship competition, sponsored by the Dexter Chamber of Commerce, will commence at 6 p.m. with equestrians competing in 25 categories from Amateur Youth Pleasure Racking to Gaited Pleasure Stake and Racking Horse Stake.

The racking horse, often referred to as "the pleasure horse of yesterday," is a gracefully built horse, small to medium in size, averaging around 15 hands in height and about 1000 pounds in weight. The horse is said to have the most natural gait of any breed of horse.

"We'll have anywhere from 100 to 150 participants from about an eight state area," said Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Janet Coleman, "and we expect several more than that as spectators."

The show would not be possible, Coleman said, without the cooperative effort of several community groups, including the Dexter Park and Recreation Department and the Stoddard County Fair Board.

"They both provide us with so much assistance in readying the grounds and park area to get ready for the show," Coleman said. "We appreciate their extra efforts tremendously."

In addition, several volunteers from within the community will be on hand to handle registration, general information and concessions throughout the evening at the fairgrounds.

Floyd Edwards and Kelly Stroder, local horsemen, will be on hand to present the colors as the competition gets underway.

The public is invited to attend the Championship Racking Show.