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Winners Included Participants from Lee, Tippah, Itawamba, and Pontotoc Counties
JACKSON, Miss. – Commissioner Andy Gipson announced the winners of the Pony Pull at the Mississippi State Fair Saturday, October 12.
This competition was designed to test the strength, endurance and discipline of each team of ponies entered. These harnessed pairs were first separated into three weight classes, light, middle and heavy weight, then given the opportunity to pull a weighted sled 6 feet across the arena of the Kirk Fordice Equine Center.
A designated panel of judges officiated the event. The winners were decided by a combination of the most amounts of weight pulled and the farthest distance covered, within the allotted time. Each team was given three tries to complete the full pull, with a time limit of five minutes. Immediately following, Commissioner Gipson announced the first through fifth place winners within each weight class. The first place prize for each class included $210, second place received $175, third place received $140, fourth place received $105 and fifth place received $70.
“It was such a joy to bring the legendary Horse and Mule Pull back to the state fair, as well as holding a Pony Pull” said Commissioner Gipson. “It was a fun, new attraction that the entire family could enjoy and I appreciate all the teams that participated in this event.”
Commissioner Gipson announced Jimmy Bushman and Michelle Barkley as the light weight division’s first place champions of the 2019 Mississippi State Fair’s Pony Pull. Second place also went to Jimmy Bushman of Lee County, third place went to Eddie Stroupe of Tippah County, fourth place went to Trent Barkley of Tippah County and fifth place went to Derrick Blackmon of Itawamba County.
Trent Barkley of Tippah County was then announced as the middle weight division’s first place champion. Second place went to Zac Alcorn of Summersville, Missouri, third place went to Curtis Howard of Owensboro, Kentucky, fourth place went to Keylan Thomas of Tippah County and fifth place went to Danny Chism of Pontotoc County.
Commissioner Gipson also announced Richard Shedd of Itawamba County as the heavy weight division’s first place champion. Second place went to Kim Chism of Pontotoc County, third place went to Greg Sheffield of Itawamba County, fourth place went to Jon Brown of Pontotoc County and fifth place went to Pervin Metcalf of Lee County.
