Horse racing is an extracurricular activity that refuses to die in Attala County, thanks to the rich history and upkeep of the Sheriff’s Posse Riding Club. Locals from Attala and neighboring counties meet at the club, located on Highway 43 North, and compete for bragging rights and occasional jackpot prize money.
Many riders attend in hopes of competing for a top spot, but families stay for the community fellowship and pure joy shared amongst dedicated riders.
Tony Holder, who has been going to the riding club events for the past 16 years, said there are usually five association shows per year for each club within the association, with the nearest neighboring club located in Choctaw County.
The Sheriff’s Posse Riding Club also holds riding events outside of the association that are strictly for fun and allow riders to show off their horses and compete. Holder said there were formerly Western Pleasure classes, where people would just show their horses, but those fizzled out around seven or eight years ago when the majority of participants wanted to race.
Barrel and pole racing are the names of the game. Scored on time and efficiency, riders of all ages take turns riding in their respective classes, dashing through the air, mounted on horseback and making sharp turns around poles or barrels to vie for the fastest time. Riders are split up into four age groups: 8-years-old and under as beginners, 12 and under, 13-17, and 18 and older as adults. There are usually 25 to 30 riders that regularly participate. Membership is $75 annually, including use of the building and arena for birthday parties and other events year-round.
Michelle Odom has been horse riding since she was three years old, and her grandfather Charles Mangrum got her interested in the sport. Mangrum was one of the founding members of the club and helped it originate. She also credited Gerald Pender, Ray Jenkins, and the Bain family as original members who put a lot of effort into forming the club, though she admitted there are many names she likely left out.
“My granddaddy helped build this place, and he was a lifetime member,” said Odom. “I started out here when I was a young kid. I grew up out here. There used to be no fence at all, and it just improved as time went on.”
Odom said she is still carrying on the family tradition of horseback riding. But she also enjoys teaching youth how to ride and gives them tips. At the recent Oct. 16 club event, she had all three of her horses out – Bling, Miss Pebbles, and Si — for younger children to ride. She said the riding club offers an inviting atmosphere where families are doing what they love and staying out of trouble.
“We fellowship, have a good time, and we do it all for fun,” she said. “It's a good Christian situation. If your kids are here, they’re not getting in trouble. They're out here doing what they like.”
Odom said the club used to ride in the Kosciusko Christmas parade, and she still has the club jacket she wore in years past. When asked how long she plans on continuing to ride, Odom’s response was simple.
“Until I’m dead,” she told The Star-Herald.
Jimmy Rigby, a founder and longtime member who helped secure the club’s current location, shared some of the rich history of the club. In 1969, former state agriculture commissioner Jim Buck Ross set out to have an enclosed riding arena in each county throughout the state for horse riding. Rigby said he and Fred Bell were on a committee with the county and city to find a good location for the arena, but when one was picked out, a basketball court was built on top of it. That location is now where the Attala County Coliseum resides.
Rigby, Bell, and a few others in the community borrowed money from the bank and purchased around 13 acres of land in 1970. The destination ended up being on Highway 43 North, where the arena remains today. He said two former supervisors chipped in, furnishing diesel fuel and assisting in the effort. Rigby said horse riding, showing, and racing was a big deal in the 70s.
“Back then, horse shows would start around 2 p.m. and last until 4 a.m. the next morning,” he said, noting there used to be around 20 horses that raced in each class. Now, he said there are around five or six entries per class.
The impact that Sheriff’s Posse Riding Club has had on its members is not lost on Rigby.
“Over the years, it has been a good thing for the community. Members can have birthday parties out here, and most everybody’s got a kid that has been a member,” said Rigby. “I’m 81 years old and I’ve been involved in this since it started. I’ve spent a lot of time up here riding and showing my grandkids how to ride.”
Rigby said Sheriff Tim Nail, the club president for the past five years, has done a great job in his role and has gotten more people involved.
“Tim has really done well as president of the club. The sheriff has pushed it and gotten a lot of kids involved,” said Rigby.
Rigby said his memories of the club revolve around friendship and quality time spent together.
“Friendship is the main thing. We’ve seen people’s kids and grandkids grow up, and now there are even great-grandkids riding,” he said. “We sure have some memories.”
Rider Emma Crosby said she has been racing with Sheriff’s Posse for as long as she can remember. She started riding at the age of five but did not race competitively until she was 11. Crosby said she loves being around horses because of how much they teach her, and she spoke to what goes into the maintenance of these horses.
“Really, I just like being around horses because they teach you so much—not only about yourself but them too,” said Crosby. “They teach you leadership and how to trust.”
She added that a lot of work goes into maintaining the horses to get them ready for a race day.
“It starts with grooming them, bathing them, and taking care of their feet all the way up to the type of feed you use,” she said. “I try to ride just about every day.”
Margaret Nobles and her daughter, Layla Ruth, of Coila visited the riding club for the first time this past Saturday. Nobles had ridden horses for more than 30 years but gave it up until her daughter began to love it as well. Layla Ruth said she likes horse riding because she gets to meet new people, and Margaret said it has been amazing rekindling something she loves and share the experiences with her daughter.
Sheriff Nail said the club regularly holds group meetings on Monday or Tuesday nights where they set dates for future shows. Barry Keith serves as vice president and Misty Holder serves as secretary. Nail attended shows before becoming a member, but he officially joined when his daughter began riding in the club as a teenager.
“We try to give the kids somewhere to go on the weekends, and it has really been an honor to be here,” said Nail. “When you’re raising kids, you want to get them involved in something positive. There’s a lot that goes into it, but it has been well worth it.”
