57th Annual Dixie National Horse and Mule Show kicks off Thurs.

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - If you’re looking for a free, family-friendly event, the livestock portion of the 57th Annual Dixie National Rodeo kicks off Thursday, January 20.

The Dixie National Color Bonanza Horse Show begins at 8 a.m. in the Equine Center with the Horse and Mule Bonanza Show.

Families can expect to see mules of different colors and sizes, long-eared donkeys, along with Pinto, Palomino, and American Ranch Horses.

The DNR’s Junior Round-Up and open livestock shows, which are the heartbeat of the Dixie National, start on February 1.

It provides Mississippi’s youth and open shows exhibitors the opportunity to compete on one of the biggest agricultural stages in the country.

Last year, the Junior Livestock Show alone included nearly 1,600 4-H and FFA members and 2,292 head of livestock.

The pinnacle of the junior livestock show circuit in Mississippi is the annual Dixie National Junior Sale of Champions.

Proceeds from this sale generated nearly $391,000 for our youth with champion animals, and this helped to fund 38 scholarships for Mississippi youth in the amount of $60,000.

The livestock show and rodeo continues through February 21.

Thousands of out-of-town guests at last year’s show were impacted after February’s ice storm caused a loss in water pressure across the city.

Months later, the Mississippi State Fairgrounds created its own water source, independent of the City of Jackson.