Although betting is illegal, each race has the potential to bring home a few dollars. The Neshoba County Fair has had harness racing since the early 1900s. This event is also a symbol of racial tension unspoken in Mississippi. Black men make up the majority of harness racers. Like most Neshoba fairgoers they are predominantly white. The first half of the 20th Century saw white supremacist political figures such as James Vardaman, Theodore Bilbo and Governor. Ross Barnett drew large crowds. The fairgrounds were a good place to find the bodies of civil rights workers James Chaney and Andrew Goodman in 1964. The fair organizer stated that although “those people” didn’t have business at the fairgrounds, they were not going to let the deaths dampen the spirit. A fight broke out in the 1990s between a white and black harness racer. According to a black horse racer, the Los Angeles Times reported that he had learned how to avoid trouble at Neshoba County Fair. “Mainly they don’t want a black woman with a white horse.” The tradition continues, as long as you don’t do that. James Lee, 62-year-old from Philadelphia, Miss., is a white man who has been attending the fair for 50 years and watching the harness racing contest. Lee stated, “That’s what I come to the fair for, to see the races.” “I like to watch animals, you know. I like horses.” The fair’s races begin midway through Sunday and end on Friday, the last day. Riders come from all over Mississippi and Texas to compete. An announcer calls riders to the track at race time in a loud tone that can sometimes be quite jarring. As the riders made their way towards the track, the announcer shouted “You’ll hurry up!” The five-day race schedule left some horses with bruises and scars. The fair’s racial dynamics were not discussed by most harness drivers. They are focused on their love of racing and winning. Jamie Daniels of Clinton said, “I’ve been coming to this fair since I was old enough to walk.” He was introduced to harness racing by his grandfather. Daniels said, “It’s fun. It’s a trill (when driving (the harness)).” There are people who would like to drive a car or ride a motorcycle. We want to race horses.” See a photo gallery below. Eric J. Shelton took all photos: