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Dog and Pony Show? Mule Day 2023 offers new events for additional animals




One of the dog show contestants at the 2022 Mule Day dog show event says high-paw! SUBMITTED PHOTO

For the uninitiated it may be too late, but Mule Day 2023 is upon us in Columbia, and that means the city known as ‘Muletown’ will once again prove its worthiness of the nickname. 

In what is expected to be one of the largest crowds in the event’s history, Mule Day 2023 events take place most of the week, but officially begin on Thursday. The annual Mule Wagon Train will roll in on Wednesday to Maury County Park before events begin to take place. 

There will be, of course, the tried and true events taking place, such as log pulling, pickin’ and grinnin’, the arts and craft festival and the anticipated liars contest. Other events, however, are bringing in new show-stopping performers with the Mule Day Pup Stars dog show and cart barrel racing.

“We are so excited to have the dogs as part of Mule Day this year again,” Louise Mills, Mule Day public relations director, said. “They are just such a blessing to have on Thursday.”

Entry fee to the dog show is a bag of dog food to be donated to the Maury County Animal Shelter, and awards will be given to a number of different winners in classes such as Best Dressed, Coolest Trick and Best Kisser.  

“It’s just a fun dog show,” event organizer Rebecca Gilbert said. “We did it last year and it was fun. We have so much fun watching all of the puppies.”

The event begins at 1 p.m. in the old arena at Maury County Park. 

The cart barrel race will take place on Friday at 4 p.m. in the main arena with categories for micro mini horse, mini horse, mini donkey and mini mules. 

“Come on out for a ‘little’ fun,” event organizers wrote on the promotional posters.

The event, which has run continuously since 1974 – sans 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19, brings in an average of 100,000 people to Maury County from across the country looking to put their best mules to the test. 

The Maury County Visitors Bureau has previously reported that the event has had an economic impact of between $10 and $12 million in the region. That number could grow exponentially if the expected crowds pile in again.

“We expect this to be a very special year for Mule Day,” said Mills, who was also named honorary Mule Day grand marshal alongside American Picker Mike Wolfe. “Every year is special, but after getting back on our feet last year, this is going to be the best Mule Day in a long time.”

Mule Day honoring legacies in 2023

Along with Mills being named honorary grand marshal of the parade, Terry Thompson has been named the 2023 Mule Man of the Year. 

Thompson bought his first mule in the mid-1990s for his youngest son to ride, which served as the beginning of his respect and love for mules, according to Mule Day staff. He soon added other mules and bought a team of mules and a wagon. He and his wife went on their first wagon train to Columbia Mule Days in 1999. 

He has since been an active part of the wagon train every year except one, when he rode into Columbia on a wagon train with a group from Alabama.

Thompson has won many ribbons and prize money over the years, including High Point Belt Buckle Award in the fun show on Sundays. 

The 69-year-old plans to compete in the timed events again this year. A native of Athens, Ala., he lives with his wife on their farm in rural Limestone County. They have three children and six grandchildren.