09/06/2026
Meet the Man Behind MHRA
Jessie Peterson
Jessie Peterson is the President and Founder of the Mississippi Horse Racing Association and, without a doubt, the man who keeps its heartbeat pumping.
With years in the horse industry and a little help from those political skills of his. Jessie has played a huge part in bringing horse racing in Hancock County back together. Heās helped fill races, entered his own horses, and when race day comes, you never quite know where youāll find him.
And you can almost guarantee Shala will be somewhere in the crowd asking, āHas anybody seen Jessie?ā
One minute heās on horseback riding in a race, and the next heās off the horse and on the microphone keeping the show moving. The man never stops.
Anybody who knows Jessie knows it can be a job keeping him on track. But once he locks his eyes on the finish line, there isnāt much or anyone that can stop him.
His passion for the horses, the races, the horsemen, and keeping this tradition alive is a big part of why MHRA exists today.
