Missouri Fox Trotting Highway Sign Dedication Ceremony

SIKESTON - A dedication ceremony for the Missouri Fox Trotting Highway was held Saturday, Sept. 8, at 5 p.m. to celebrate the naming of the Missouri Fox Trotting Highway on Route 5. The ceremony was held at the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Breed Association in Ava, Mo.

Speakers included:

• President of the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Breed Association, Dr. Joyce Graening

• Missouri Representative Tony Dugger

• Senator Jay Wasson

• MoDOT Assistant District Engineer Chris Rutledge

Representative Tony Dugger sponsored the legislation, naming Highway 5 in Douglas and Wright Counties from Ava to Mansfield the Missouri Fox Trotting Highway.

Developed from horses in the Missouri Ozarks, the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse is characterized by a gentle demeanor and its signature gait, the fluid, diagonal 4-beat fox trot. Bloodlines can be traced from the horses of early settlers coming to the Ozarks from neighboring states of Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee and Arkansas. In 2002, the Missouri Legislature recognized the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse as the Official State Horse.

For more information on the dedication ceremony, please contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636).

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