Marsh tacky race canceled for 2015, seeks return to Hilton Head in 2016
Beaufort County residents and visitors will not get to see their beloved marsh tackies in action this year.
But organizers hope the marsh tacky race will go off without a hitch in 2016.
The Carolina Marsh Tacky Association wants to bring the race back to Hilton Head Island next year.
The marsh tacky race was planned to take place on Daufuskie Island last year but was canceled. Race organizers cited health problems and a lack of race teams as the reason for the cancellation.
The last race was held in 2013 on Daufuskie. Association secretary Jackie McFadden estimates there were about 2,000 guests at that event.
The race had moved to Daufuskie from Hilton Head after the 2012 race, when two sponsors pulled out of the event. A disagreement between the association and native islanders about who could compete in the annual run also caused acrimony.
The association announced March 19 on social media it would not hold a marsh tacky beach race in 2015, but was working to hold a race in 2016 on Coligny Beach, where previous races were held.
To host such an event, organizers would need to apply for a permit with the Town of Hilton Head Island. Town Council would have to approve allowing horses on the beach for the event, town facilities manager Julian Walls said. That process would take at least a month, according to Walls.
Walls said the town has not received a permit application from the association.
Marsh tackies, which are slightly smaller than standard horses, are descended from Spanish horses that were brought to the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia in the 1500s.
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This story was originally published March 27, 2015 at 8:37 AM with the headline "Marsh tacky race canceled for 2015, seeks return to Hilton Head in 2016."