When it comes to “untold riches” there are several events that happen in Jones County that few of us are aware of.

What makes these events timely and significant is that some of them lead to a very positive economic and social impact on our citizens and on visitors to Jones County.

A case in point is the “Blazing Saddles Hare Scramble” held off of Highway 590 in Jones County on a recent Sunday. For those of you who, like me, don’t or didn’t know what a Hare Scramble is it is similar to a dirt bike (off-road motorcycle) race through trees and pastures. Riders are racing on motorcycles that cost up to and exceeding $7,000, many in special racing apparel.

At this particular event, spearheaded by Fred Pittman and his outstanding volunteers, there were nearly 150 contestants ranging in age from 5 years old to 61 years old. Riders usually have family members and some have friends with them, so that Sunday there was probably more than 300 people at the race site.

Take my word for it, no one would even know this was happening if you weren’t told about it or you weren’t a dirt bike enthusiast. The ironic thing is that people from at least six states DID know about it and entered the Hare Scramble on that Sunday here in Jones County. Thanks to Fred, Andy Dial, Tim Waldrup and I did learn about the event and attended it just so we could see what was going on. We were intrigued when Fred met with us a few weeks before the event and told us about it and offered his opinion that it was an economic benefit to Jones County.

And well it was!

The race grounds out from Ellisville, with the path/track carved out of the trees and through kudzu-covered earth onto what were hay fields and then back into the trees, were filled with pull-behind campers, trailers carrying dirt bikes of all sizes, RVs, pick-up trucks and cars. My first thought was: “Wow, think of all the money that is going to be spent on gasoline!” Then my mental calculator started to factor in the food these 300-plus people would eat while they were in Jones County and the other products or services they might need, including some that were staying in motels.

That’s just the tip of the potential economic iceberg, however. There are other races of this kind held in Jones County over the course of the year and one big race/event in our National Forest that has been held here in the past. These events, while out of sight of many people who don’t know about them, provide significant impact our local economy, adding not only to the retail income, but also to our tax base in the form of sales taxes.

Generally speaking, if “it’s out of sight” it’s “out of mind”, and that’s the case with these off-road events. While local participants and promoters of the Hare Scramble or Enduro or dirt bike races have understood for many years that they bring extra money into our economy with these events, we have largely ignored this very positive impact to our economy.

In the Sunday event I attended there were many riders/racers from Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana, but there were also folks here racing from Tennessee, Florida and Virginia.

The dollars brought into our community for a recreational event or a tourism event (however you may want to classify them) are what we categorize as “clean” dollars. That means they come from out of town, require little, if any, in the way of government services and remain in our economy when they’re spent.

Having said all that, there remains an even larger potential for a race or races similar to the one I attended if we can rekindle the “Designated Trail Project” in the National Forest here. This type of designation could bring more and more participants to our county when races are held on a designated trail and those people translate into added economic benefit to our citizens.

One more aspect of the Hare Scramble and other similar dirt bike races that was very evident at the one I attended: it’s a family affair. From the race promoters to the riders to the spectators I saw an atmosphere that Moms, Dads, kids and grandparents could enjoy. There’s a devotional on Sunday that the chaplain presents; one lady had baked homemade cookies that were free and handed out at the registration table; there were fathers and sons/daughters riding together; people were helping other people get their bikes ready for the races; and everyone – bar none – seemed to be enjoying themselves.

So, I’m sold on finding some of our “hidden treasures” that add more to our economy AND have a much-needed element of “family” in them. If you’re interested in the next event such as this, whether as a participant or a spectator, let me know and I’ll put you in touch with Fred so you can be on his mailing list.

Jones County’s hidden treasures are where you find them!