Marsh tacky races deemed a success on Daufuskie Island
By CASEY CONLEY — cconley@islandpacket.com Marsh tacky horse races held for the first time on Daufuskie Island on Saturday were a "remarkable success," organizers said this week. Between 1,000 and 1,200 people watched the fifth annual Marsh Tacky Beach Race from along the beach and from boats anchored just offshore, said Jackie McFadden of the Carolina Marsh Tacky Association, which sponsors the event. Fourteen marsh tackies, a breed slightly smaller than a standard horse that originated in the South Carolina and Georgia Sea Islands, competed in the quarter-mile sprint. While attendance was higher than expected, it was substantially lower than previous years when the races were on Hilton Head Island, McFadden said. Daufuskie, unlike Hilton Head, has no bridge access, requiring horses and spectators to travel there by boat. The horses traveled for free, but tickets cost up to $50 per person for a round-trip ferry ride. Once riders were on the island, the races were...