What have the fairs done for you
11/17/08 Terry Cullipher for KyHarnessRacing.com
11/17/08 Terry Cullipher for KyHarnessRacing.com
- "What have the fairs done for us?" One man asked. "What is a county fair?" Another
man inquired.
- County fairs are a place of good, clean family entertainment and fun.
A county fair is a gathering of PEOPLE to display or trade produce or other goods, to
parade or displays animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair
entertainment. Activities at fairs vary widely.
- The county fair brings together the best of everything; entertainment, 4-H displays,
horse racing, food, music, great rides and more animals than anywhere else. County
fairs truly have something for everyone.
- Everyone enjoys the experience of their county fair - the people, the rural character
and the great agricultural traditions. For over a century the Kentucky county fairs
have been an important part of our communities, our youth, and our future. It has
been changing along with our world; remembering the old and offering the new.
- In keeping with a community-mindedness and community support philosophies,
county fairs also provide a place where greatness and champions are born. From
watching children's delight in seeing all the carefully raised farm animals compete to
win their own blue ribbons, to a young boy, at the age of sixteen, beginning his
career as a harness driver. An example of this is a leading harness driver in the
country for the past two years, who also racked up a record of over $18 million in
purse money in 2008, making him the leader in that category.
- That's right. Tim Tetrick is a product of the county fairs. Tetrick, who made his
driving debut at a county fair, in 2007 took the harness racing world by storm setting
world record after world record. Tim's younger brother Trace has also established
himself as a leading driver, dominating the driving colony in Indiana. Did I mention, he
too began his career at the county fairs?
- County fairs are not only a place for people to begin their racing careers, but a place
where world champion racehorses have evolved. Dorunrun Bluegrass, a world
champion and 1990 Horse of the Year who made over $1.8 million, made his start on
the Kentucky fair circuit. Samshu Bluegrass - a world champion and Breeders Crown
winner. B Rude - a world champion and Breeders Crown winner. Carolina Sunshine -
1:48:4 world champion daughter of Cambest. Rose's Best (by Cambest) earned over
$400,000 and a two-time horse of the year in Delaware. Armbro Becalm (Jenna's
Beach Boy) - a $300,000 plus winner. Delmartha, Puppy Love, Rite On Line (sold over
seas), Dancing Master, Carolina Rich, Carolina Major, Tautitaw Bluegrass, Adierun
Bluegrass (2yo winner of the Abe Lincoln), and we won't mention the fillies that have
gone on to produce champions in the breeding shed.
The horses above are just a small percentage of great ones that were developed at
the county fairs. There are so many more that started their racing careers on the
Kentucky county fair circuit to go on and achieve greatness. Most of which were
purchased at a Kentucky sale.
- The great thing about all of these County Fair/World Champion horses -- they all
have owners, trainers, drivers, caretakers, and not to mention relatives and friends of
those people - People who invest vast amounts their time and money into the horse
business. They travel to each Kentucky fair with their horse, staying at the town
hotel, eating at a town restaurant, buying gas at the local station, shopping at the
local grocery and hardware stores - and don't forget the horses have to eat too. All
these people are spending their money in each community, while they have fun and
watch their horses race at a county fair in Kentucky.
County fairs just may be the only place left where youth can still engage in and be
introduced to Harness Racing. You keep hearing the leaders of this industry say "we
need more youth in our sport".
What the sport needs is for our leaders to be "wisemen" -- quit talking, listen more,
and start doing.
Don't allow one of the few avenues left for youth to come into the harness game, to
be cut off.
As most people in Harness Racing are begging for people in the community to see
the sport as a place of good, clean family entertainment and fun, others in Harness
Racing seem to only be worried about getting the highest dollar for their yearlings at
the sales. However, there is much more to the future of our industry than selling high
priced yearlings at the sales.
