Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-11
Magazine Section

by other nations, a horse that can
truly be described as distinctively
American product.
Distinctively American and, more
than that. widely American - in that
many different parts Of these United
States have contributed to his de-
velopment, and continue to do so with
unabated fervor Many Of the best
harness horses of the old days came
from Leland Stanfords stud farm in
California Kentucky is and for years
has been great breeding center OF
trotters and PAGERS. Racing takes place
here, there and everywhere - and
many stables actually ship to Florida
every winter merely for the advantage
the climate and sun presumably give
their younger stock.
In the matter of popularity, harness
racing has not enjoyed, in recent years,
its erstwhile patronage among the big
cities of the East Now, however. it is
rapidly regaining the prestige it once
held there - and elsewhere, all over
the country, the sport is booming In
the rural districts, indeed. it is a rare
section of the country which has no
trotting track, and large numbers Of
people who have never seen a fiat
race 70 year after year to watch the
trotters and PAGERS race over the local
half-mile course.
What, after all, would the County
Fair be without its harness racing?
The connection between these County
Fair races and those run on the bigger
tracks is by no means as remote as it
might seem. The sport is organized,
in sense, in much the same way as
baseball: at the top is the Grand Cir
cult. the Roaring Grand" the big
league of harness racing; and below it
are various smaller circuits scattered
about the country, with the smallest
type of County Fair at the bottom.
like the smallest of the minor leagues.
Times have changed, of course, and
the days when the farmer raced horse
that was also worked on the farm are
almost entirely gone - probably
never again shall we see an exploit
like that of that extraordinary horse
Captain Lewis, who back in 1883 did
the spring blowing, and then won good
races throughout the summer. But
the County Fair remains, and with it
the great crowds from the surrounding
countryside who watch harness racing
- and watch it with a remarkable
amount of knowledge and intelligence.
As an example, the Danbury Fair.
last year. -.
Out behind the grandstand, the
huge fair is in motion. Yokes of oxen
in drawing contests, booths with loud
voiced barkers urging people to step
up and take a chance, men with
weighing machines guessing the weight
of one person after another - and
usually guessing right - long build
ings crowded with people looking at
the flower show, the vegetable show,
the cattle show. the dog show, the
rabbit show. 80.
In front of the grandstand, the
infield is packed with automobiles,
buses and more people. Near the start,
to the right of the Judges Stand, is a
cage full of performing tigers. Beyond
the tigers - it is an interval between
races - trapeze artists are swinging
through the air. During the last
interval boy with a trick pony came
out onto platform and gave enter
tainment; during the next, man will
dive from high pole into tiny pool
of water. -.
But here come the horses for the
next heat, jogging quietly the wrong
way of the track The big bay there is
Lu Barient, trotter well known on
bigger tracks than this, and driving
the chestnut and the black are the
Bruises, father and son, who have won
many races in the fastest company,
and will win more. 49,.
81 O0k at that filly Of Harry