NORWICH – Tuesday was the first day of the Chenango County Fair, which now has 167 years of rich tradition behind it. Along with a day of free admission, there was also the NY Sire Stakes that started at 1 p.m. There were 23 different races that were featured, 21 of which were standard horses hitched to sulkies, and two that were under saddle races.
“There are over 100 horses here today and they are all standard breed,” said Race Secretary Brenda Weidman. The races are divided into divisions that feature two-year-old trotters or pacers that are either fillies, geldings or colts. There is also the same thing for three-year-olds. The divisions are determined by the New York Harness Horse Breeders.
There is an entry fee of $50 for each driver, and Weidman said that this is just one race in a circuit of competitions that will ultimately lead to a race in Monticello in September. Those who won the races yesterday were accumulating points to see if they can compete in the final race of the circuit – only those with the highest points gained throughout the whole circuit can compete in Monticello. All of the drivers who compete in Monticello must compete in at least four races in the circuit in order to qualify.
When asked what keeps her involved with the races Weidman said, “We've done this all of our lives.”
Her husband, as well as her two sons, are involved in the Sire Stakes and have been for a long time.
“I just like horses and I'm sure everyone in here does too,” Weidman said.
The race track is a half mile and the horses circle twice to make the race a full mile in length. A decent time would be under two minutes and 10 seconds. A pacer car starts the drivers out and quickly leaves the track once the horses pass the start line.
“We go about 35 to 40 miles per hour then pull off,” said Michael Finley, the driver of the starter. Scott Campbell was the starter yesterday and the two work together as a team. Finley has been working at the track at Vernon Downs for 35 years driving the starting gate and Campbell has raced horses for almost 30 years.
“I like the excitement about being out on the track,” Finley said and explained that he also enjoys the hours as the races normally do not begin until the early afternoon and run into the evening.
When asked about how easy it is to make a living as a driver he said, “You definitely have to have a love for horses.”
“I did this for thirty years and sometimes lived better than other years,” Campbell said and explained that while he loves the sport some people cannot afford to drive full-time and must rely on a second job to support themselves.
“My family grew up in the business. It's the competition, the people,” said Campbell when asked what keeps him involved. “Most horsemen here are like family. It's a fun atmosphere.”
The men explained that county fairs create a fun family atmosphere and are where the races originated. While Campbell has broken 20 different bones from various accidents throughout his career, it is obvious that he has a great love for the sport and cherishes the tradition of it.
“Anybody can get into this business,” said Campbell. All a person needs is to buy a horse and get a trainer to get started.
While there is no betting at the fair, those who have a good horse and are talented drivers can up their chances at winning the purse at different races. Campbell and Finley explained that one of the largest sire stakes races occurs at the Hambletonian at the Meadowlands, where recently the purse was $1,000,000 – the winning driver receives 50 percent of the winnings.
Michelle Crawford was one of the women to compete in the under saddle races and is originally from Sweden. She has been racing horses for most of her life and loves the sport. Crawford is a strong competitor and travels across the country to compete. On Friday she won a race at the Meadowlands where the purse was $27,000.
When asked what she loves most about a race she said, “It's such a rush to get behind the gate. It's really competitive. I've raced my whole life – it's a passion.”
Truman Gale, who is also a well-known driver and competes across the country, raced in a couple of races at the fair yesterday. He had just won a race and when asked what he most enjoyed about the sport said, “I'm my own boss. What you put in, you get out of the sport.”
He explained that he often finds horses that need help, trains them and drives them. He feels this provides him an edge over his competitors because when, “you train the horse then you know what to expect.”
Gale was drawn to the sport because it is a family tradition - he is the fourth generation driver and trainer in his family.
When asked about what he likes most about racing he said, “It's going behind the gate. How good the horse feels behind the gate determines the outcome.”