Robert Smith takes an affectionate look at the fall fairs of yesteryear and relives some of their history and colourful tales
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Many communities across the land observe the renewal of a very old tradition at this time of year. It is called fall fair time. There is probably nothing in our heritage more Canadian than the agricultural fair. Fairs as we know them today are said to have started early in the 19th century. They quickly gained in popularity and soon all kinds of animals and produce were shown and judged, including harness horses.
Harness racing began to be held in the second half of the 19th century and historians believe the first fair races were held at the U.S. Agricultural Society Fair in Philadelphia. Their introduction in Canada soon followed and harness horses were a magnet that helped early fairs grow and prosper. The first fall fair in Ontario, or Upper Canada, was at Niagara on The Lake; it went out of existence many years ago. After initial opposition it was unanimous that the fast trotting and pacing horse was recognized as one of the most valued of all agricultural products. Thereafter all good fairs had harness racing as part of their annual programs.
As recently as a couple of generations ago virtually all horsemen served an "apprenticeship" on the fair circuit. That is where most new drivers, and for that matter, new horses were tried. Once proven, the move to the "big tracks" took place. I would venture a guess that even a number of today's older drivers remember the days of the fairs, and probably with fondness. Many of those drivers continued their allegiance in the years that followed as evidenced by this quote which appeared in The London Free Press in 1961.
"Keith Waples, 37, of Victoria Harbour, Ont. will fly home from Montreal to drive in the 10-dash harness race meeting over his home Coldwater, Ont. track Saturday. Assisted by his younger brother Murray, 32, also a capable driver, the Waples brothers have nine horses racing at London, 30 in Montreal and another seven at Saratoga Springs, New York ... This says more than a little about a top driver's feelings toward the importance of fall fair racing.
The following tale, now in its third century of telling, shows the timeless nature of family folklore and it all started at a fair.
In a somewhat legendary appearance at the Exeter, Ont. fair in 1898, Sidney Hodgins from The Clandeboye area, appeared in his first public race. Driving a horse with the unlikely name of "Barney," for which he had paid $5, Sidney was unable to borrow a low wheeled rubber-tired sulky, already the accepted racing vehicle of the times. Not to be discouraged, he decided to compete with his own high wooden wheeled cart, a relic from an earlier era even at that long ago time. When he appeared in the post parade he became the laughing stock of the crowd, drawing a chorus of catcalls and jeers from the crowd. They thought he was a clown, hired for the show.
Once the race was underway, Sidney and Barney had the last laugh. Perched high above his mount, in the creaking old relic, the young Mr. Hodgins went on to capture three straight heats thus launching a lengthy career in the sport and an interest that is still pursued by his descendants to this day.
Incidentally if the surname "Hodgins" seems slightly familiar, Sidney's son Clint, born some nine years after this time, had "quite a career" himself.
Somewhat sadly it seems that with each passing year, fewer and fewer fairs include racing. If you have never experienced races at the fair try it, as it is always a little different but always entertaining. One fair that still presents excellent racing is held on Thanksgiving weekend in Simcoe, Ont. and is called the Norfolk County Fair. Thanks to the efforts of Bob Kowalsky, they are one of the few remaining fairs that feature harness racing.
Although many fall fairs remain, their heyday is a distant memory. I can recall a gentleman many years ago telling me about the demise of his hometown's fair. He said, "It just kept getting smaller and smaller until finally only a cow and a pumpkin remained. The cow ate the pumpkin and the cow died ..."
SEE YOU AT THE FAIR ...
from the July 26, 1939
from the July 26, 1939 Harness Horse:
Billy Direct 1:55 in 2:02
By HAL B. WATSON
Stratford, Ontario, July 22-This afternoon a crowd estimated at 10,000 surged and swarmed through the grounds when Billy Direct 1:55, and his Canadian trainer-driver, Vic Fleming, staged an exhibition mile. Prior to same it was the general consensus of opinion the champion would possibly pace around 2:04 and while Dave Pinkney, sponsor of the meeting and directly responsible for the famous pair being here, had worked day and night on the oval to fit it for such an exhibition it was still anything but a fast piece of dirt.
The previous record for pacers on a half-mile track in this country was 2:021/2 set by Walter Dale at Fredericton, N. B., in 1937. A little unadvertised color to the proceedings before the main event caused the champion to go his mile without a prompter which makes it all the more creditable. While Charlie Fleming was donning the colors, the runner, hitched to a cart ran away, going two miles and a half, which eliminated him from any further part in the proceedings. When Vic reappeared with the champion he stated he would go alone and on the third score, was on his way, the eighth in 151/2 seconds, the quarter in 30 seconds and the half in one minute, the three-quarters in 1:311/2 and the mile in 2:02 for a new Canadian half-mile track record.
Vic, himself caught the horse in 2:013/4. At the conclusion of the mile a beautiful floral horseshoe was hung around the neck of the champion and Vic was presented with a silver tea set and a travelling bag. Pictures were taken and when called to the "mike" Vic said, "I am glad to be here for Dave Pinkney, and would be glad to come back and do it all over again."
The race program itself was one that would suit the most fastidious, outside of the mile of Billy Direct the free-for-all pacers had the center of the stage and when it was all over Dillon Mc, making his first start of the season topped the summary. Tom Grattan, the black gelding who had been labelled "won't do" and sent back here also turned for the word and went a smashing race after being away from the firing line for two years. The three-year-old pace was a wild scramble with fifteen starters, Bob Lee, the Canadian two-year-old champion of last year annexing the race which made his third this year in as many starts. Jim Lee, winner of the two-year-old trot at Orangeville a week ago repeated the dose this afternoon, Pine Ridge Bill placing in the first heat and Pine Ridge Celia in the second. The 2:23 pace and 2:24 pace were each dash races at a mile and an eighth and a mile and seventy yards.
Robert, There is a
Robert,
There is a gentleman from Tavistock that has created an extensive website:
http://tavipedia.ca/index.php/Main_Page
For our interests, he's done a fantastic job putting together material on the old horse; "The Eel".
http://tavipedia.ca/index.php/The_Eel
from a 1930 Trotter and
from a 1930 Trotter and Pacer magazine:
The Norfolk County Fair, Simcoe, Ont., will probably pass after a continuous existence of 85 years. The County Council refused to take over the grounds and assume an indebtedness of $113,000 and most of the directors are now in favor of abandoning the fair.
and from a subsequent 1930 issue of same publication:
The Norfolk County Fair at Simcoe, Ont., may continue to exist after all. It was announced that the 85-year-old institution would pass after the County Council refused twice to make an appropriation. However, the Council has reversed its action and granted the fair $705. Stock has also been subscribed throughout the country.
from a 1927 Trotter and Pacer mag.:
New Canadian Circuit Formed
STRATFORD, Ont., Nov. 12.
PLANS for the organization of a new circuit, to be known as the Canadian Harness Racing Circuit, were made at a meeting here this week which was attended by representatives of 14 different tracks, located in eight adjoining counties of the province. No definite schedule was worked out but the groundwork for a harmonious chain was laid.
It is expected that the opening meeting will be at Mitchell on May 21. From that time on there will be racing every week up to the middle of August, when the autumn fairs begin. Dr. W. F. Clarke of Goderich was elected secretary pro tent to handle details for the formal organization meeting at the Queen's Hotel, Stratford, when permanent officers wilt be chosen.
The tracks represented at the meeting were Mitchell, Seaforth, Exeter, Goderich, Stratford, Strathroy, Preston, Ridgetown, Chatham, Forest, Watford, Tillsonburg, Simcoe and New Hamburg.
end of quote
Then of course there is "Simcoe Harvester", which we'll save for another day.
Robert, the fourm
Robert,
the fourm will likely butcher the tab settings, in any event here's some Bellville results from 1927:
Belleville, Ont.
Aug. 31-2:17 Pace. Purse $300,
Peter Direct, bg, by Peter Ranze (Chapman) 1 1 1
Peter Patch, brg, by Royal Patch (Rowntree) 2 2 3
Doris Patch, bm, by Robert Patch (Sutherlund) 3 4 2
Alfred Elk, bg, by Red Elk (Jones) 4 3 4
Time-2:221/4, 2:291/4, 2:291/4.
2:50 Trot or Pace. Purse $300.
Peter Wonder, by Peter Range (Herrington) 2 2 1 1 1
Dr. Byron, brg, by Won't Dance (Payne) 1 1 2 2 2
Ciara McKinney, bm, by Dustless McKinney (Fields) 3 3 3 3 ro
Captain Larabie, chg (Taillefer) 4 4 4 4 ro
Time-2:261/4, 2:261/4, 2:251/2, 2:315/4, 2:351/4.
Sept. 1-2:30 Trot or Pace. Purse $300.
Willis Grattan, by Grattan Royal (Hodgins) 1 1 1
Eleanor May, brm, by Grattan Royal (Jones) 2 3 2
Private Scott, big, by High Private (Fields) 3 2 3
Starlight Dan, brg, by Ridlon (Smith) 4 4 5
Valley Todd, bg, by Sorento Todd 5 5 4
Time-2:161/2, 2:171/4, 2:191/4.
2:13 Pace. Purse $300.
Ramona Grattan, by Grattan Royal (Mullin) 1 3 4 1 2
Hal Boy, chg, by Hal O. (Kain) 4 1 3 4 1
Jean Peters, chm, by Peter G. (Turner) 3 2 1 3 3
Jack Abbe, by Star Patchen (Jones) 2 4 2 2 ro
Time-2:13, 2:13, 2:161/4, 2:181/4, 2:221/4.
Sept. 2-2:25 Trot or Pace. Purse $300.
Fred Mediurn, bg, by Grand Opera (Herrington) 2 1 1 1
Peggy Allerton, by Allerexin (Mullin) 1 2 3 5
Daisy C., bm, by Chilcoot (Overland) 3 6 4 2
Dick Sunday, chg, by Direct Hal Jr. (Smith) 4 4 2 4
Peter Patch, 6-3-5-3. One other started.
Time-2:141/4, 2:121/2, 2:121/4, 2:141/4.
2:40 Trot or Pace. Purse $300.
Dr. Byron , bg, by Won't Dance (Payne) 2 1 1 1
Peter Wonder, by Peter Range (Herrington) 1 4 5 4
May Mack, bm, by The Anvil (Moffett) 3 2 2 3
Helen G., bm, by Peter G. (Mullen) 5 4 3 2
Clara McKinney, bm, by Dustless McKinney 4 5 5 ro
Time-2:181/4, 2:171/4, 2:171/4, 2:221/2.
Sept. 3-2:20 Trot or Pace. Purse $300.
Ingomar Grattan, by Grattan Royal (Overland) 1 1 1
Victoria Patch. by Bobby Patch (Herrington) 2 2 2
Dr. Hal, chg, by Lakeside Hal (Kain) 5 3 3
Forest Ridge Bill, grg, by Abdell (Rowntree) 3 4 5
September Morn bm, by Patchen Wilkes 2d 4 5 4
Time-2:121/4, 2:13, 2:121/4.
Free-for-all. Purse $300.
Sid Hal, bg, by Hal H. (Mullen) 1 1 1
Ramona Grattan, by Grattan Royal (Whitely) 2 2 2
Lexiemore, him, by Kingly More (Rowntree) 4 3 3
Jack Abbe, big, by Star Patchen (Jones) 3 4 4
Time-2:121/2, 2:10, 2:101/4.
It would be interesting to
It would be interesting to know for what year the ad was for the Belleville fair!
When I first started training at the Belleville Fairgrounds in 1957 Harry Wellbanks always had a horse training and racing. One that I can remember was the roan "Buddy C Abbe" by Hal Grattan Jr.
Harry was my vet and I guess was the vet for all the other guys there, too.
One thing Harry did almost every year was, during his farm calls, he'd find an old Cutter and bring it in to the fairgrounds so we could all jog in semi-comfort (With a big blanket around our legs!) all winter!!
Harry had been a Vet in the Mule Corps in France in World War 1 !
I love reading these stories
I love reading these stories from the past of harness racing, we must never forget our history and the people who made this sport so great. Young drivers , trainers and owners need to be aware of the history of our sport.
Keep up the good work!