Going to Mt. Vernon

This Sunday (July 26), we will be at the Knox County Fair in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, and I can’t wait.
Last year, Hoof Beats readers named Mt. Vernon as a USTA Blue Ribbon Fair for their hard work and dedication to promoting harness racing, and Sunday is the day they asked us to present them with the Blue Ribbon Fair Award.
Nicole Kraft, Mark Hall, Heather Dodds and I were lucky enough to visit the fair last year, which is about an hour northeast of Columbus. Nicole was there to sign copies of her book, 100 Years in Harness, but Mark, Heather and I were there to get to know all we could about that fair in one day. We watched turkey judging, saw a girl blow-drying a calf, and marveled at the crowds there to watch racing. What impressed me about the crowds was that more people were sitting on lawn chairs around the track than were in the grandstand! There truly is not a bad place to watch racing there, and the fans seemed to enjoying lounging under the trees as announcer Chris Patterson narrated the action.
A story about the fair ran in the July issue. I also shot some video footage.
This year, Mt. Vernon will again host a celebrity race. Last year, the publisher of the local newspaper beat out the county commissioner, fire chief, sheriff and fair board president. You can imagine the press that got! Check out the story and video.
This fair is extra-exciting for me as I will be picking up a catch-drive on the afternoon’s card. I will be driving 3-year-old filly pacer, Freedom Chase, in the Home Talent Colt Stakes for trainer Jamie Coffy. We’re hoping for a safe and successful start at such a beautiful fair.
I hope you can come out to the fair this year. If you see me, make sure to say hi. I’ll be the guy in the gold driving colors with the green and white diamonds.

The Blue Ribbon Fair winner will be chosen differently next year. A winner will be chosen from applicants for the USTA Matching Funds Grant. The most creative user of the grant money will be honored with a story in Hoof Beats magazine. Good luck, and start planning now for next year!