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Harness racing has long been a fixture at the Darke County Fair. With
the Gene Riegle Memorial and
the Arnie Almahurst Trot, the fair has
been named as a top three finalist for the Blue Ribbon Award as
the
best country fair in the United States. CNO Photo by George Starks
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Darke County
Fair a possible Blue Ribbon Fair
By George Starks
GREENVILLE- The Great Darke County fair has been named as a finalist in
the country as a Blue Ribbon Fair.
T. J. Burkett, Executive Editor of Hoof Beats magazine, the official
publication of the U.S. Trotting Association, the official governing
body of all county fairs all over the United States, was in attendance
Friday to see firsthand what the county fair does to promote harness
racing.
“There are over 300 county fairs in the country,” said Burkett. “Each
year, the Trotting Association picks one fair out of all the fairs in
the country to be a USTA blue ribbon award winner. This year, it was
decided the fair here in Greenville, Ohio was a finalist. There are
three finalist each year and we visit the three fairs to see what they
do to promote harness racing to the general public and what do they do
for the public with events and promotions they have. How are they
promoting harness racing to the general public because that’s what we
care about? In December, we will announce the winner of the Blue Ribbon
fair award. Of which Greenville is a finalist. If Greenville wins,
there will be a feature article in the 2018 edition of Hoof Beats
magazine. The USTA picks it and whichever fair gets it, they are deemed
the best fair in the United States. ”
Friday, the annual Gene Riegle Memorial and the Arnie Almahurst Trot
was the focus of the night. To the first 1,000 fans, with a paid
program, was a memorial glass. The annual event is huge for Darke
County harness racing and Friday was proof that the sport is alive and
well in the county.
“I’ve talked to about two dozen people tonight and they all said they
love coming to this and they love the atmosphere,” said Burkett.
“Rarely do you have crowds this large at any county fair anywhere in
the country and that’s a testament to the show they are putting on.
They are bringing in the best horses they can possibly get for the Gene
Riegle Memorial and the Arnie Almahurst. And that is a big draw.”
With the horses being some of the best around, Burkett acknowledged
other things that caught his eye.
“This is a great track and the horseman love to come here,” Burkett
stated. “They gave away the glasses and when we first got here, there
were 50 people in line waiting to get a glass. That was at four o’clock
and the races didn’t start until 5:30 so that shows the enthusiasm of
the people wanting to be a part of this event. That was amazing to me.
I’ve been visiting fairs as a part of this for 10 years now.”
So what was Burkett’s overall impressions?
“This is one of the best county fairs I’ve ever been to. They do a lot
of hard work and they promote the fair all year round. When people come
here, they’re getting an experience they’re not getting anywhere else,”
Burkett said in conclusion.
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